Microsoft has just wrapped up their Build 2017 keynote and they have a lot of exciting news for consumers to loyal fans that will come in their second major update called The Fall Creators Update. The keynote revealed big changes and addition to the Windows environment such as a new design direction for all Microsoft apps, mixed reality efforts, and a system similar to Mac’s Continuity feature.
Unlike the previous Creators Update which had a huge focus on 3D functionality, the new update will focus on cross-device experience, start something on your Surface and finish it on your iPhone, this feature will bring your files, activities and other content across other devices seamlessly. Cortana will ask if you want to continue where you left off when you switch between devices and the new Timeline feature will give you a view on what you been working on and apps that you have been using for easier access.
Microsoft is also moving on from Metro to adopt a new Fluent Design philosophy that focuses on light, depth, motion, material, and scale, where consumers can see design changes such as blur effects and flourishes of light meant to draw your attention to the right places in the company’s mobile apps. Next is Story Remix, which is an app for creating videos. This app will turn your photos and videos from your phone into instant video stories, you can be as hands-on as you like or let the app do the work in creating the best video based on the content that you feed it. Microsoft claims that it can produce videos that feel professional with just minutes of work.
The company has also added a broader functionality to the Surface Pen by allow it to be used across entire systems at all times and they have also built PDF annotation right into the Edge browser. Microsoft has also announced a new set of motion controllers that will pair with its Windows Mixed Reality VR headsets. The controllers will have multiple LEDs around them which can be tracked by the device itself without the need of an external camera or sensors. The device will ship bundled with the Acer headset and comes with a retail price of $399 (RM1733.85).
Microsoft is going up against Apple with its own version of the Apple Universal Clipboard but will work across multiple platforms. The cloud-powered clipboard will allow Windows 10 users to copy content from an app on their PC and paste it into mobile devices like iPhones or Android, it will also integrate with Office apps, making it easier to drag and drop content into your work while working on your desktop.
Lastly and probably the most surprising is the arrival of iTunes on the Windows Store giving more freedom to iOS users that enjoy the best of both worlds. The app will come to the store by the end of 2017. Could this be the start of a unity between the two giants of the computing world? Well, that yet to be known but this is a good first step towards that direction.
Source: The Verge
