A few days ago, a patent suggested that the Surface Pen could be getting its own version of a mouse scroll wheel. Today, a more recent patent has surfaced, showing that Microsoft may be exploring adding a haptic feedback feature on the Surface Pen (via Windows Central.)

The Microsoft patent for “Haptic Stylus” was filed internationally on February 8th, 2017, and shows the company is considering using electromagnets in the tip of the Surface Pen to create haptic feedback. It also suggests that haptic feedback functionality can vary based on how the pen is moved and used.  Here’s a more technical description, straight from the patent:

A a coil mounted or patterned on the substrate, and a controller configured to induce haptic feedback via the tip based on applying a signal to the coil, which thereby acts as an electromagnet. A surface of the substrate faces the resilient element. The resilient element presses against the surface in response to the tip receding toward the housing.

With Microsoft’s notebook style folding Andromeda device in mind, this is definitely interesting. It shows that Microsoft may be looking to evolve the Surface Pen into something much more than a stylus. The vibrations created from haptic feedback might also help make writing feel more natural, and also create special feedback for when elements of the Windows 10 UI or certain apps are open and being used.

As always, there is no telling if the tech in this patent will ever come to be, but it still sounds promising. Do you think haptic feedback in the Surface Pen makes sense to you? Let us know your thoughts on this patent in the comments below.

The Microsoft Store will be holding a special one-week sale on select EA titles starting tomorrow, February 20, 2018. The Microsoft Store EA Publisher Sale features new and popular EA titles on Xbox One, including Star Wars Battlefront II, FIFA 18, Madden 18, Battlefield 1 Revolution, Need for Speed Payback, Mass Effect Andromeda, and many more.

All week long during the EA Publisher Sale, if you give the gift of an EA title or DLC priced at $4.49 or more, you’ll receive a free month of EA Access. Existing EA Access members will also enjoy an extra 10% off any sale-priced items.

EA Access is similar to the Xbox Game Pass program, where you pay a monthly fee to download and play popular EA titles available in the EA Access library. EA Access costs $4.99 a month or $29.99 for the year. While you won’t have access to the latest EA game titles on their launch date, you can still get early access to EA game titles before they are released and multiplayer betas.

Take a look at all the EA titles you can play on Xbox One with EA Access. Stay tuned and check the Microsoft Store in your region for details.

Feeling lucky this week? If you are, you might want to try your luck at winning one of 5 Coco inspired Xbox One S consoles.

Honestly, we’re kinda in love with this Coco-inspired Xbox One S.
Find out how to win one of these limited edition beauts at https://t.co/4oeWc4W8WK. pic.twitter.com/O2HC7kNkuu

— Xbox (@Xbox) February 19, 2018

You can enter now for your chance to win this special Xbox One S, inspired by the hit Disney Pixar Film, Coco. All you need to do is visit this website and enter your email. The sweepstakes begins at 12:00 PM ET on 2/14/17 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on 3/12/18. Please be aware that the sweepstakes is only open for legal residents of the 50 US/DC who are 13 years of age or older.

The sweesptakes celebrates the launch of Disney Pixar Coco in 4K on Microsoft Movies and TV. Coco follows the aspiring musician Miguel as he enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer. You can download Disney Pixar’s Coco by clicking here.

We’d also like to remind you that Microsoft is giving away a custom Air Jordan III Inspired Xbox One X Console. You can check out that sweepstakes by going on Twitter.

Back in December, the first Windows 10 on ARM laptops from Asus and HP were revealed during Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Technology summit, and both machines are expected to be released later this year. Together, Qualcomm, Microsoft and PC OEMs will try to shake the PC market with “Always Connected PCs,” which are ultrathin machines with instant-on capabilities, integrated LTE and great battery life.

For the first time ever, we’ll soon see full Windows 10 running on an ARM processor (the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835), and Windows 10 on ARM seems to be exactly what Windows RT should have been back in 2012. Microsoft previously explained that Windows 10 on ARM should support legacy Win32 apps through emulation, but the OS will still have some limitations compared to the same Windows 10 running on an x86 processor.

