Windows 10 April 2018 Update All the new features explained
Owners of PCs with a discrete graphics card, who want to make sure its not sucking up power unnecessarily, gain more control over which software uses the discrete GPU, and which software uses the less power-hungry integrated graphics chip.
Configuration for Apps that run during startup — available viaSettings – Apps- Startup.
Windows 10 Spring Creators Update is loaded with productivity features(ZDNet)
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
Nick Heath is chief reporter for TechRepublic. He writes about the technology that IT decision makers need to know about, and the latest happenings in the European tech scene.
How to use it: Go toSettings – System – Focus Assistwhere you can set the priority of notifications you want to receive during which hours. You can also right-click theAction Centericon to switch between the threeFocus Assistpriority modes.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
How to use it: Go toSettings – Update & Security – Windows Update – Advanced Options – Delivery Optimization – Advanced Options,then adjust the slider underLimit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the foreground.
Software usage policy(Tech Pro Research)
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
Microsofts Edge browser gets a host of new features, such as the ability to mute tabs, the ability to pin a book to the Start menu, support for extensions in Private Mode and autofill on web payment forms, and a redesigned hub that shows bookmarks, downloads, eBooks and history.
PWAs are already supported in major browsers such as Chrome, and that large potential userbase should give developers greater incentive to develop PWAs than is the case for UWP apps on the Microsoft Store.
Will my computer run the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?(TechRepublic)
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
How to use it: Bring up Timeline by pressing the Windows key + Tab, or by clicking the Task View icon on the Taskbar.
How to use it: Navigate toSettings – Personalization – Fontsand you can, install and uninstall fonts from the system, as well as buying new Fonts from the Microsoft Store.
Restart your computer and then start up the Edge web browser, click on the three dots in the top righthand corner, and thenNew Application Guardwindow.
This new tool lets you see exactly what data Microsoft is collecting from your PC.
This new feature allows you to set hours during which Windows 10 will mute notifications — allowing you to set the priority of notifications you let through. It will turn on automatically during presentations or when playing a DirectX game.
Heres what to look out for, with changes running the gamut from Timelines pick up where you left off feature, to the easier sharing of files and links between PCs, and from better online protection for small businesses, to giving users more control over privacy.
How to use it: Apps like Photos, Microsoft Edge and File Explorer have aShareicon, which when clicked will have an option to look for nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices you may want to share with. The recipient gets a notification via the Action Center and when they accept, the transfer takes place.
PWAs are basically web apps that behave like native apps, able to work offline, send notifications and be installed on PCs.
Windows 10 April 2018 Update: How to delay it(TechRepublic)
Good news for those disappointed with the poor selection of software in the Microsoft Store — the update will add support for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to the store, a move which has the potential to massively expand its selection of apps.
The new quick pair feature aims to make it easy to connect two devices via Bluetooth. Holding a supported Bluetooth devices near your PC should trigger anAction Centernotification asking if you want to pair the PC with the device.
How to use it: Click on the My People icon on the Taskbar, the white silhouette of two people, and drag the image of the contact up and down in the flyout to change their priority, or drag pinned contacts to and from the Taskbar.
One of the first PWA Store apps to be revealed is this offering from Twitter.
The same Reveal effect is also now used in theMy Peoplehub.
Cortanas suggestions for the action you might like to take next have also moved to the Action Center.
Basically a history for your desktop, Timeline lets users search through files, apps and sites theyve previously had open and pick up where they left off, with support in a variety of apps including Office.
Theres now more control over which apps have access to your PCs webcam, with the ability to toggle off access for all apps, not just apps from the Microsoft Store. You can also restrict which apps have access to your Documents, Pictures and Videos folders and the wider file system, with the ability to approve apps each time they make an access request.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG)is designed to help protect firms against online threatsby addingcontainer-based isolationto Windows 10s Edge browser, allowing it to safely contain malware so it cant spread within a companys network.
This latest crop of improvements expected to be pushed out as the April 2018 Update is once again a mix of new functionality and under the hood tweaks.
To disable Timeline go toSettings – Privacy – Activity Historyand untick the boxes markedLet Windows collect my activities from this PCandLet Windows synchronize my activities from this PC to the cloud.
How to use it:To control camera access go toSettings – Privacy – Cameraand toggleLet apps use my camera hardware.
Sound configuration — available viaSettings – System – Sound.
