Windows 10 Build 14390 is available for PC and Mobile.

Hello Insiders, we have a new build waiting for us to test. Just like the previous builds, this one too concentrates on fixing those last of few bugs remaining in Anniversary update. We might very well get the RTM as soon as next week which will then be followed by small cumulative updates in order to make the Anniversary update available on August 2 worldwide for the general public.

Microsoft has fixed several bugs, significant ones include Improved Battery Life on Windows phones and overall polish and performance. Amazon assistant is a new extension available for Microsoft Edge. This build takes us almost there!

Improvements and fixes for PC

• You should no longer see the error code 0x80004005 when enabling Developer Mode on the “For Developers” Settings page if your PC is using a non-EN-US language.

Known issues for PC

• AWARENESS: A recent fix went into place for the Hyper-V firmware that will that affect the ability to boot Windows Server 2016 Tech Preview 5 VMs with Secure Boot enabled. A fix for TP5 builds has been developed however, due to release schedules, the Insider Preview build changes will be released before the TP5 fix is released. During that time, if you try to boot a new TP5 VM with Secure Boot enabled, it will fail. The workaround is to disable Secure Boot during this period.

Windows 10 Build 14383 is available for PC and Mobile.

Microsoft has just released a new build to insiders in the fast ring. Windows 10 build 14383 as expected brings a lots of fixes as the anniversary update is nearly done and set to be released on August 2 for both PC and Mobile devices. Microsoft will continue to release builds mostly with fixes this month. Key fixes include improved accessibility to Extensions in Store and battery life in mobile ( Yay!).

Improvements and fixes for PC

• The link to “Get more extensions from the Store” under the Extensions pane in Microsoft Edge now takes you directly to the Store to download available extensions.
• We have changed the keyboard shortcut to invoke Cortana in listening mode to Win + Shift + C based on feedback from Insiders experiencing a large number of unintended activations of Cortana while in listening mode. Speaking “Hey Cortana”, when enabled in Cortana Settings, continues to invoke Cortana in listening mode as it always has.
• Going forward from this build, updates to the Quick Action area of Action Center will be preserved across upgrades.
• We fixed an issue where disconnecting the Surface Book from an external monitor set as primary might result in the Surface Book screen showing in portrait rather than landscape until having detached and reattached the screen.
• We fixed an issue where the Settings app was showing media controls in the taskbar preview window.
• We fixed an issue where dragging the file comparison or manage library dialogs between two monitors with different DPIs would result in the dialog content no longer displaying correctly
• We fixed an issue where the checkmark used to indicate a selected state in app bar toggle buttons wasn’t visible in high contrast, for example in the Photos menu under “…”.
• We fixed an issue where connecting to a PC using Remote Desktop when a maximized window is immediately behind the Remote Desktop dialog would result in the subsequent the Credential UI window being displayed behind the maximized window.
• We fixed an issue where, with certain monitor configurations, Explorer.exe would hang after a tooltip is displaying.

The top 3 YouTube apps for Windows 10 devices

"What !? Windows 10 doesn't have a official YouTube app?" This is something I have heard from my friends, specially in the case of Windows 10 Mobile. For the record, Windows (phone) never had a official YouTube app. Thank Google for that. But that doesn't mean that there is no way to access YouTube. You can do so using your web browser to access the mobile site for occasional browsing and watching videos. This won't suffice if you want save videos offline, get notification from your favorite channels and other advanced features which you can find in the official YouTube app in other platforms.

Fortunately, there are several beautiful third party apps that are equivalent to the official apps. Here is a list of such apps.

1) Tubecast

Multitasking : A video running in the bottom left corner while browsing other videos.

Tubecast is one of the finest and full featured YouTube client that you will ever find in Windows. The interface is clean and slick. You can log in using your Google account and bring your favorite channels at the finger tips. You can also comment in a video without leaving the screen and the app supports swipe gestures making navigation a breeze in touch enabled devices. Offline videos (Preload) are supported and you can choose between SQ,HQ or HD for saving that video. It has a live tile and supports push notifications to keep you updated.