Last week, Microsoft published a document detailing the limitations of Windows 10 on ARM (via Thurrott.com). The information has since been removed from the Windows Dev Center website, but here are the highlights:

• The OS will only support ARM64 drivers, which means that some of your old peripherals which only have x86 drivers won’t be compatible.
• If Windows 10 on ARM will be able to run legacy Win32 apps through emulation, the OS will only support 32-bit apps, not 64-bit apps. This shouldn’t be an issue for popular apps such as Google Chrome or VLC which are both available in 32-bit and 64-bit flavours.
• Games that use a version of OpenGL later than 1.1 or that require hardware-accelerated OpenGL won’t work on Windows 10 on ARM. Additionally, games that use anti-cheat drivers won’t be supported.
• Apps that customize the Windows experience such as input method editors and assistive technologies may not work on Windows 10 on ARM. Microsoft also included in this category all apps that use shell extensions, including cloud storage apps which add badges on Files or additions to right-click menus.
• You won’t be able to use Hyper-V to run virtual machines on Windows 10 on ARM.

Some of these limitations will probably be a dealbreaker for power users, and Microsoft and its partners will have a lot of work to do to educate consumers about the differences with x86 PCs. Yes, Windows 10 on ARM should pretty much work like “full” Windows 10, but it’s almost guaranteed that some early-adopters will complain about peripherals and apps that don’t work properly. The performance of emulated Win32 apps also remains a big question, and we won’t really have the answer until Asus and HP ship their first Windows 10 on ARM PCs later this year.

Welcome back to our Windows 10 news recap, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.

Microsoft pulls installer for “classic” Skype for Windows desktop app due to security issue

While Microsoft is pushing the new Skype experience on Windows 10, Android and iOS, the classic Skype installer for previous versions of Windows is still a thing. Now, due to a security issue with the classic installer, the company has pulled the installer. While users can continue to use the classic Skype, it is recommended that users upgrade to the new experience.

https://twitter.com/WithinRafael/status/964386715606515712

Uber ends support of Windows 10 app

Uber appears to have ended support for its UWP app, effectively ending support for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, after a recent response from Uber’s support team stated that they now only support iPhone and Android devices. This comes after users complain of issues with the Windows 10 app for Uber.

Google’s Project Zero exposes new Microsoft Edge security flaw

Project Zero, Google’s team of security researchers who aim to find flaws in first-party and third-party software, have released details of a security flaw in Microsoft Edge, after Microsoft failed to patch the flaw in the allocated timeframe, and being given extensions.

Windows Insider Program continues to grow, Insiders for Business hits 30K milestone

Around a year after launching the Windows Insider Program for Business, aimed at IT pros, Microsoft has announced that the program continues to grow, and that it now has over 30,000 insiders taking part in providing feedback to Microsoft from a business and IT pro perspective.

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back next week with more Windows 10 news!

Microsoft news recap is a weekly feature highlighting the top Microsoft news stories of the past week. Sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy the read!

Outlook.com beta now has a redesigned “People” section

As Microsoft continues to work on an improved experience for Outlook.com users, the company has now launched a redesigned “People” section in the Outlook.com beta. This brings the People area in line with the design of the Mail and Calendar areas.

Microsoft Build 2018 registrations are now open

It’s that time of year again! Registration for Microsoft’s annual conference, Build, is now open. Build 2018 runs from May 7th to May 9th, located in Seattle.

LinkedIn launches ‘Scheduler’ to automate interview scheduling for recruiters and candidates

In a vid to help recruiters and candidates manage interviews easily, LinkedIn has added a new feature called “Scheduler”, with the aim of automating the interview scheduling process.

