Windows 10 Anniversary Update Coming On August 2 To Over 350 Million Devices

There has been a lot of talk about the impending major update for Windows 10. Microsoft announced a lot of the additional features and changes that the update would bring at its developer conference Build 2016 earlier this year but it has finally set the date on when Windows 10 users receive it: August 2. Here’s a recap of what the Anniversary update will bring.

Image: supplied

We’ve been waiting for this major update for months and Windows Insider program participants have already fiddled around with it in test builds. Microsoft has fervently pushed Windows 10, offering it for free and even resorting to aggressive tactics to get people to upgrade, the operating system is now running on over 350 million. All of them will be able to get the Anniversary update.

Windows 10 Anniversary update brings changes to both consumer and business users. These include:

  • Extended Windows Hello biometric security protection for Windows apps and Microsoft Edge browser. The latter will be the first web browser to natively support biometrics but this will only work with sites and devices that support it.
  • Windows Ink which allows users to doodle on Windows 10 apps including Maps, Microsoft Edge and Office.
  • Windows Store is getting more apps and gaming features. It will be unified with Xbox One app store.
  • A smarter Cortana as it integrates everything it knows about you across all Microsoft products.

Developers will also benefit from new features in the Anniversary update, including:

  • Ability to integrate Windows Ink feature into their apps with as little as two lines of code.
  • Full access to Cortana’s proactive intelligence through proactive actions, allowing their apps to perform tasks based on user context by linking existing actions in deep-link enabled apps and websites. In short, developers can register actions with Cortana to connect users to their apps at the right time.
  • Bash, a command line tool that programmers using Linux and other Unix-style operating systems are familiar with, will be part of the Anniversary Update. Developers will be able to download the Bash shell from the Windows Store.

Since we’re in Australia, the update is likely to hit our shores on August 3. Just keep an eye out for it. If you have automatic Windows update switched on, you can just sit back and let your device take care of itself.

If you have yet to upgrade to Windows 10, you can still do so for free until July 29.

[Via Windows Blog]


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