Watch Netflix for Windows 10 in Picture-in-Picture mode.

Hey Windows 10 users, I've good some news for you all. Don't get too excited. It's just Netflix for Windows 10 picked up a rare useful update that lets subscribers watch videos in picture-in-picture mode. If you're not familiar with the term, picture-in-picture or PIP, lets you watch Netflix videos in a separate window on top of other opened windows.

PIP is available in Netflix version 6.59.265. Don't bother checking the changelog, there isn't any mention of it, but if you're the kind who pays attention to details, then it is impossible you missed the new button at the far-right of the Netflix control bar. 

If you did not set Windows Store to automatically download updates, you get it here.

Formula 1 official app for Windows 10 gets a new logo.

The Official F1 app for Windows is a definite source that brings exclusive content such as team radio transmissions, DRS usage indicator, live tire information and more. The app also provides the latest news, features and videos, post-race highlights, live leaderboard during every race, qualifying and practice session.

Today, the app was updated with general improvements and updates. The change log does not provide any details about the improvements and which features were updated. The only visible change I spotted is the new logo. I posted the old and new logo above. In case you're not a fan, the old logo is on the left.

The season 2017 just ended last Sunday with Lewis Hamilton winning his forth Grand Prix, and Sebastian Vettel finishing second. The next season will start next year on the 25^th of March in Australia and promises to be exciting with Hamilton and Vettel now being even on championships won.

Who will be the 2018 champion? We’ll find out next year. Until then, download the update in Microsoft Store. Note that this update is also available on Android.

Windows 10 Preview Build 17046 adds form autofill to Microsoft Edge and more.

Microsoft has released Windows 10 Preview Build 17046 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast Ring and Skip Ahead and the most noteworthy addition applies to Microsoft Edge which is now capable of automatically saving information such as addresses or contact when filling out a form. Microsoft Edge will prompt users to save form data when they first fill a form and the saved data will sync across the user’s devices. In addition, users can manually add or remove entries in Advanced Settings. 

Microsoft also made it easier to access apps Advance Settings with a right click on UWP apps or UWP tile in the Start menu instead of having to go in Settings > Apps > Apps & Features. To access Advanced Options, users must do a right-click and click More to find the new Settings option.

This update includes other additions and improvements. Check the Windows Blog to learn more.

UniShare for Windows updated with minor changes and bug fixes.

Like me, you probably have a presence on multiple social networks and sharing to multiple platforms can be cumbersome, but thanks to apps like UniShare, this task is made easy. UniShare for Windows lets you share anything in a few clicks. In its free form, UniShare supports sharing to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. But if you consent to paying a few bucks, you can unlock other features, making it one of my favorite apps on Windows 10. UniShare is also available on Android. It is really cool and a time saver to be able to share my blog posts to the world I just a few clicks.

Today, the Windows version of the app has been updated with the following features:

·       Some minor changes needed because of the Creators Update for Windows 10.

·       Removed Geeklist.

·       Bug fixes.

UniShare is available on the PC, Mobile, Hololens and Hub. Check it out in Microsoft store.

Nextgen Reader, a powerful RSS news reader for Windows 10 fixes a Facebook login error in latest update.

When Google announced the closure of Google Reader back in 2013, Feedly was quick to step in as a replacement and it has been my favorite news aggregator on Android and my Apple devices.  Unfortunately, Feedly, up to this day, does not have an official app for Windows and Windows Mobile. But thanks to third party developers, Windows users have a news aggregator in Nextgen Reader, a free app with in-app purchase that requires a Feedly login, which basically is a Google login. 

Today Nextgen Reader is my favorite news aggregator on my Windows devices, both mobile and desktop. So, if you’re looking for a decent news reader for Windows, Nextgen Reader is one that I strongly recommend.

Nextgen Reader was updated today, bringing the version number to 7.0.23.0, which makes it a minor update. In fact, it is a fix. The change log says that it’s a fix for a Facebook login error. Since I do not use Facebook to login to Nextgen Reader, I cannot write in detail about the error. But if you do, you’ll be glad to know that whatever issue you’re having with Facebook login is now fixed.

Wait no more and go to the Microsoft Store to download the update.

Skype for Windows 10 now lets you share audio and see images in-app.

Today Microsoft has published an update to Skype for Windows 10 adding an improvement to desktop sharing. Desktop sharing has been a thing in Skype for a while and this update makes this feature more powerful in that users will be able to also share their PCs’ audio. Users will thus be able to say, watch a movie or listen to music together no matter their location on Earth. I’m looking forward to try this feature soon. 

This update will also allow users to see images within Skype itself. Skype won’t call a photo handling app so users can view photos in another window. It’s all in one place. Logical.

The update is available for download in the Microsoft Store. However, you may not see it right away, so be patient.