Microsoft Edge for Android picks up improvements with latest update

Microsoft Edge on Android continues to receive incremental updates delivering improvements. The latest update brings the ability to customise the New Tab newsfeed based on region and language, improvements to setting Edge as the default browser, and more.

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Uber has been a long-time supporter of Microsoft’ efforts in mobile, despite its efforts not paying off. The ridesharing firm has had a number of apps, from web wrappers, to Windows Phone 8/8.1, and in 2015, a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app.

As Microsoft itself no longer supports Windows 10 Mobile, dealing a blow not only to its mobile platform, but also to its UWP ambitions, other companies are following suit. Uber’s support team, when asked about support by a customer, has come out and stated it no longer supports Windows (via Neowin), instead recommending that users switch to iPhone or Android:

Yes, we’re no longer supporting app on Windows. You can use Uber with the following smart devices instead:

-iPhone (iOS 7 or newer)

-Android (Jelly Bean or newer)

In addition to the comment by Uber’s support team, it is clear that they’re no longer as interested in the app as they once were, as the reviews complain of the app barely working, particularly with it being unable to detect the pickup location accurately.

Google’s Project Zero, a team of security researchers tasked with finding vulnerabilities in Google’s own software and that of third-parties, has exposed a new security flaw in Microsoft Edge (via Neowin), the default web browser in Windows 10.

The flaw affects Microsoft’s Arbitrary Code Guarantee (ACG) that aims to mitigate arbitrary native code execution. ACG forced Microsoft to move its JIT (Just-in-Time) functionality into a separate process, effectively running it in an isolated sandbox. Google explained how the flaw works, by predicting the address that the JIT process calls itsVirtualAllocEx() function:

1. Unmap the shared memory mapped above above using UnmapViewOfFile()

2. Allocate a writable memory region on the same address JIT server is going to write and write a soon-to-be-executable payload there.

3. When JIT process calls VirtualAllocEx(), even though the memory is already allocated, the call is going to succeed and the memory protection is going to be set to PAGE_EXECUTE_READ.

The flaw is marked as a “Medium” in severity, and Microsoft was made aware of it back in November 2017 and was given the usual 90-day window to resolve the flaw. Microsoft later told Google that the complexity of the flaw meant it would need more time, so a 14-day extension was granted. Microsoft missed the new deadline and Google’s Project Zero released details of the flaw publicly.

Now, the flaw remains unresolved and Microsoft has targeted March 13th for a patch.

As noted by MSPU, it looks like Assassin’s Creed III is getting the HD treatment on Xbox One. The Xbox 360 version of the game is already backward compatible on the Xbox One, but Ubisoft will apparently re-release it on the new console. Indeed, a new Xbox One version of the game has recently earned a PEGI 18 rating, as you can see below:

Assassin’s Creed III was released in 2012 and, at the time was widely considered to be the best Assassin’s Creed title to date. For those unfamiliar, the game followed the birth of the United States with the Revolutionary War at the forefront. Since its release, there have been a healthy number of followups to the series such as Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, which was also re-released on the Xbox One after its initial launch on the Xbox 360 back in 2014.

Assassin’s Creed is probably one of Ubisoft’s most popular game franchises these days, and the latest episode Assassin’s Creed Origins received critical acclaim. Are you looking forward to revisiting Assassin’s Creed III on the Xbox One? Let us know below.

Over the past couple of months, Microsoft has been busy working on a redesigned version of its Outlook.com webmail, now available in beta. After revamping the Mail and Calendar sections and bringing back the Skype integration, it’s now time for the People section to receive some love.

The redesigned address book now uses the same design language as the other sections of the web app. The contact cards are also more useful, and you can quickly check all recent interactions you had with a specific contact, included shared files. Moreover, it’s still possible to create contact lists or add select contacts to your favorites.

There is a lot to like about Outlook.com beta, and we would love to see it become a full-fledged Progressive Web App with Windows 10 version 1803. For Outlook.com users, it already works pretty much like a lightweight version of the Outlook desktop app, with the Skype integration as a bonus. We’ll see what happens in the coming months, but in the mean time you can still give your feedback and help Microsoft prioritize new features by visiting the Outlook Feedback website.

