14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced the so-called Windows 10 Anniversary Update at the Build 2016 developer conference, describing it “a more personal computing that comes to life.”
One of the major new features in this Anniversary Update is support for Windows Hello right in Edge browser, so you’ll be able to log into websites using biometric authentication. Windows Hello in Edge is powered by FIDO 2.0 experimental APIs.
The Anniversary Update will also be available to Xbox One and turns the gaming console into a developer unit, while also bringing Windows 10 apps on the device.
Pen support in Windows 10
Microsoft says that the new update will put the “pen front and center,” so it’s very clear that the company wants to focus more on the stylus with the upcoming update. There will be a new feature called Ink Workspace that will provide access to the main apps that you use with a pen, while also letting you go to the store quickly and find more software for your desktop.
Cortana will be deeply integrated into this new Ink Workspace and will automatically detect when you’re typing a deadline and will set a reminder. If you type “call mom tomorrow,” Cortana automatically reads the term “tomorrow” and will issue a notification reminder the next day.
Microsoft says that 72 percent of people still use pen and paper and that’s why it brings better support in Windows 10. 32 percent use it for more than 3 hours every day, it says.
The new feature will come with plenty of new features, including a virtual ruler that will let you adjust things on the screen, making it quite easy to draw on a device running Windows 10.
Redmond describes inking as a platform, so expect more improvements in this regard in the coming months. More information will probably be provided after the show.