Windows 10 Build 10586.318 available for PC and Mobile devices. Full changelog

Microsoft has released this month's cumulative update for both smartphones and PC's running Windows 10. The update pushes the build number to 10586.318 and it is available for Windows Insiders in Release Preview Ring and to devices running Windows 10 officially. As it is another cumulative update, there is no new features added but there is a good amount of bug fixes for the two platforms. Here are the changes

Windows 10 PC

• Improved reliability in a number of areas including Cortana, Bluetooth, Shell, Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Miracast, and USB.
• Fixed memory leak that occurs when opening a portable document format (PDF) form multiple times.
• Fixed issues with text alignment for right to left languages in Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge.
• Fixed issue that affected Bluetooth function when a PC resumes from sleep.
• Fixed issue where user accounts weren't locked out after a number of failed sign in attempts.
• Fixed issue with revised daylight saving time.
• Fixed issue that sometimes corrupts CompactFlash cards inserted into a card reader.
• Fixed additional security issues with kernel mode drivers, remote procedure calls, the Microsoft Graphics Component, Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Windows Shell, Windows Journal, Virtual Secure Mode, Schannel, and Jscript.
  

Windows 10 costs upto $199 after the offer ends, Upgrade now !

Microsoft has confirmed that the free upgrade to Windows 10 will be ending on July 29 as it was announced last year during the launch. As of now 300 million devices are in Windows 10 and Microsoft plans to get on 1 billion devices to Windows 10 in the next few years, for this target. free upgrade is supposed to act as a catalyst to the growth of the new platform. With less than three months remaining for the offer, the pricing of Windows 10 has reached the internet.

Here is the how the pricing of Windows 10 looks like after the offer ends

After July 29, 2016

Windows 10 Home: $119.99

Windows 10 Pro: $199.99

The pricing is very similar to how Microsoft priced their previous generation operating systems. Even the retail editions of Windows 10 which are available for purchase in Microsoft Store lists the same pricing. So it is pretty obvious that Microsoft would not change the pricing. In case you are wondering what are the differences between Home and Pro editions, you can find them here.

Microsoft has been very committed to actively update Windows 10 with new features and reliability updates. November update ( aka TH2 or build 10586) brought a plethora of improvements over the initial version such as improved snapping,colored title bars and more optimizations to the overall performance and reliability.

Windows 10 Mobile has a future,a different one though

Windows 10 Mobile has been recently under the spotlight for several unintentional theories of the platform's future. This post is to discuss about the recent controversies that Windows Platform or specifically Windows phone platform has been going through since the last few months .What actually fuelled these controversies is the delay in W10M roll-out for the older devices and the ever shrinking market share of Windows Phone in the recent years. Looking at all this flood of posts, We decided to make it a little clear .

Let's kick off by talking about the instability of Windows 10 on Phones. Windows 10 Mobile has been in the Insider program for a long time but the RTM version took more time than expected to land on the old devices while the new flagship devices were continuously objected for having software with lot of bugs. Even though Microsoft clarified that monthly updates (named Cumulative Updates) will be shipped to devices and the bugs will be eventually ironed out, consumers couldn't stand the initial instability of the software in their flagship device.

[Updated] Unlisted changes and issues in Windows 10 Mobile 14327

Microsoft dropped a new build earlier today for Fast ring Insiders for their mobiles, Windows 10 Mobile build 14327 comes with a couple of noteworthy features with messaging and availability of Cortana in new languages. The build packs a quite a bunch of bug fixes, importantly the app launch issue from start screen and apps list. You can find them here.

Now let's jump into the unlisted bugs and changes in the build.

1) Battery settings gets a better UI.