Microsoft has previously given away special Xbox Consoles to celebrities but now is your chance to win one for yourself. To celebrate the reveal of the iconic Air Jordan III sneakers, the company will be giving away an Xbox One X console inspired by the upcoming Air Jordan III releases.

One of the consoles is inspired by the Air Jordan III Free Throw Line, released on February 14, the second by Air Jordan III Black Cement, and the final by the Air Jordan III Tinker. As noted by Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg, each console pays tribute to a special moment in Air Jordan history.

The Free Throw Line Xbox One X pays homage to the unforgettable dunk by Michael Jordan in 1988. The Black Cement Xbox One X is inspired by the sneakers with all the same detailing which made these, considered by many, the greatest sneakers of all-time, and the Tinker Xbox One X showcases Tinker Hatfield’s original design for what the shoe was going to be.

Xbox One X is paying homage to the iconic #AirJordan III with 3 custom consoles. And the best part? You can win one for yourself: https://t.co/dDNZyJI50u pic.twitter.com/WKDkUvDscO

— Xbox (@Xbox) February 16, 2018

You can enter to win one of the consoles by heading to Xbox’s Twitter Page and retweeting the special tweet above. The contest is open from Friday, February 16 at 6 a.m. PT to Wednesday, February 21 at 10 p.m. PT. You never know if you can win, so be sure to try your luck at winning this one of a kind console!

If you still prefer using the “classic” Skype desktop app for Windows over its more modern alternatives, then it looks like Microsoft may sunset this app earlier than expected. Indeed, the company has just pulled the installer for this old version of Skype, citing a security issue with the installer. Ellen Kilbourne, Program Manger at Skype shared the following message on Skype’s community website:

At Skype, we take security very seriously.

There was an issue with an older version of the Skype for Windows desktop installer – version 7.40 and lower. The issue was in the program that installs the Skype software – the issue was not in the Skype software itself. Customers who have already installed this version of Skype for Windows desktop are not affected. We have removed this older version of Skype for Windows desktop from our website skype.com.

The installer for the current version of Skype for Windows desktop (v8) does NOT have this issue, and it has been available since October, 2017.

Consumers who have already installed this “classic” Skype app on their Windows PC can continue to use it just like before, for now at least. When checking for updates, the app will invite you to try “the new version of Skype,” which depending on the version of Windows you’re running will either be the new cross-platform Electron-based app (version 8.x) or the UWP app for Windows 10. Unfortunately, both of them still lack power user features such as the ability to open multiple chat windows, be notified when your contacts go online and more.

Even if the installer for “classic” Skype is no longer available to download from Skype’s website, Microsoft watcher Rafael Rivera noted that you can still find it on the Internet, though you may want to act fast before it disappears. Proceed with caution, however, as Microsoft pulled the installer due to a security flaw.

https://twitter.com/WithinRafael/status/964386715606515712

Do you still use the old Skype desktop app for Windows, and are you worried that Microsoft may force you to switch to its new desktop apps at some point? Sound off in the comments below.

The first season of the popular anime series, Tokyo Ghoul, is now available to claim for free via the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 devices and Xbox One video game consoles. Here’s its official description.

Tokyo lives in fear of creatures called Ghouls. By day, they live as ordinary humans, but by night, they become flesh-eating monsters. When a young man becomes the first Ghoul-human half breed, he must learn to harness his deadly, newfound powers.

This anime series is definitely one for older viewers as it features a significant amount of gore and sexual references. If this sort of anime is your bag, make sure to grab it here. The offer expires in six days.

The Microsoft Store has a large number of anime movies, series, and video games on sale right now so it’s worth having a look if you’re an anime fan. Have you bought anything in the anime sale this month? Share your recommendations with the community in the comments below.

