Articles On Information: a 'Spartan' browser

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It’s official, folks: Windows 10 is coming to the people. After 
kicking off Windows 10 with a bevy of business-friendly features, 
Microsoft drew back the curtain on the operating system’s new 
consumer-focused features at an event on Wednesday, while simultaneously
 driving home a vision of an operating system designed to deliver a 
singular, cohesive experience across a myriad of device types.<br />

And it'll be <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873214/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-windows-7-and-8-users.html">a free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 users</a>, who can snag the operating system for nada in the first year after Windows 10 hits the streets.<br />

After Microsoft operating system chief Terry Myerson announced that 
crucial tidbit, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore took the stage to run through 
some features coming to Windows 10 Preview that are designed to make 
using the operating system a smoother experience.<br />

First, Belfiore showed off some helpful tweaks to Windows 10 features
 that have already been announced: The Start menu will be able to expand
 to fill the full screen if you desire, for one thing. The Action Center
 (read: Windows 10’s notification center) is receiving improved 
functionality, such as Windows Phone 8.1-esque quick action buttons that
 let you activate features (such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) with a single 
click. Notifications in the Action Center will be able to be expanded.<br />

More helpfully for everyday workflow, Windows 10 will condense the 
Control Panel and the modern UI PC Settings into a single interface, 
eliminating Windows 8’s maddening insistence on dumping crucial system 
tools into two separate locations.<br />

Microsoft also announced that its Continuum feature,
 which dynamically shifts the Windows 10 interface from the Modern UI to
 the desktop depending on whether you’re using a traditional PC or a 
touchscreen device, will soon appear in Windows 10 Preview builds.<br />

<h2>
Cortana comes to PCs</h2>
<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 cortana weather" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_cortana_weather-100563972-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
Cortana on a Windows 10 PC.<br />

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As anticipated, Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant will make the 
jump from Windows Phone to Windows 10, assuming control of many of the 
operating system’s search features. Cortana, which will get her own 
place next to the Start button in the desktop taskbar, can perform many 
of the same basic tricks she does in Windows Phone. Cortana can be 
interacted with via text or natural voice queries, just like on mobile 
devices.<br />

Still based off Microsoft’s cloud-based Bing brains, Cortana can 
answer basic queries like “Will I need a coat tomorrow?” or how much it 
costs to attend the University of Washington, as Belfiore showed in live
 demonstrations. But Cortana’s also been tweaked for more useful PC-like
 interactions. She can scour your local machine, OneDrive account, and 
even your business network to find files based on natural language 
queries. Belfiore showed off the capabilities by asking Cortana to “Find
 PowerPoint slides about the charity auction” and “Show me photos from 
December.” The digital assistant surfaced the desired information nearly
 instantly.<br />

That sounds pretty darn handy, and there are more playful commands, 
too: Telling Cortana to “Play my music” launches the music app, while 
asking her to “Please be quiet” silences the music. Nice!<br />

<h2>
Windows 10 for phones and universal apps</h2>
Belfiore then veered off to show Windows 10 on phones and tablets, 
including a brief demo of mobile, touch-friendly Office apps. Windows 10
 for phones will basically act like an extension of your PC, featuring <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2138625/microsoft-introduces-universal-apps-that-scale-across-phones-tablets-and-pcs.html">universal Windows apps</a>
 that share the same central heart and design as their PC counterparts, 
as well as newly universal notifications that synchronize across Windows
 10 devices.<br />

Windows 10 phones and small-screen tablets will include a free copy 
of Office. For a quick look at the universal Office apps, be sure to 
check out our article on Windows 10 for phones and tablets.<br />

After the mobile talk, Belfiore showcased a rebuilt version of 
Outlook designed for PCs, tablets, and phones alike as a universal 
Windows app. Strongly resembling the Mail app in Windows 8—at least 
aesthetically—the universal Outlook map will sport a unified look across
 device types, packing touch-friendly commands such as swiping left on a
 message to remove it, or swiping right to flag it for later follow up.<br />

Since many of Microsoft’s apps—including Outlook—have their heads in 
the cloud, changes you make to a universal app on one device will be 
immediately reflected on other devices, as Belfiore demoed by actively 
editing Calendar app entries simultaneously on a PC and a phone.<br />

Microsoft’s bringing the same cloud-centric, universal app 
experiences to its core Windows apps as well, all powered by OneDrive on
 the backend. The Photos app will create albums from all your devices, 
intelligently removing duplicates and burst photos. A revamped universal
 People app will collate your contacts, while the Music app is also 
receiving a universal overhaul. As rumored, Microsoft will add support 
for you to put your music collection in OneDrive within the next month 
or two, so you can listen to your tunes anywhere. Maps will also be 
receiving Cortana integration, and she'll be able to remember where you 
parked your car.<br />

<h2>
This is Spartan</h2>
Also new to Windows 10 is Spartan: A new, clean-looking, lightweight 
browser built around a new rendering engine. It won’t be available in 
the first Windows Insider builds, and it will only come to phones 
eventually, Belfiore said.<br />