Windows 10 Build 17035 lets you mute a tab in Edge with a click, quickly share files to nearby PCs and more.

Today Microsoft has released Windows 10 Build 17035 for PC to the Insiders in the Fast ring and Skip Ahead. This build does not include anything major, but does come with some simple and yet very efficient improvements in some areas. One of my favorite is the ability to mute/unmute tabs playing audio in Edge.

While some from the Google side will brag about Chrome having had this feature for years, it is worth noting that I prefer Microsoft’s implementation. Where both are similar is that you can right-click on the tab to mute and unmute. Microsoft, however, made the playing media icon clickable. Meaning you can mute a tab with a click instead of two. Now, why not make the audio/video also pause/play after clicking mute/unmute?

Microsoft Edge will let you download any free EPUB book you’re reading on the web.

Near Share is another new feature Microsoft wants you to use to quickly send files, links to PCs nearby via Bluetooth. Near Share will show up as a new quick action in the Action Center. Obviously, New Share currently works with devices running build 17035. So, I’ll be able to test that between my tablets later. I just wish Microsoft would make Near Share work with Wi-Fi too.

Check out the full blog post over at Windows Blogs as there are more improvements in this build, notably in Settings and touch keyboard.

Source: Windows Blogs

Dropbox for Windows 10 gets updated with Fluent design and more.

Unless you’re beta tester of Windows 10, you haven’t experienced Microsoft Fluent design yet. The Fluent Design System will be introduced in the Fall Creators Update to be released on October 17. Up until then, those among us courageous enough to test Windows 10 in the Fast and Slow ring are already accustomed to it and I can say it makes a whole world of a difference. I showed the new design to an Apple fan who fell in love with the Surface Pro tablet before and he immediately joined the Windows Insider program to experience it and he loves it. As of now, not many apps have been updated yet, but Dropbox did.

If you are a Dropbox user, you may want to check for an update in the Windows Store to get a peek at what the Fluent design looks like. Basically, the Fluent Design is translucent, making the background to any open window blurry. It might sound simplistic, but having an entire OS offering such an experience is beautiful and impressive. And that is exactly what the latest update to Dropbox does. Microsoft, I assume, hopes more apps will follow Dropbox in blending their apps design into the OS.

Again, the Fall Creators update will be available to the world on October 17 and you will get to experience an entire new Windows experience on your device. As for me, I’m loving it on my Chuwi SurBook and Surface Pro tablets.

Should you want to see what I’m talking about, you can either join the Windows Insider program or patiently wait for the Fall Creator Update. In the meantime, get the latest Dropbox update in Windows Store. Besides the introduction of the Fluent Design, there’s more in this update. Just check the full change log below:

·       Display your files with 3 different layouts: gallery view, list view and content view.

·       New design.

·       New features for Dropbox Business users.

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Preview Build 16296 to Fast Ring, skipping Skip Ahead.

Microsoft released Preview Build 16296 today and as previously announced, this new build is all about stabilization before the release of Windows 10 Creators Update to the world. Two things before heading to the change log. One) this build is available to Insiders in the Fast Ring, not Skip Ahead. Two) Dona Sarkar wrote that Insiders will be unable to install new language packs on this build, but existing ones will “work just fine.”

Here’s what’s in this Build:

• We fixed an issue where Hyper-V couldn’t create a VM on 3rd party network storage.
• We fixed an issue where for the first few minutes after clean installing a non-English build many inbox app names might unexpectedly appear with English app names.
• We fixed an issue where gaming apps using WebView with heavy use of HTML canvas might have unexpectedly had very low FPS in recent flights.

Now, head over to the Windows Settings and hit that update button.

Source: Windows Blog

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 16278 to Fast Ring Insiders.

Today Microsoft released Build 16278 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast Ring. Those are mostly bug fixes and improvements in preparation of the release of Windows 10 Fall Creators update.

Here's what has been fixed in build 16278:

• We fixed an issue where upgrading to recent flights would fail if you had a speech for a secondary language installed.
• We fixed an issue where printing from 32-bit apps running on 64-bit versions of the OS was broken when using v3 print drivers on recent builds.
• The ability to take HDR screenshots on your PC via the Xbox app has been removed starting with this build. We plan to re-introduce this feature again in the future.
• We fixed an issue resulting in drag and drop onto websites intermittently not working in Microsoft Edge.
• We fixed an issue where Microsoft Edge would crash after choosing to pin certain websites to Start.
• We fixed an issue where a tab in Microsoft Edge could get in a state where it displayed a tab preview thumbnail even though your mouse wasn’t hovering over the tab.
• We fixed an issue in Microsoft Edge for certain websites where after watching an embedded video full screen then using Esc to return to the page would result in the video controller no longer being visible.
• We fixed an issue in Microsoft Edge where pasting an image to Imgur.com from your clipboard wouldn’t work.
• We fixed an issue where the Emoji Panel’s tooltips could become mixed up.
• We fixed an issue from recent flights resulting in precision touchpads potentially dropping gestures after coming out of sleep.
• We fixed an issue where the battery flyout might incorrectly show “PC not charging” while the device was changing in recent builds.
• We fixed an issue where fonts using shortcuts would become unusable and disappear from the Fonts folder.
• We fixed an issue resulting in multiple apps crashing in the previous flight if you tried to log into the app using Facebook.
• We fixed and issue where Delivery Optimization Group Policy / MDM policy for DOMinFileSizeToCache was ignored and the service defaults were used instead.