During the holiday season, Microsoft bundled Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) with the Xbox One X. The promotion was a great way to enjoy the power of Xbox One X and the multiplayer fun of PUBG together as one. If you missed that initial deal, please be aware that Microsoft is once again offering a free PUBG copy with any new Xbox One X purchase.

The new offer is valid in most Xbox One markets starting February 18 through March 4. Here in the United States, the promotion will run from February 18- February 24, and it’s best to check with your local retailer or the Microsoft Store for more. You can also see below for the days when the promotion is valid in other countries:

• Available in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States and select Latin American countries starting February 18
• Available in Australia, India, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and select European, Middle Eastern and African countries starting February 20

In addition to the above deal, Microsoft is also offering savings on Xbox One S bundles. Here in the United States, you can save $50 on Xbox One S from February 18 through March 3. In Canada, you can save $60 CAD on Xbox One S Bundles from today until February 23.

It remains interesting to see that Microsoft is marketing PUBG so heavily, even though it’s still in a preview and not a first-party title. Regardless, these latest deals are sure to save you a few bucks, so be sure to check it out and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

As leaked by WalkingCat a couple of days ago, Free Play Days starts today and lasts all weekend long on Xbox Live. Xbox is unlocking Xbox Live Multiplayer for everyone with an Xbox One or Xbox 360 console, so you don’t even need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online.

In addition, all Xbox One gamers can play Rainbow Six Siege and NBA 2K18 for free through Sunday, February 18 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Any progress you get in any of the unlocked multiplayer games will be saved and you can continue your progress should you decide to sign up for Xbox Live Gold. Something tells me this is just the first of many Free Play Days for All on Xbox Live and we should see more Xbox One games available free to play later this year.

Download Rainbow Six Siege and NBA 2K18 and start playing today!

Download
QR-Code

Free to Play: Rainbow Six Siege

Developer:
UBISOFT

Price:
Free

Download
QR-Code

Free to Play: NBA 2K18

Developer:
2K

Price:
Free

Xbox Live Gold subscribers can download the two remaining Games with Gold titles for February a day early: These are the 2.5D side-scrolling platformer Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India and the Xbox 360 score attack game Crazy Taxi (also backward compatible on the Xbox One). Both games represent $19.98 in value, and we’ve added download links, official descriptions and video trailers below.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India ($9.99 ERP): Available today through March 15

Embody Arbaaz in his quest for retribution through a colourful depiction of 19th century Colonial India in 2.5D stealth gameplay. Zip-line across the streets of Amritsar, hide in the shadows of the palace, and hunt legendary artifacts, following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great.

Crazy Taxi ($9.99 ERP): Available today through February 28

Hey hey, come on over and have some fun with Crrrrrazy Taxi! Barrel through traffic packed streets, hurdle off parking garages, and Crazy Combo your way to Crazy Money in a wild frantic race to scare up the most fares. In Crazy Taxi, time is money, and only the Craziest Cabbies come out victorious.

If you haven’t done it it yet, we remind you that you have until the end of the month to grab the FPS Shadow Warrior for free with your subscription.

To pair up with Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17101 for Fast & Build 17604 for Skip Ahead, Microsoft today officially announced the Windows App Preview Program. The announcement comes several days after reports indicated the company may be considering such a program.

With the Windows App Preview Program, Microsoft will make it easier for Windows fans to try out the latest app updates with Insider Preview builds. “We heard feedback from Windows Insiders that having to opt-in to Skip Ahead to receive the latest app updates wasn’t ideal,” noted Dona Sarkar in today’s announcement post.

Indeed, this means any Windows Insider (regardless of which Ring they are enrolled in) can now opt-in to preview new versions of individual Windows 10 apps. According to Microsoft, the following apps will be in the first-wave of the program, with previews rolling out in the next few days.

