Windows 10 Preview, Latest News and Updates

Microsoft hasn't offered an official release date yet but the company has committed to launching the Windows 10, it next upgrade to its proprietary operating system, globally by this summer. Windows 10 aims to address present shortcomings in the user interface as well as unify the Windows, Windows Phone, and Windows Embedded product families around a common internal core.

A 'Windows Technical Preview' or public beta of Windows 10 was released beginning October 1, 2014. Testers who opt into the 'Windows Insider' program receive occasional automatic updates to the Windows Technical Preview, allowing Microsoft to collect feedback on changes throughout development of Windows 10. On January 10, Microsoft also introduced a Phone Insider application at the Windows Phone Store which "provides registered Windows Insiders the ability to receive pre-release OS updates on their phone, directly from Microsoft."

The latest build of the Technical Preview, according to CNET, "adds a bit of visual flair, and brought virtual assistant Cortana to even more countries, including the UK, China and France." As part of the measures aimed at beefing up security in Windows 10, the recently announced Windows Hello will reportedly be using biometric authentication to unlock your devices, scanning your face, finger or iris in lieu of a password.

Microsoft is also working with Windows 10 to make the Metro apps, now officially renamed Windows apps, become a more important part of the operating system. According to Softpedia, Metro apps can now be resized and moved on the screen just like any other desktop program. Microsoft is reportedly trying to enhance Metro apps by adding drag and drop support, allowing users to drag and drop files directly in an app on their desktop to their social apps so that content can more easily be shared with friends and followers.

Microsoft is reportedly also working to make a single store available across all Windows 10 devices, so that with the universal Windows apps, users should be able to find the exact same item not only on a PC but also on a tablet or smartphone.

Windows 10 promised to introduce a new default web browser, presently codenamed 'Spartan,' with a new rendering engine, dubbed 'Edge,' to replace the aging Trident-based Internet Explorer 11, which will however continue to be maintained on Windows 10 for compatibility purposes with legacy websites. A leaked screen-shot of the upcoming Spartan browser at Widows Central shows that the address bar has been moved to the top of the screen. It also shows a section labeled "Hub" that may be where articles marked for offline reading can be stored.

As previously announced by Microsoft, the two most recent Windows versions, namely Windows 7 and 8.1, will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 directly. Also, Windows 10 will be free for Windows 8.1 users for its first year. Moreover, Windows 10 will require a fresh install for devices running older than Windows 7 operating systems.