  Battery saver settings were merged under a single screen in the last build, this build further polishes the UI, the remaining percentage is shown in bigger font with the estimated time remaining under it. Also you can now find a quick link to battery saving tips in the bottom of the settings screen. I personally feel that battery life is a little bit improved over the previous build.

2) Store now shows notification for app updates and app installs. 

Lumia 650, Tip of the ice berg ?

Microsoft's latest Lumia has been under the scanner from last week for its fantastic design and also for its lower than expected internals. So why ? Why has Microsoft kept the specifications of their Windows 10 mid ranger below expectations ? There is one answer, Windows 10!

Microsoft has been trying to boost the market share of Windows phone since it bought Nokia, they've been releasing low end phones back to back but the consumer interest remained the same. Even though the low end Lumias pack enough power to provide exceptional value for money, unfortunately they never took off. Of course devices like Lumia 640,535 & 540 were hit in the Asian and European markets.

Halting Android Windows Bridge (Astoria) makes sense!

I know most of the people who follow Microsoft closely were elated when they announced Project Astoria in BUILD conference, a Windows Bridge for porting Android apps. That meant that the app gap will finally be covered as developers would find it easy to bring their apps to Windows (Phone) Platform. Microsoft even went ahead and set core of Windows 10 Mobile to run Android apps via side-loading!

 

But then it happened, Microsoft slowly back tracked the progress of this specific bridge and remained tight lipped for what seemed to be a very long time until recently. They removed the core components of Android subsystems with newer builds and I think that was because it had significant impact on performance the OS. I had always wondered how Microsoft could bring Android apps without the well known problem of Android, performance!

How to set a custom search Engine as default in Microsoft Edge Mobile

If you're using the latest build of Windows 10 Mobile preview ( Build 10581),then you all know that the default search engine in Microsoft Edge is Bing and there is no way to change it. But you can change it with a couple of changes.

Follow the steps to set the search engine of your choice. In the below example, I will set Google as the default one.

By default Bing is the only search engine in Edge

1) Navigate to www.google.com

2) Now Open settings in Edge browser and set the website preference to "Desktop".

Windows 10 event : Watch it live !

So the big day for Microsoft is here. Today's Windows 10 event will mark the official announcement of many new devices from Microsoft with Windows 10 Mobile being one of the important announcements and yes, we are getting the Windows flagships after a long time, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

What to expect : 

Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL 

Microsoft has already confirmed these devices. Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are bound to arrive with 5.2-inch and 5.7-inch display, respectively, both boasting QHD resolution. The larger model takes advantage of a Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, while the smaller one relies on a Snapdragon 808 processor with the same amount of RAM and storage. The Lumia 950 XL works with a 3,300mAh battery, while the Lumia 950 has a smaller 3,000mAh battery. Both the models will have expandable storage with a Micro SD card slot supporting upto 128GB.

Lumia 950

Lumia 950 XL

They share a 5MP front shooter with Iris scanner for Windows Hello and 20 MP PureView rear camera with triple LED flash.Both these devices will feature Continuum and have USB type C connectors for quick charging and wireless charging is included.

Nearly 700,000 apps in Windows Store !

Windows 10 is having a successful run across the globe despite the privacy problems. Softpedia reports that Microsoft has stated that there are 669,000 apps available for download in Windows Store. This includes mobiles,tablets and PC's combined and it is not clear on how many of them are Universal apps.

It is interesting to see the growth rate of Windows 10 and Apps, definitely there is a increase in interest from the developers to bring their apps to Windows Store as it has the potential to reach millions of people using Windows in devices with different form factors, all with a single code. Also the report states that the number of apps is rapidly growing as hundreds of apps are added each day. Even though it sounds quite positive, Microsoft should make sure that the quality of the apps is maintained as the numbers make no sense when the apps are just clones or fake. They have already faced this scenario with Windows 8.x and with Windows 10 in 75 million devices already and still rolling out to millions of people coming from Windows 7, Microsoft should take care of this issue seriously.

