Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10130 now available to download on the Slow ring
Microsoft released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10130 to the Fast ring two weeks ago, but it came with a couple of major bugs that meant it wasn’t suitable for all. Last week Microsoft pushed out ISOs of the build, for people who were having trouble updating to the new version through Windows Update, but it still wasn’t deemed stable enough for Slow ring Insiders.
Well, the good news is if you’re on the Slow ring you can finally update Windows 10 to Build 10130, as Microsoft is pushing the update out to everyone now. And your patience is rewarded with news that the update comes with some useful fixes.
Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 comfortably beats Apple's iPad Air 2 in speed tests
UK consumer watchdog Which? tested a range of popular tablets and discovered that when it comes to speed, there’s only one champion, and that’s Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3.
It turns out it wasn’t only Microsoft’s slate that bested Apple’s tablets in the speed stakes. The iPad mini 3, which sells for £319 in the UK, was beaten by the Tesco Hudl 2 which costs just £99.
Microsoft rolling out software update to end random reboots on Lumia Windows Phones
If you have experienced random reboots with your Lumia Windows Phone 8.1 smartphone, you should know that Microsoft is now rolling out a software update specifically to fix this annoying problem.
The software update, so far, seems to target only Lumia 730, Lumia 830, Lumia 930 and Lumia 1520 smartphones. Even though Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 has long been available, the software update for the aforementioned handsets does not include the latest official version of the tiled smartphone operating system.
Microsoft kills Skype Windows modern application -- a huge mistake
Skype should be the world's best communication solution. It is backed by one of the most powerful tech companies in the world, Microsoft, while having great name recognition. Unfortunately, the execution is very much lacking, especially on the company's own Windows operating systems. Skype is simply clunky and ugly, while offering jarring advertisements. It needs to be ad-free.
Today, Microsoft aims to make it a better experience, as it kills the Skype Windows modern application. Yes, the "modern UI" version you would install from the Windows Store is going away. In its place, Microsoft is hoping users will gravitate towards the traditional Windows program version. Unfortunately, this is a huge mistake.
Windows Phone security is top notch, says Kaspersky
There is lots of talk surrounding the level of protection offered by leading mobile operating systems Android and iOS. Whether it is about a new vulnerability, or new security features, it does not take you long to find an authoritative comment assessing their security capabilities.
That is, however, not the case with Windows Phone, which is hardly -- if ever -- given similar levels of attention. It can be argued that this is due to the low popularity of the tiled smartphone operating system, which borders on 3 percent market share, making it a significantly less-attractive target. Nonetheless, there is now an assessment of Windows Phone's security that we can rely on, coming from Eugene Kaspersky.
Apple hits Google where it hurts
I have some advice for the European Union Competition Commission: Lay off. You don't need to reign in the Google monopoly. Apple will correct the market around search and mobile. That's one of two related takeaways from Monday's WWDC 2015 keynote. iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan up Apple's push into search and proactively-delivered information in big ways. That is if delivery is as good as the company promises.
The other takeaway harkens back to what I told you last week about Tim Cook's piracy rant against unnamed Facebook and Google alongside the friggin U.S. government -- plural if thinking beyond the Feds: It's BS marketing. Apple prepares a major competitive assault against Big G, hitting where damage can be severe: Perception and profits. I cannot overstate Google's vulnerability, which ironically is where the search and information giant exploited Microsoft during this Century.
Microsoft Surface Hub coming to a business near you soon
The promise of surface computing for businesses seems to have been around for ages, remember all those cool videos of interactive coffee tables and screens from around three years ago? Yet so far there hasn't been a great deal of practical application.
That could be about to change as Microsoft makes its Surface Hub available for businesses to order in 24 markets -- including Australia, North America, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the UK -- from July 1.
How to get the Windows 10 upgrade notification to appear in Windows 7 or 8.x
If you’re running Windows 7 or 8.x you should by now see a small Windows 10 icon in the system tray. Click this and you can reserve your free Windows 10 upgrade in advance of the operating system’s launch on July 29.
Once you’ve reserved the upgrade, Windows 10 will download as soon as available and you’ll be able to install it at your convenience. However, for some reason this icon isn’t appearing on all systems. It wasn’t on mine for example. If you want to summon the upgrade icon, this is what you’ll need to do.
