Redmond promises to reduce the battery impact of Flash

Jun 21, 2016 05:29 GMT  ·  By
While tech companies are giving up on Flash these days, Microsoft seeks way to optimize it
   While tech companies are giving up on Flash these days, Microsoft seeks way to optimize it

Microsoft claims that Edge browser is the most energy-efficient browser currently available for Windows 10 users, but the company promises even more improvements in this regard with the upcoming Anniversary Update due in July.

Also known as Redstone, the Anniversary Update will feature improvements that will reduce the battery impact of Adobe Flash, as Microsoft is looking into ways to significantly cut the battery footprint of its operating system.

There are several changes that will be integrated into the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in this regard, and one of them is “minimizing the impact of background activity and peripheral content like Flash advertisements,” according to a post published by Microsoft.

Flash security and battery footprint

Flash has often been criticized for its poor security, as it’s considered one of the most vulnerable pieces of software currently out there, not only on Windows but also on other platforms, including Apple’s Mac OS X (soon to become macOS). But in the past few years, studies have shown that it also dramatically impacts battery life on laptops, and it has been proved that, on a MacBook Air, you can get 2 extra hours of autonomy by simply dumping Flash.

Microsoft knows that this is one of the areas where it needs to focus a little bit more, so the Anniversary Update will come with many improvements in this regard.

“We continue to focus on power efficiency with regular updates to Windows 10, and the Windows 10 Anniversary Update will include even more power-saving improvements, using fewer CPU cycles, consuming less memory, and minimizing the impact of background activity and peripheral content like Flash advertisements,” the company explains.

The Windows 10 Anniversary Update will see daylight next month for both PC and mobile devices, and it will boast a plethora of improvements, including not only Edge tweaks but also changes aimed at the Start menu, Cortana, the Action Center, and many other apps integrated into the operating system.