Microsoft launches the new Lumia 540 DS with HD display

The newly announced Microsoft Lumia 540 adds to the latest generation of Lumia devices which currently holds Lumia 640 and it's bigger sibling, the Lumia 640XL.

  As the name suggests, Lumia 540 Dual SIM is yet another affordable Lumia with impressive features. The looks of it has been inspired by the long gone Asha series and the other Lumia's. It's instantly identifiable as a Lumia all the way. It comes with a big enough 5" screen with 720p resolution which converts into 294 ppi. Again it has a 1.2 GHz quad core snapdragon 200 processor and 1GB RAM with 8GB internal storage. It runs the latest version of Windows phone with Lumia denim. What has improved is the camera, the rear holds a better 8MP shooter with LED flash coupled with 5MP wide angle camera in the front. Also the battery is now bigger to support the resolution, it has a powerful 2200mAH battery. The only thing missing from the Lumia 540 is the Gorilla glass 3, which is present in the Lumia 535.So you'll have to purchase a screen guard with it to keep away scratches. Available at $149 with orange,green,black and white colours, the Lumia 540 is a steal deal. The Lumia devices provides a lot of options for consumers to choose from, which is good for Microsoft.

Note : This post was typed from my new Lumia 535 using Pin Blogger app.

Microsoft launches Lumia 532 and Lumia 435

If you are looking for Windows Phone which are affordable then these days are working in favor of you. We've been seeing a lot of budget devices from Microsoft and other OEM's since the launch of Windows Phone 8.1 in April last year. Microsoft has made a great start this year with two new budget devices, Lumia 435, the first of 400 series and the other being the better version of Lumia 530, Lumia 532.

Interestingly these devices have decent specifications but given their price tag, they are impressive phones. Both the Lumias sport an 4" WVGA screen, 1 GB RAM,8GB ROM and 1560 mAH battery and you can expand the storage up to 128 GB with Micro-SD slot. Both run Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim, the latest firmware update for Lumia devices. As usual,both support 3G connectivity.But the difference comes in the camera department as the Lumia 435 sports a 2MP rear shooter and VGA front camera while the Lumia 532 houses a better 5MP rear fixed focus camera and a VGA selfie shooter. In the processing department also the Lumia 532 has a faster 1.2 GHz Snapdragon Quad-core processor whereas the little boy, Lumia 435 is powered by a dual-core snapdragon 200 processor clocked at same 1.2 GHz. Both the phones will be available in white,green,black and orange with swap-able shells available for purchase. 

Lumia 435

Lumia 435 is the first of it's series and it's main aim is to replace the old Asha series and it looks like it's going to do it with ease as is the specifications of this little budget beast as compared to it's older cousins, the asha series. More over the design of this device is derived from the Asha devices.

Lumia 532 

Lumia 532 aims to heal away the patches left by Lumia 530. Lumia 532 solves the all the problems found with 530 as it lacked a front camera and had only 4 GB internal storage and just 512 MB RAM. Moreover, this device has the right combination of features and hardware, the glance screen should be enough to make it stand out in the budget crowd filled with Android devices.For those who don't know about Glance Screen, it's a simple and easy way to check your notifications without unlocking your phone. It's pricing is also more or less equal to that of Lumia 530 and that sounds like a good offer. This is the perfect predecessor to the successful Lumia 535. 

Lumia 532 Glance screen in action

Both the devices look similar to Nokia asha and X series devices with square corners. Importantly it's good to see Microsoft learning from it's previous devices and improving the newer ones. People have always been disturbed by 4 GB storage and 512 MB RAM combination in android devices and they never wanted this to continue in Windows Phone environment. Microsoft got that point and have delivered the perfect budget kings with right price and features.These two devices will get Windows 10 when released later this year and they will run it pretty easily, thanks to their solid specifications .
They will be priced around 69( R.5000/$80) euros for Lumia 435 and 79 euros for Lumia 532(Rs.5600/$95).