• Feedback Hub
• Microsoft Photos
• Microsoft Sticky Notes
• Microsoft Tips
• Paint 3D
• Windows Alarms & Clock
• Windows Calculator
• Windows Camera
• Windows Mixed Reality Viewer
• Windows Voice Recorder

Windows Insiders who already opted into Skip Ahead won’t need to opt-in to the program to preview these apps. Microsoft will be pushing app updates to Skip Ahead Insiders just like before. Other Insiders in the other rings can opt-in to preview an app by going to the settings or about page for the app and clicking “Join Preview” (Seen above.)

Microsoft, though, appears to be limiting the number of Insiders who can preview apps but is also allowing Insiders to leave the preview at any time. ” If the limit has been met for that app preview for the app you will get a notification on clicking the button and as more slots open up you can join the preview,” writes Dona Sarkar.

This program is currently only for Windows Insiders, and Microsoft will be gathering feedback from how the program is going. It is likely to grow over time, so be sure to check it out!

It’s shaping up to be a lovely day to be a Windows Insider. Microsoft today released Windows 10 Build 17101 to the Fast Ring and Redstone 5 Build 17604 for those who opted to Skip Ahead. As always, neither of these builds is perfect and will have a set of issues. We’re dividing up the releases today, so have a look below for the known issues and fixes in Build 17101.

Known issues (Build 17101)

• We have observed seeing longer-than-normal delays during install at the 88% mark. Some delays are as long as 90 minutes before moving forward. Please be patient as the install will complete successfully.
• Plugging in an external optical drive (DVD) will cause an Explorer.exe crash.
• Settings will crash if you open the Themes Settings page.
• Buttons on Game bar are not centered correctly.
• Selecting a notification after taking a screenshot or game clip opens the Xbox app’s home screen instead of opening the screenshot or game clip

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC (Build 17101)

• We fixed an issue from the last flight were some PCs failed to resume from hibernate (requiring a hard reboot to recover).
• We fixed an issue resulting in 3 and 4 finger gestures on the touchpad being unresponsive in the last two flights.
• We fixed an issue after upgrading to the last flight where Start didn’t work for Insiders who’d had HomeGroup added as a folder to appear on Start.
• We’ve updated the touch keyboard so that if you try to shapewrite in an unsupported text field or when the typing resources aren’t installed, you won’t see the shapewriting trail as you swipe your finger over the keys.
• We fixed an issue where the touch keyboard showed an English layout with no IME on/off key when an East Asian keyboard is the only input method on your system.
• We fixed an issue where if you install a font product from the Microsoft Store, then later install a new build (feature update), the Store package will remain installed, but the fonts within the package are not installed. Until this is fixed, the temporary workaround is to uninstall the product from the Apps page in Settings, then re-acquire the product from the Store.
• We fixed an issue where the touch keyboard might stop invoking automatically after locking the PC and then unlocking the PC by using the touch keyboard to enter your PIN or password.
• We fixed an issue where the Japanese IME sometimes wouldn’t turn on correctly.
• We fixed an issue where the floating dictation UI could be unexpectedly tiny.
• We fixed an issue that could result in the mouse cursor suddenly jump to screen corner while mouse was moving in a List Control.
• We fixed an issue that could result in tabs hanging and not loading content recently in Microsoft Edge after using the browser for a few days with an adblocker enabled.
• We fixed an issue resulting in newly installed Microsoft Edge extensions not appearing in the Extensions pane in the last two flights.
• We fixed an issue in Microsoft Edge where favicons in light theme were unexpectedly getting black backgrounds.
• We fixed an issue that could result in UWP apps sometimes launching as small white rectangular boxes.
• We fixed an issue resulting in certain fingerprint readers not working in recent flights.
• We fixed an issue where Windows Hello failed to work on Surface Laptops with the last build.
• We fixed an issue that could result in the labels for files on the desktop overlapping their icons.
• We’re updating the “Advanced graphics settings” link on the Display Settings page to now just say “Graphics Settings”.
• When your volume is muted, the volume icons in the Sound Settings page will also now appear muted.
  If you click the Reset button on the App volume and device preferences page, it will now also reset any app specific volumes you’ve set back to default (100%).
• We fixed an issue resulting in app updates failing in the Microsoft Store with error 0x80070057 in recent builds.
• We fixed an issue resulting in app updates failing in the Microsoft Store with error 0x803FB005 in recent builds.
• We fixed an issue where bringing up Game bar using the Xbox button on an Xbox One controller didn’t work in some games.
• We fixed an issue where in the text box for the Mixer stream title using non-character keys (e.g. Tab, Delete, Backspace, etc.) might cause the game to hang for a few seconds.
• We fixed an issue where keyboard and mouse input might not work correctly in the Game bar when playing a first person game (e.g. Minecraft).
• We fixed an issue where in some games—such as Destiny 2 and Fortnite—mouse and keyboard input would still go to the game while Game bar was open.
• We fixed an issue during first shutdown/boot, or reboot, where for some users the device goes into a boot loop and the OS never loads.

