Hands-on: Windows 10 Mobile build 10136 shows polished Cortana, new Photo app - watersfrilyin

Microsoft claims the latest version of its Cortana digital assistant within physical body 10136 of Windows 10 Mobile is nearly complete, and it shows. It launches quickly, provides a comprehensive view of your daylight, and sparkles, fresh and unobjectionable.

Unfortunately, I wasn't quite as impressed with the rest of it.

Microsoft released the latest build of Windows 10 Mobile along Wednesday, after cautionary that future testers would either sustain to downgrade their existing Windows 10 Mobile phones back to Windows Telephone 8.1 as an alternative elevate a newer phone. I chose the latter, upgrading the massive Lumia 1520 phablet to the modish build.

That proved uncaused, because build 10136 adds a handed mode for straphangers, invisible texting, and new scenarios where you sack't hold your phone with two manpower. Microsoft likewise delivered a lovely update to the Photos app, organizing your photos thoroughly—and, even better, adding the Lumia Camera app to phones like the Nokia Icon. There's also a number of other random, minor UI improvements disconnected throughout. But Cortana's the star attracter for Windows Phone, and the app looks and feels terrific.

What's non so terrific therein build: an inability to stick tiles to the home screen, multiple Search (Cortana) apps, Live Tiles that either wouldn't work or only stopped working, and the likes of. I can certainly chalk these up to preview software, only let's hope Microsoft solves these problems soon.

First, the good news: Cortana looks great

Mark Hachman

Here's the overview of what Cortana thinks you need to know.

Google Now, Apple's Siri, and Microsoft's Cortana continue to elbow each other divagation as the three digital assistants compete to be the nearly prescient and helpful. Pursuit Apple's unveiling of improvements to Siri with iOS 9, IT's now Microsoft's turn to improve Cortana, and build 10136 does merely that.

Each assistant has its own style: Siri works quietly behind the scenes. Google Now briskly doles out a series of cards. Cortana provides a one-page executive summary of what she believes you ought to see, and presents information technology to you when you trigger what's now named the Search app.

Afterwards a trifle of introduction, Cortana gets down to work: She gaping my page with the score of the Oakland A's game in progress, reminded me I had a water bill to pay, and finished off with the latest Microsoft news. Be sure and scroll down—there was in reality a long list of items that includes local weather and nearby places to eat, placed in a card-like fashion.

Cortana didn't find a note from Amazon announcing that a dispatch was nut path, as IT promises to do. When I asked, "where is my package," it snapped up a number of search results lickety-split—non the answer I was looking, though. You can ask her stock prices and other facts, and the results were fleet in my experience.

Mark Hachman

Cortana along (from left to just) Windows 8.1 Update, Windows 10 Mechanised Bod 10030, Windows 10 Rangy Ramp up 10136.

What I like about this translation of Cortana is that she is expressly helpful. Cortana explained that she was providing ME the in-game score, and also asked midway down the page whether I wanted to go on receiving restaurant recommendations. Google does this as healed, but much more impersonally.

If this is the Cortana Microsoft ships A part of Windows 10, I think you'll like it.

A serial publication of Live Roofing tile issues, solved with a reboot

You may experience some problems with Live Tiles on the interior screen after instalmen the new build; I did.  For whatsoever reason, I was healthy to add apps as Live Tiles soon after the build was installed. But I speedily base that I couldn't add u any more apps, and that those that I had installed on the start screen either failed to show live information or inexplicably stopped working. They even rearranged themselves randomly on one affair. That prevented apps like Cortana or my battery meter from displaying live selective information. Luckily, a reboot seemed to solve the problem.

The new build also showed me two identical Search and Phone apps in my app list, leaving ME to wonder which one was "condemnable."

Photos continues to look amend

Microsoft's Photos app has evolved into a universal app that will eventually straddle PCs, tablets, and phones, and it looks like it: The thumbnails are a bit smaller than you Crataegus oxycantha be wont to on Windows Phone 8.1, and they load slowly. They are, nevertheless, Thomas More neatly organized, specially with a late past-month view that allows you to quickly find your holiday photos from fourth-year August.

The month-by-monthn view within the early Photos app helps you find shots quickly.

If you're running the new build on one of Microsoft's somewhat tired flagship phones—the 930, Icon, or 1520, as well American Samoa the new Lumia 640 or Lumia 640XL—Microsoft recommends that you download the new Lumia Camera Beta app. IT allows you to shoot video recording with Lumia Moments, then infusion pictures; chop-chop snap pics with the television camera; and dynamically adjust the flash using Rich Capture. Unfortunately, Microsoft thought I had maxed stunned the number of Windows phones allowed under my account and wouldn't let me download the app. Still, I've tried the new camera apps elsewhere and posterior wholeheartedly recommend them.

Handed use: form of, well, meh…

I'm a giving rooter of phablets, and I carry a bag that typically holds the Lumia 1520, a Lumia Icon, and a Samsung Galaxy Note 3. But on any crowded Bay Area BART prepare, I find it thorny to fumble with my phone while holding on to a strap or banister. Microsoft solves this trouble—sieve of—via long-press of the Windows tonic key, which moves the top of the screen closer to your stretching fingers.

This industrial plant all right in practice. Esthetically, I dislike the black background that Microsoft shows connected the top of the riddle while the residue of IT is pulled down. It feels like you've fallen off the home screen. (Indicate the background instead!) But it works, including the ability to pull down the top drawer of quick-action items.

A potpourri of image changes

Microsoft also made a number of random changes to the new build's UI. The PIN pad is transparent, for example. The quick-action shortcuts on the apical of the covert differ somewhat from the unlikely build, too—they're flatter, and boast a different typeface. I detected that when I tapped the back arrow to shipment a previous app, a grid of apps appeared, kind of than a horizontal queue.  Microsoft also tucked a rising background behind my nursing home screen, of a swimmer cutting though the water.

The new Action icons inside Wndows 10 Mobile.

Because I fuddled the newborn anatomy of Windows 10 onto a new telephone set, I wasn't able-bodied to draw direct comparisons to the functioning of the new build, unity over the other. It's quite a assortment, however. Cortana's responses were highly energetic, to the point that I wondered if frequent requests were cached on the phone. But every time I jumped back to the home screen, I saw a "loading" icon for a second or two. I don't want to see that, e'er.

My Surface Pro 3 also failed to recognize the Windows Phone when connected to it. The phone's OneDrive app doesn't seem to quite work, either, so it's a trifle of a botheration getting photos off the gimmick. Twitter's app repeatedly crashed, also.

We can chalk all that up to beta software. Still, the clock's tick. If the reports are correct, we stimulate roughly three and a half months, grievous bodily harm, in front Windows Mobile 10 rolls out. I'm enthused by how Cortana looks. The next stair is applying the duplicate classify of rigor to the remainder of the operating system and its apps.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/428083/hands-on-windows-10-mobile-build-10136-shows-polished-cortana-new-photo-app.html

Posted by: watersfrilyin.blogspot.com

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