<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 project sparta markup web" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_project_sparta_markup_web-100563996-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
The Spartan browser's annotation capabilities.<br />

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The Spartan browser includes a note-taking mode that lets you 
annotate a webpage, then share your marked-up, commented-on version with
 others using Windows 10’s native Share feature. There’s also a clipping
 tool so you can save portions of websites directly to OneNote.<br />

Spartan also doubles down on the mere act of <em>reading on the Internet</em>.
 The browser integrates an updated version of the stellar Reading Mode 
found in Windows 8’s Metro Internet Explorer app. Reading Mode strips 
all the ads and sidebar crud out of webpages, formatting articles so 
that they appear similar to a book. It’s a wonderful thing. Spartan also
 taps into the Windows Reading List app, so you can save articles to 
read later, synchronizing the list across multiple devices. Unlike the 
Reading List app in Windows 8, the one in Windows 10 will let you save 
content to read offline.<br />

<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 project sparta cortana" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_project_sparta_cortana-100563995-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
Cortana surfacing restaurant info in the Spartan browser.<br />

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Cortana is also being integrated directly into Spartan. "Because she 
knows you, she can help in more nuanced ways,” Belfiore said, showing an
 example where searching for “Delta” in his address bar popped up 
information for the Delta flight Belfiore was scheduled to take later. 
Cortana will also pop up when you visit a restaurant’s website, 
surfacing directions as well as information about the restaurant’s menu,
 hours of operating, and Yelp reviews.<br />

<h2>
Improving PC games with Xbox</h2>
<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 xbox video" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_xbox_video-100564013-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
The Windows 10 Xbox app.<br />

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Microsoft’s also bolstering Windows 10’s gaming chops
 by deeply integrating Xbox capabilities into the operating system. A 
new Xbox app essentially looks like a more fully fleshed-out version of 
SmartGlass, letting you chat with your Xbox Live pals, view your 
achievement information, or access game DVR clips. The app also lets you
 like, share, and comment on game clips.<br />

But Windows 10’s new gaming chops is about more than merely expanding
 Xbox’s footprint. While you’re playing traditional PC games, be it in 
Steam or otherwise, a new <em>Windows key + G</em> keyboard shortcut 
brings up an interface for saving snapshots and 30 second video clips of
 your adventures, which then brings you into the Xbox app to share it. 
Games don’t directly have to support the functionality as it’s being 
overlaid directly by Microsoft in Windows 10.<br />

<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 steam" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_steam-100564014-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
Windows 10's new screenshot- and video-capturing tools will work with any PC game, including Steam games.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
As previously announced, the performance-enhancing DirectX 12 gaming API
 is also coming to Windows 10. Xbox head Phil Spencer claims that the 
API can deliver up to a 50 percent performance improvement in games.<br />

Microsoft also wants to enable more gaming experiences regardless of the device you’re using. <em>Fable Legends</em>
 players on Windows 10 and Xbox One will be able to play with each 
other, and you’ll be able to stream your Xbox One games directly to any 
Windows 10 device, though it sounds like it will be limited to local 
networks only, similarly to Steam in-home streaming.<br />

<h2>
Surface hub and Windows Holographic</h2>
<figure class="large "><img alt="surfacehub" height="375" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/surfacehub-100564009-large.jpg" width="580" /> <figcaption>
The Surface Hub.<br />

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This has nothing to do with Windows, but it's a major—and 
unexpected—hardware announcement from Microsoft: The company's rolling 
out the Surface Hub, an 84-inch, 4K, touch-enabled display for office 
collaboration. You can <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873292/microsoft-reveals-surface-hub-an-84-inch-4k-touchscreen-for-office-collaboration.html">read the full details here</a>.<br />

<figure class="large "><img alt="microsoft windows 10 holographic" height="387" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/microsoft_windows_10_holographic-100564051-large.png" width="580" /> <small class="credit">Image: Microsoft</small> <figcaption>
Windows Holographic will build 3D imaging into Windows 10, which can be experienced using the HoloLens headset.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
And the Surface Hub isn't even the craziest hardware announced by 
Microsoft today. That honor goes to Windows Holographic, a set of 
technologies—a headset, new Windows 10 technology, and a HoloStudio dev 
app—that brings some insanely intense augmented reality capabilities to 
Windows. You'll definitely want to check this out.<br />

<h2>
When can you get it?</h2>
Myerson also revealed some stats from the Windows 10 Technical 
Preview. Thus far, more than 1.7 million people have registered for the 
Windows Insider program, and they’ve installed Windows 10 on more than 3
 million different PCs.<br />

A fresh Windows 10 Preview build containing the newly announced 
features will hit PCs next week, with a Windows 10 build for phones 
becoming available after the Super Bowl. Here's <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2690339/how-to-install-the-windows-10-technical-preview-everything-you-need-to-know.html">how to get started with the Windows 10 Preview</a>.<br />

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