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How to use it: To mute a tab in Edge right click the tab and selectMute tab. Annoyingly this option seems to be greyed out until sound starts playing. There also doesnt seem to be aMute siteoption as offered by Google Chrome.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
This information relates to: common data, device connectivity and configuration, product and service performance, product and service usage, software setup and inventory, browsing history, inking, typing, and speech utterance data.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
To control access to the file system / personal folders, go toSettings – Privacyand at the bottom of the lefthand menu there are four separate access settings pages:Document, Pictures, VideosandFile system.
Its never been easier to tweak the Fonts in Windows 10, thanks to the new Settings page that shows Font previews and colors, as well as allowing you to customize their appearance using sliders.
Once the app is launched, you can drill down into the data by selecting a diagnostic event from the left column and browsing the list of data collected. You can also filter by specific categories and search for specific terms. However, be warned, not all of the data is intelligible to the average computer user.
Windows 10 April 2018 Update: How to get it early(TechRepublic)
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
WDAG is also available on the Windows 10 Pro edition for the first time, however the download to host machine feature is reserved for the Enterprise edition.
Other changes include various options migrating to the Settings app, including:
The viewer allows Windows 10 PC admins to examine the data sent to Microsoft by the Universal Telemetry Client.
Next put your Bluetooth peripheral in pairing mode and move it close to the Windows 10 PC. The Windows 10Action Centershould show a notification, selectConnectto pair the device with the PC.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
The design tweaks aim to create a distinctive look: adding light, depth, motion, and the quality of physical materials to the Windows UI and apps.
Machine automation policy guidelines
Microsoft continues to roll out its new Fluent Design System to Windows 10, which overhauls the look of the OS to be more visually appealing and make its interfaces more intuitive.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
2019 IT Budget Research Report: IT spending increases due to business conditions, security, and revenue opportunities
Windows equivalent of Apples AirDrop feature, allowing nearby Windows 10 devices to share contacts, files and URLs via Bluetooth.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
How to use it: The viewer is accessible by navigating toSettings – Privacy – Diagnostics & feedback.Enable theDiagnostic Data Viewertoggle and then click theGetbutton to install the app from the store.
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Microsoft has merged its Lists feature with Cortana Collections, which sees the virtual assistant suggest items you might be interested in making a note of based on your browsing history in Edge — for example suggesting books, recipes or restaurants you might want to save for future reference. Lists on Windows 10 PCs also sync with iPhone and Androids handsets running Cortana.
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Contacts in the My People hub can now be dragged up or down to change their priority, and dragged between the Taskbar and the My People hub. Up to 10 people can now also be pinned to the Taskbar.
How to use it: TheOrganizerandManage Skillstabs are accessible by opening Cortana and clicking on theNotebook, the third icon down in the lefthand bar.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
How to use it: Make sure that Bluetooth is enabled inSettings- Devices – Bluetooth & other devices.
How to use it: Go toSettings – System – Display,scroll down and selectGraphics settings.Click on the app you want to customize and selectPower savingfor that app to favor integrated graphics andHigh performanceto favor the discrete GPU.
SEE:Windows 10 April 2018 Update: A cheat sheet
These effects can be seen in new locations throughout the OS, such as the glowing cursor Reveal effect, seen here lighting up the borders of the OneNote entry in theAll Appslist.
How to use it:Open Cortana, click on theNotebook, the third icon down, then click onLists.
While you can alreadylimit how much bandwidth is used for background downloads, for example for Windows 10s regular updates, now you can also limit foreground downloads, for example when you click to download an app from the Windows Store.
Microsoft 365 bundle gets a slew of updates as part of Windows 10 April rollout(ZDNet)
The update both improves performance when browsing using WDAG, but also allows users to download files from the container to the host machine.
Windows 10 is changing again, with another truckload of new features due to roll out from this month.
Cortana gets a new Organizer tab to provide a single place to view lists and reminders, while skills — the name for the services that Cortana can command — are brought together under aManage Skillstab. Cortana recently gained the ability to work with the IFTTT service, as well as a number of new smart home devices, such as the Ecobee, Honeywell Lyric, and LIFX. However Cortana still lags far behind its rival Amazon Alexa in terms of the number of supported skills.
Microsoft Windows 10 April 2018 Update aims to shield us from notifications(CNET)
How to use it: Search forFeaturesin the Windows search bar, openWindows Featuresand then tick the box markedWindows Defender Application Guard.
For those with a Microsoft account, this ability to jump back to past activity will extend across different PCs, as well as Android handsets and iPhones running Microsofts virtual assistant Cortana.
Nick Heath is chief reporter for TechRepublic. He writes about the technology that IT decision makers need to know about, and the latest happenings in the European tech scene.
