Windows 10 is developed as a service, and regularly receives patches and bug fixes. It also gets feature updates at least twice a year, and 2018 is no different. This October, Microsoft unveiled the October 2018 update, also known as Redstone 5, which comes with some amazing new features.

Your Phone
Windows 10 is getting a built-in app called “Your Phone” that makes it easier to integrate your phone’s features with your PC. For instance, it will let you send texts and instantly access photos from your phone’s library on your computer.

There’s also talk about syncing notifications between devices in future updates. Currently, the iPhone has limited compatibility with this app, but Microsoft promises additional features will be added later.

Clipboard History
The Clipboard app has been revamped and now allows you to access a list of items you’ve copied to your clipboard, pin frequently used images, and sync your clipboard across your devices. All you have to do is hit Windows key + V to pull up your clipboard history and copy-paste items without having to constantly switch between windows.

SwiftKey
Windows touchscreen devices like the Surface Pro will come with SwiftKey functionality, which lets you type by swiping your finger from letter to letter rather than tapping each one. According to Microsoft, this feature produces accurate autocorrections and makes typing faster once you get used to it.

Dark Mode
All Microsoft apps will now support Dark Mode, which can be enabled by going to Settings > Personalization > Colors. This improvement may seem small compared to other features in this list, but Dark Mode reduces eye fatigue and saves battery life.

Cortana Search
When you use Cortana’s search functions, she’ll now provide previews to give you more information. For instance, if you use Cortana to search the web, Bing search results will be displayed on your Start menu. Or, if you search for an application, Cortana will show you its download page.

Windows Security
Windows Security will replace the Windows Defender Security Center program and add even more safeguards for your devices. It will have a “Block Suspicious Behaviors” setting that detects and prevents app and file activities that can leave you open to attacks.

What’s more, Windows Security keeps track of all the antivirus software, firewalls, and other security measures on your device, so you can see threat reports and manage your device’s cybersecurity in one place.

Predictive Updates
If you’re tired of Windows 10 restarting your computer at the worst times, you’ll love the new predictive updates feature. This function uses machine learning to study your computer habits and predict the best time to restart and update your PC.

These are only a few of the features that Windows 10 has in store for users. Microsoft will likely release dozens more in future updates, so tune into our blog to learn about the latest Windows developments.

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Google has announced another batch of features coming to your Android phone, possibly as soon as next month. Although some of the items are simple and subtle integrations and others are far more grandiose, they’re all going to drastically improve the performance of your phone. Since some people view their mobile device as something akin to an extension of their body, let’s take an in-depth look at the new things you’ll be able to do.

Split Screen

The most visible and exciting feature is Android’s new ‘split-screen’ functionality. Soon you will be able to enter your ‘overview’ mode (the button that shows all of your open apps in a rolodex style queue), click and hold on an app like YouTube and drag it to the top of your screen where it will dock. The bottom half of your screen will remain in ‘overview’ mode, allowing you to select an app to occupy the bottom half of the screen. With this update, sending an email while YouTube is open won’t cause any interruption in either of the two programs. It’s the same as having two monitors, just on a much smaller scale.

Because phone manufacturers get to layer their own components on top of Google’s core Android operating system, Samsung and LG already have a few ‘split-screen’ devices. However, by integrating this item into every Android phone regardless of manufacturer, app developers will have more incentive to optimize their product for this feature or even develop new apps designed entirely around this functionality.

Fast App Switching

Do you ever find yourself switching back and forth between two apps? Maybe you need to write an email on your phone, while using a web page as reference material. Switching between the two can really slow down the flow of your work, and Google has finally addressed this by improving the ‘overview’ interface. In addition to limiting the number of displayed programs and adding a ‘clear all’ button, Android mobile devices will get ‘fast app switching’. With this feature a simple double tap of your ‘overview’ button will switch to the last program you used. After switching to the previous app, you can double tap again to return to the original app. It’s simple, but goes a long way.

Updated Notification Window

Next up is a small change to the native notification window. At the moment, if one app has multiple notifications they all get grouped into one vague ‘card’ in your notification window. I/O announced that in the future users will be able to tap on one of those cards to expand it for more detail. Instead of just seeing that you have six emails from various users, you’ll be able to see more information and access response actions for each individual notification within apps.

Instant Apps

How many times have you installed an app that you didn’t want, but needed for a one-time use? Whether it’s to purchase tickets, gain access to a promotion or receive something from a friend who uses the app, it can be a lengthy and tedious process. With ‘Instant Apps’ Android will give you the option to temporarily load software, similar to a webpage, so you can access the service without actually downloading the unnecessary app. Google promises this will take mere seconds compared to the time it currently takes to download and install full programs before using them.

Some tech writers have cited ‘Instant Apps’ as actually faster than loading a website, with all of the security and safety of an app. Additionally, while the 3 features before this one will be released for phones with the most recent OS update, Google is making ‘Instant Apps’ available to developers for any phone running anything newer than the Jellybean OS.

In general, Android phones offer a lot more customization and developer-specific options when compared to Apple’s mobile devices. However, that can mean a lot more upkeep as well. If you’re having trouble maintaining your Android device’s peak capacity or need help managing their updates, don’t hesitate to call us.

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