As you can tell, lots of fixes in this build. With the release of Redstone 4 coming in a few months, you can expect many more fixes to come soon. Keep your feedback coming to Microsoft via the FeedbackHub and let us know your thoughts on this build by dropping us a comment in the section below.

In quite a surprise announcement, Microsoft released today the Windows 10 Insider build 17101 for Fast Ring Insiders as well as the Insider build 17604 for Insiders who opted into Skip Ahead. The first one is the latest Redstone 4 build from the current development branch, while the second one is the first Redstone 5 from the new RS_PRERELEASE branch.

“Please be aware that builds from RS_PRERELEASE will get less stable as teams start checking in new code”. So, things will likely be a little rough as they normally are at the beginning of the development cycle for a new Windows 10 release,” the Windows Insider team explained. “If this concerns you or makes you uncomfortable, you may want to consider opting out of Skip Ahead and simply wait for the Fast ring to transition back to RS_PRERELEASE down the road.”

For now, the RS4 build 17101 and the RS5 build 17604 come with the same list of new features and improvements: there are some important updates for Windows 10 Emojis, Windows App Permissions as well as new features for users running the Workstation or Enterprise edition of Windows 10. You can learn everything about what’s new below:

Input Improvements

Emoji design updates: Based on your feedback and to improve consistency, we’ve made adjustments to the design of some of our emoji. Examples of updated emoji include:

Before:

After:

Emoji search comes to more languages: Earlier in RS4, we updated the Emoji Panel to support browsing and picking emoji in many new locales. With today’s build, we’re bringing search support to more locales too! Now you can find an emoji by keyword in over 150 locales, including English (Great Britain), French (France), German (Germany), Spanish (Spain), and more. This will help you get the emoji you want easily and quickly. As a reminder, to bring up the Emoji Panel set focus to a text field and press WIN + (period) or WIN + (semicolon).

Windows App Permissions

UWP File System Access: With this build we’re giving you more control so you can now decide which UWP apps can access your full file system. Particular UWP apps will be granted permission to have broad file system access. This capability will be granted on a per app basis by Microsoft. If a UWP app has the broad file system access restricted capability, you will receive a consent dialog prompting you to accept or deny the request. If at any time you change your mind about the decision, you can go to Settings > Privacy where you’ll find a new Settings page for File System Access. On this page, you can turn access on or off globally, and if it’s on you can also turn it on or off for each app that has requested the capability. UWPs with broad file system access will not appear in the Photos, Videos, or Documents privacy settings pages. If you grant broad file system access, this includes Photos, Videos and Documents.

New features for Windows 10 Pro for Workstations

Last year, as part of the Windows 10 Fall Creator’s update, we announced a new edition of Windows designed for demanding mission critical scenarios targeting advanced users. As part of RS4, we are adding two more features for our most advanced users running these mission critical scenarios:

A new power scheme – Ultimate Performance: Demanding workloads on workstations always desire more performance. As part of our effort to provide the absolute maximum performance we’re introducing a new power policy called Ultimate Performance. Windows has developed key areas where performance and efficiency tradeoffs are made in the OS. Over time, we’ve amassed a collection of settings which allow the OS to quickly tune the behavior based on user preference, policy, underlying hardware or workload.