Source: Windows Blog

How to send a web page from your Android phone to your Windows 10 PC?

In the last Windows 10 Build, Microsoft introduced a nice feature to link your Android phone to your computer and once that link is established, you will be able to send a web page from your phone to your bigger screen computer. In this article, I will show you how to set it up. This feature is currently available to Windows Insiders only for testing.

Once you've installed the latest update, proceed to Settings - you can do so in the Start Menu or through the Action  Center on the right. You will notice right away that Microsoft added a new setting called "Phone". Go ahead and click on that to begin the link process. For the time being, you can only link an Android phone, with support for iOS coming later.

Next click "Add a phone" to open the "Link your phone and PC" window where you will type in your phone number and select your country, then click the Send button.

Shortly after clicking that Send button, you will receive a SMS on your phone with a link. Opening the link takes you to Google Play Store to download the "Microsoft Apps" app. Once installed, open the app and you will see a tile addressed to Windows Insiders with a "Try it now" button. Tap to get started on your phone and go through a quick tutorial.

Hit the "Try it now" button to launch Chrome which takes you to the Surface devices website - Saw what you did there Microsoft. Tap Share in Chrome and select "Continue on PC". You will be offered two choices: "Continue now" and "Continue later". Tapping the former will immediately open the web page on your computer and the latter option will add the link in the Action Center on your computer for you to access later at your convenience. 
You will be asked to sign in with your Microsoft account at this point.  Whichever option you choose, the web site will open in Microsoft Edge browser on your PC and there is nothing wrong with that. Edge is actually better for reading than Chrome thanks to the "Reading View".

That's it. Now you have linked your Android phone to your Windows 10 computer. This is a first release of this functionality and I like it for its simplicity and I hope Microsoft keeps it that way.

Have you linked your phone to your Windows 10 PC yet? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Windows Blog

Playcast gets XBOX One support and more.

Playcast has been developed to allow users to cast movies, songs and pictures not only to Google Home, but also to Google Cast Audio, Apple TV (AirPlay), DLNA Smart TV, Miracast, Internet Box, Xbox One, Xbox 360 etc. Playcast cost $3.99 and offers a week trial before you make the decision to buy it and I can tell it is a well worth purchase. There are not many apps in the Windows Store that let you throw stuff to your TV. Plus the app is regularly updated with new features and fixes. 

Speaking of updates, Playcast has been updated this week. Check out the change log:

• XBOX One ready.
• Chromecast Audio Multi-room support.
• German language.

Download Playcast in the Windows Store. Playcast is Windows Universal App. Buy it once and you'll be able to use it on your Windows phone and PC.

Candy Crush Jelly Saga for Windows gets 420 new tasty levels.

I don't know about you, but my Candy Crush intake has dropped to the zero level now, even if the game comes pre-install in Windows 10. Candy Crush, like the Angry Birds franchise, are those games that just plain refuse to disappear. Candy Crush for its part keep adding more "chewy episodes" for the fans out there and I can tell there are a lot and I'm making this statement based on the number of phones and tablets that popup during commute with the different versions of the game running.

In order to keep the fan base happy, 420 levels were added to the game today. Yep, you have to be a fan to enjoy going through all of this. I never got to get above level 10 because I get bored very quickly. For the fans out there, head to the Windows Store to grab the update.

Microsoft Sway for Windows 10 update makes it easier to find and view featured Sways and more.

Sway is a presentation program made my Microsoft and is a member of its Office suite of applications available free as a stand alone app in the Windows Store. Sway is also available on the web for those who do not own a Windows PC and as an app in Apple store. 

In order to use Sway, a Microsoft account is needed and allows users to create digital presentations in a website format from content stored locally on the computer or from the internet. No particular skills are required to create sways, simply add your content and Sway will do the rest and contents include a variety of file types ranging from simple text to images, videos, GIFs, maps, tweets, vines etc.

Microsoft has updated the app for Windows with the following features:

- My Sways - We’ve redesigned the My Sways page to make it easier to find your Sways and view featured Sways. 

- Maximize Storyline - You can now hide the Preview pane for a more focused editing experience. 