How to remove the Windows 10 upgrade notification from Windows 7 and 8.x
If you’re certain you don’t want to upgrade to Windows 10, or you want to do so at your own pace without being nagged into it, the upgrade notification that appears in Windows 7 and 8.x can be viewed as an unwanted annoyance.
There are plenty of reasons why you might not want to upgrade to Windows 10 as soon as it becomes available -- you might be more than happy with your existing OS, or you may wish to wait until Windows 10 has been out for a while and all of the big issues have been patched. After all, you have a year to upgrade for free. If you want to remove the upgrade notification, there’s a simple tool for the job.
Windows 10 will keep you safe from malware
Microsoft’s past attempts at protecting Windows users from malware have been patchy at best. However, with Windows 10 the company is offering a new way to help protect its customers from dynamic script-based malware and other forms of cyberattack.
AMSI (Antimalware Scan Interface) is an interface standard that allows applications and services to integrate with any existing antimalware product on your PC. Those apps can call the new Windows AMSI APIs at any time to scan for malware.
Internet Explorer 11 gains HTTP Strict Transport Security in Windows 7 and 8.1
As the launch of Windows 10 draws ever-nearer, we're hearing more about Microsoft Edge and less about Internet Explorer. Edge (formerly known as Project Spartan) may be the default browser in the upcoming version of Windows, but the browsing stalwart that is IE will live on nonetheless.
Anyone using the Windows 10 preview has had a chance to use the HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) in Microsoft Edge, and today the security feature comes to Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. This security protocol protects against man-in-the-middle attacks and is being delivered to users of older versions of Windows through an update in the form of KB 3058515.
Microsoft can only blame itself
Apple has a long history of competitive marketing one-upmanship. Major tactic is the artful leak timed around someone else's major product announcement or event. How many times has the company stolen CES participants' thunder without ever attending the event, for example? Occasionally, the showstopper is accidental, as is the case with OS X El Capitan.
I wonder: What were the Microsoft development and marketing teams thinking when they chose July 29th as Windows 10's release date? It's like stepping off the curb in front of a fast-moving, energy-efficient, gas-powered bus. Apple almost certainly will release the OS X 10.11 Public Preview before Windows 10 drops. The company promises July and has every reason to rub Microsoft's nose in the stink.
Microsoft announces 1TB Xbox One, new controller, and Wireless Adapter for Windows
As someone who just bought a 500GB Xbox One -- the white Halo edition -- I can attest to the awesome capabilities that the console offers. Not only have I been using it to play amazing games like Ori and the Blind Forest, but for watching movies and TV too. Everybody Loves Raymond full series on Netflix? Sweet!
Today, however my new purchase loses a little luster. You see, Microsoft announces an all-new 1TB variant -- double the storage -- in a new matte-black for $399. The controller is slightly tweaked, featuring a 3.5mm jack, improved audio quality and more. Even PC gamers should be excited, as a wireless dongle for the controller is finally coming to Windows.
Microsoft marshals rivals' support against US Government in cloud database suit
It started as an innocuous order by the US Federal Court forcing tech giant Microsoft to provide an email record from one of its cloud database customers held in a database in Ireland. The issue has not only roped in other tech firms for which data forms the core of operations, but also other interested parties including the government of Ireland.
While battle lines in the technology world are always being drawn between the largest players, this time they have coalesced together to fight for the privacy of their databases. At the forefront are rivals and key players in the industry including Apple, and Cisco, who have filed an Amicus Curiae application.
Major Microsoft products lose Facebook integration
Social integration is a key aspect of Microsoft's vision for its most prominent consumer-facing products. For instance, on Outlook.com you can have a Skype conversation, on Skype you can chat with Facebook friends, and on Windows Phone you can see your contacts' social updates, like tweets, in People hub. This is one of my favorite things about the software giant's products. It is also a standout feature that its rivals are not yet offering.
A core component is Facebook integration, which is present in Windows and Windows Phone, as well as Office 365, OneDrive and Outlook.com. But, thanks to an update to Facebook's Graph API, integration with the most-popular social network is going away in all currently-supported products.
© 1998-2026 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.