What do you think about the budget devices launched by Microsoft in the recent days ? Will you buy any one of them.

Microsoft File Manager is out for Windows Phone 8.1

Logo of Files App

Windows Phone 8 lacked a file manager and so did Windows Phone 8.1 till today. Yeah, I'm talking about the official file manager for WP from Microsoft. The Redmond giant said that File manager was slated for release on late May in Build 2014 and they have delivered it in the right time. 

Navigate through your files with ease in Windows Phone 8.1 with Files !

The new file manager is called Files and available as a separate download from Windows Phone Store but there is a restriction, only Windows Phone 8.1 users are allowed to download which means that WP 7.5 users won't be get hold of Microsoft's latest app offering and as the time passes, most of the people will switch from WP 8 to 8.1 as it is really worthy upgrade. Technically, the app is pretty good and has most of the features as you would expect from a File Manager. It's really small, just 1 MB. Thumbs up Microsoft !

Finally, it's all falling together to make Windows Phone a real big threat for Android and iOS,lately both of them have not been getting some radical updates as Windows Phone. WP used this time to cope with them and it's now sometimes way better than both of them. Want an example, go type Cortana in YouTube , I bet you will love it.Well let's not go deeper ! There is one more reason and one more most wanted feature in Windows Phone. Happy days for WP users it seems . Now I won't be surprised to see a touch first File Manager app in Windows 8.1 U2 or Windows 9.

Download the app for WP 8.1 - Files
Here is the description of the app :

Files is a free app for managing files on your Windows Phone.
By using this app you can:
• Access files stored on your phone and SD card
• Browse, search and launch files
• Easily share one file or multiple files
• Create folders to organise your files
• Copy, move, rename and delete files

WhatsApp is back to Windows Phone Store !

WhatsApp was pulled from Windows Phone Store intentionally by it's publisher,WhatsApp Inc on May 18 which caused a lot of cries from WP users as WhatsApp is one of the most used chatting app. They said that there were a lot of problems in the WP version and they needed to fix all those problems and give users a great experience.

"Unfortunately due to technical issues, we have chosen to un-publish WhatsApp Messenger on the Windows Phone platform. We are working closely with Microsoft to resolve the issues and hope to return to the store shortly. We apologize to our users for the temporary inconvenience."

Unfortunately, it took more time than they thought, 12 full days is what they did with the app under their roof. Microsoft also had joined hands to help to them. Now it's back to the Windows Phone Store and any user running WP 7.5 to WP 8.1 can download and install this app. The new version fixes most of the problems and bugs that was in the previous version. It adds some new features too.. Here is the full change log as published in the Store.

2.11.490:

* Chat backgrounds

* Broadcast lists

* Privacy settings (settings > account > privacy)

* Media auto-download settings (settings > chat settings > media autodownload)

* Custom notification tones (Windows Phone 8 Update 3 required)

* Various enhancements and bug fixes

Windows Phone 8.1 gets new features and Cortana gets feedback site

Windows Phone 8.1 was unveiled in BUILD 2014 and the developer version is now available for download for users. Microsoft is committed to deliver the best mobile experience with WP 8.1 and it has been refining and adding important features based on user requests.Joe Belfiore, the corporate vice president and manager for Windows Phone, held a Reddit AMA.In which he answered many questions about WP 8.1 and he confirmed that File manager will come to WP 8.1. File manager is a feature which was one of the most requested features. He added that it will be available as a app from Store and it will be available by late May. Here is how it looks

He also said that Microsoft has developed a beautiful and versatile environment and they would love Google's apps in their platform. It's high up in there want list but it's not up to MS. Google should develop their apps for Windows Phone. Clearly, Google needs to port their apps to Windows Phone as it will not only reach more users but will also have cross compatibility with all the major platforms.

