Windows 10: MAJOR changes coming in blockbuster Redstone update, here’s what to expect

Microsoft is already hard at work on its next major Windows 10 update, codenamed Redstone

EXPRESS NEWSPAPERSMicrosoft is already hard at work on its next major Windows 10 update, codenamed Redstone

Microsoft is hard at work on the next major update to its latest desktop, tablet and smartphone operating system, Windows 10.

The news comes weeks after the Redmond technology firm rolled out its first blockbuster update – codenamed Threshold – as well as an Android and iOS app for its popular virtual assistant, Cortana.

Threshold – version 1511 – brought a number of long-awaited features to Windows 10, including improved browsing in Microsoft Edge, better multi-tasking for desktop users and security and stability tweaks, too. Unfortunately the blockbuster release also included a number of unwanted bugs and glitches.

Microsoft is looking to add a slew of new functionality in the next major update, dubbed Redstone.

The upcoming Windows 10 update is expected to launch next year, although some features will be made available to Windows Insiders within the coming weeks.

According to The Verge, Microsoft is experimenting with a number of upgrades to Cortana, including allowing the voice assistant to float around the operating system.

Microsoft could allow Cortana to follow users as they navigate around the operating system, surfacing useful information based on what users are viewing on-screen.

The nifty context-aware functionality sounds closer to Now On Tap in Android Marshmallowthan the infamously annoying Clippy character bundled with Windows 97 to 2003.

Microsoft is also believed to be planning a number of updates to the Notification Centre, also known as Action Centre.

Future versions of this pane are expected to include widgets, offering quick snapshots of data, synced across your Windows 10 devices.

Uber recently updated its Windows 10 app to allow users to book a taxi from the Cortana window. It’s possible the Notification Centre widget could boast a similar functionality.

Microsoft is expected to focus on Cortana in its next major update, codenamed Redstone

MICROSOFT • IGMicrosoft is expected to focus on Cortana in its next major update, codenamed Redstone

Not only will Cortana gain more functionality, but is also expected to be omnipresent across Windows

MICROSOFT • IGNot only will Cortana gain more functionality, but is also expected to be omnipresent across Windows

Microsoft is also believed to be looking into a deeper integration between its hugely popular Office 365 services and the Windows 10 OS.

The US technology firm is expected to focus on Task Continuation – a feature that allows users to seamlessly transition between devices and operating systems.

Task Continuation allows users to start a task on one device and then resume and finish it on another.

Microsoft has rolled out the companion app on iOS and Android

MICROSOFT • GOOGLE PLAY STOREMicrosoft this month rolled out the companion app on iOS and Android

Microsoft first introduced the ability to sync Cortana’s Notebook, which includes your interests, weather preferences and more, from your Widnows 10 PC to an iOS or Android via the Cortana app this month.

The Cortana app on Android also allows PC owners to send and receive text messages from their desktop OS. Call notifications will also appear within Windows 10.

Microsoft had previously limited this functionality to customers running Windows 10 on their computer and smartphone.

Task Continuation is expected to get another bump in functionality after Redstone.

The major update is still in the early stages, so some of these details could change and evolve throughout the next few months.

Still, these early rumours and leaks offer a fascinating insight into the priorities for Windows 10 within Microsoft.

Redstone will also reveal how the US firm sees its Windows 10 operating system evolving over the next calendar year.

[“source-express”]