This new policy builds on the current High-Performance policy, and it goes a step further to eliminate micro-latencies associated with fine grained power management techniques. The Ultimate Performance Power plan is selectable either by an OEM on new systems or selectable by a user. To do so, you can go to Control Panel and navigate to Power Options under Hardware and Sound (you can also “run” Powercfg.cpl). Just like other power policies in Windows, the contents of the Ultimate Performance policy can be customized.

As the power scheme is geared towards reducing micro-latencies it may directly impact hardware; and consume more power than the default balanced plan. The Ultimate Performance power policy is currently not available on battery powered systems.

We’ll continue to tune and evaluate the power plan settings. To submit feedback please use the Feedback Hub and file your feedback under Power & Battery > Setting category.

Productivity focused out of box applications: In the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the out of box experience for Windows 10 Pro for Workstations draws from the Pro edition of Windows 10. One area where this is noticeable is the suite of applications installed out of the box visible as tiles in the start menu. In the next release for Windows, you will see for Windows 10 Pro for Workstations productivity and enterprise focused applications in place of consumer applications and games. This was one of the top feedback shared with us by our partners and users and we’re delivering this in our next update.

If you’re a Windows Insider running the Workstation or Enterprise edition, you can see these features in Builds 17079 or greater.

If you’re a Fast Ring Insider, be aware that the Windows Insider team will allow a “small subset” of you to opt in to Skip Ahead in the Settings app. “If we open Skip Ahead up for more Insiders, we’ll let you know,” the blog post reads, without giving more details. In the meantime, Insiders who already opted into Skip Ahead can enjoy the first Redstone 5 build today. “Once we’ve finished RS4, we will move everyone in the Fast ring back to the RS_PRERELEASE branch and then the Fast ring and Skip Ahead will be back to receiving the same builds again,” the team explained.

Party Chat, the Xbox Live feature that allows for voice chat between Xbox gamers is now available on the Xbox app for iOS and Android. The feature first appeared two months ago in the Xbox beta app on both mobile platforms, and we’re glad to see it rolling out to everyone.

To use Party Chat, you’ll have to visit the Xbox profile of one of your friend and then tap “Invite to Party.” In case your friend is already in a joinable party, you’ll be able to see it and join the voice chat right from his or her profile. When you’re a party, you’ll be able to access party controls (including a mute option) and text chat.

Overall, this is a nice option for gamers needing to keep up with their Xbox Live friends on the go. Party Chat is also available on the Xbox app for Windows 10, but it has yet to make its way to Windows 10 Mobile. You can get the Xbox app for iOS and Android from the download links below.

Download
QR-Code

Xbox

Developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Price:
Free

Download
QR-Code

‎Xbox

Developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Price:
Free

Microsoft today announced Microsoft for Startups, a program which aims to help startups grow their customer base and also gain better access to technology. The company will commit $500 million over the next two years to the program and will offer joint sales engagements with startups, and more.

Under the program, Microsoft will provide the “dedicated resources” necessary to help startup marketing and sales teams sell their solutions to enterprises. Microsoft will also create new community spaces that “promotes collaboration across local and global ecosystems.”

Some other areas and benefits of the program are listed below.

• The program provides startups with up to $120,000 in free Azure credits, enterprise grade technical support and development tools.
• Qualified startups also get access to productivity and business applications, including Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

The Microsoft for Startups program is an addition to many other programs which already are helping companies, startups, and businesses. Microsoft Reactors, Microsoft ScaleUp, and Microsoft Ventures are all examples of how Microsoft is empowering its partners and businesses around the world. You can learn more about Microsoft Startups by checking here.