As far as Cortana's concern, she gets a feedback site,cortana.uservoice.com where users can say what they would like to add to Cortana. And also Cortana may also come to Windows soon.  “Nothing specific to announce, but Cortana herself is always telling us she’s a fan of PCs herself.” That's good to hear ! With WP 8.1, the Redmond giant has made a lot of improvements to shorten the gap between iOS,Android and Windows Phone.

Hello Start Menu, Office for Touch,Universal Apps,WP 8.1 and much more ! BUILD 2014 : Day 1

Start Menu 

The users wanted it so Microsoft has added the Start menu back to it's place with a customizable modern app tiles panel . This photo was taken from BUILD 2014 which is currently happening in San Francisco.

Microsoft Office for touch 
Microsoft also took the chance to introduce the new touch based version of Office. The tech giant managed to create a beautiful presentation of PowerPoint app. The app has the Ribbon in the top with a much more touch friendly UI. Microsoft also stated that they are working to bring touch gestures in Office for touch.

Universal apps

Universal apps are just amazing and if you are a developer then you are going to love this feature. You can write the code once and you get your app working in two different platforms like the natively coded apps. Well it means you can create your app for Windows and re-use the same code to create the Windows Phone app. The app automatically adjusts itself to look great at every resolution across the diverse range of devices.

Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8.1 was officially announced by Microsoft. Microsoft explained most of the major features with beautiful demonstration. WP 8.1 takes your Windows Phone a generation ahead with plethora new features and improvements. It brings the Start Screen customization to the next level as now you can set a picture behind the Start screen and magically your tiles become transparent and your start screen will look lovely.Also the number of tiles which can be pinned in rows has been increased, this can also be disabled. Now the Windows Phone 8.1 keyboard is the world record holder for the fastest typing keyboard as it brings the swype keyboard which means that now you can move your finger across the letters and voila your word would be typed.

Cortana stands out in WP 8.1, the voice assistant which is personal for you, it understands you as you use it. She understands you,your interests and the people you know so that it can give suggestions. You can open an app, create an event and warn if you have any conflicts and much more... It is the first personal assistant which replies for your questions. There are much more features in WP 8.1 which make the Day 1 video worth watching. You can watch the full video here.

OneDrive is out !

Microsoft has released their updated cloud storage service namely OneDrive. OneDrive is the new name which is replacing SkyDrive. You can learn more about OneDrive in this preview website. 

"Today we are thrilled to announce the global availability of OneDrive. For our existing SkyDrive customers, you are all set; your files are ready in the new OneDrive experience. All you have to do is head over to www.OneDrive.com and log in. For those of you hearing about the service for the first time, OneDrive gives you one place for all of your files, including photos, videos, and documents, and it’s available across the devices you use every day." reads the official blog post.

Still the storage plan remains the same for the free users but there are new ways to get more storage for free. You can also buy storage which starts from $25 for 50GB/year through $100 for 200GB/year. You can have a look at the storage plans from here. OneDrive currently SkyDrive is built inside Windows 8.1 and will receive the updated version of the app soon. If you are using other operating systems then you can download the new app from here.SkyDrive will be completely replaced by OneDrive within hours. So what do you think about the new name ?

What's new in Windows phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8.1 is nearly ready to to be released to the OEM partners. It is also expected to reach users by May. The Developers have got the latest Windows Phone 8.1 build to make sure that their apps run fine after deploying the new update. Here is the video which shows some of the new features added to the OS. The build seems to be incomplete with new apps like Bing Food & Drink and Bing Health & Fitness which can't be launched. Notification center is also missing but there are some good features which are shown in the video. SkyDrive has also been renamed to OneDrive.Windows phone 8.1 brings the mobile OS closer to the desktop counterpart, Windows 8.1. You can close the apps by swiping down. Apps are updated automatically by the Store,just like Windows 8.1. Check out the video to see what the new WP has to offer.