 - Accessibility Support - We've made several improvements including better screen reader, high contrast, and keyboard support. We've also added an accessibility checker that flags alt text and hyperlink issues, and makes it easy for you to fix them immediately. 

- Miscellaneous — We’ve fixed several bugs in this release. 

I strongly recommend you give Sway a try as it will let you create some great presentations to share with family, friends and colleagues. Sway is also an excellent tool for collaboration as sways are stored on Microsoft servers, making them available on any device with an internet connection. Check it out in the Windows Store.

Playcast for Windows restores Sort buttons in new update.

Playcast is a must-have multimedia player to cast your movies and songs to devices like Google Chromecast, Chromecast Audio, Apple TV, DNLA Smart TV, Miracast or the Xbox One. A Windows Universal app, Playcast is available for $3.99 in the Windows Store with a 7 days full-featured trial. Being a universal app, you buy it once and use it across your Windows devices.

Playcast was updated today with a minor fix which restores the Sort buttons which was accidentally removed in a previous update. Playcast is one of my favorite apps on Windows and one that I strongly recommend. My only issue with it is that it does not support playing movies purchased from the Windows store for obvious rights reason and I cannot blame the developer for this.

Share your content through social networks & more in one click with UniShare for Windows.

Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile like all operating systems let us share just about anything to social networks, to messaging apps etc. But the annoying thing is that these modern OSs don't bundle a simple thing like sharing to all these platform in a click, a kind of share-once-to-all. We all have a presence on more than one social network. Every time I update this blog, it used to be a pain to share my posts to my multiple social accounts. Thanks to UniShare, sharing in one click makes life a lot easier.

UniShare is a Universal Windows app that's available free on Windows PC and phone and is a simple and powerful app. In its basic free form, UniShare allows you to share content to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in one click. All you have to do is safely add your accounts into the app. The app itself will appear in the sharing options throughout Windows and when selected, lets you share content through the three social platforms mentioned above in one click. That's for the free version.

UniShare also comes in Pro version with the following additional features and support for more networks:

• Twitter - Up to 3 accounts
• LinkedIn
• Facebook - personal accounts plus pages you are admin/contributor
• Tumblr
• Pocket
• Geeklist
• Path
• Slack
• Choose from a broad range of picture upload packages - from 5 pics for free up to unlimited)

I strongly recommend you download UniShare in the Windows Store and enjoy the ability to share content to all your networks, email, messaging and other supported apps in a few clicks. And it is continuously being updated. See the full change log below:

- more languages (German, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian) 

- added link to translator registration page 

- mention suggestion search for Facebook no longer needs upper case letters 

- Import/Export of Sharing Profiles fixed, no longer throws errors 

- adding a picture from camera/library or pasting from clipboard is now also available in Sharing View 

- better handling of situations without internet connection 

- fixed sharing to external apps 

- added leet conversion extra 

- added Klingon translation extra (Pro) 

- added Giphy extra 

- lots of bug fixes  

F1 official app for Windows updated.

The F1 official app for Windows has been available for a short while and it's one that F1 fans must have to follow everything about the Grand Prix anywhere. The app is a Universal Windows App one, meaning it is downloadable on a Windows PC and phone or tablet.

The F1 app is a free app with the following features:
* Live Race Leaderboards (limited) 
* Latest news and videos 
* Post-race highlights 
* 2016 Schedule, Team and Driver Standings

Now if you're a fan and is willing to spend some money for additional features, here is what you will get with in-app purchase:

* Official Live Timing of all F1® sessions 
* Sector times with intervals and gaps, live tyre and pit stop information 
* Interactive 3D maps with driver gears and speeds, plus Drag Reduction System (DRS) usage indicator 
* In-Corner Analysis comparing drivers’ entry, apex and exit speeds 
* Immersive dashboard with text commentary (English, French and German), and English audio commentary during all F1® sessions 
* Team Radio Transmissions and Race Control Messages 
* Personalisation Options and more!

The app was updated today. Unfortunately, there is no change log. With the Hungary Grand Prix in full swing, grab the update in the Windows Store and enjoy.

Simple, elegant and dynamic Ludo game ported to Windows by Game Trooper.

I used to play Ludo when I was a kid with my brothers and there was rarely, if never, a winner as the games always ended in a fight because one of us had cheated. In case you're wondering, it is not the author of these lines. That was a long time ago and I don't play Ludo anymore, but I'm glad to see the game ported to Windows as a Universal Windows Game under the name Ludo Blitz. We owe this to the good folks at Game Troopers who kept the game "simple and elegant, but also incredible more dynamic and unpredictable."

Key features

• Shorter and casual games – ideal for your coffee breaks, or subway travels

• Get ready for a completely new and challenging game every time you start playing. 

• Watch your Pawns come to life – Enjoy the hi-res 3D movements and actions

• 6 boosters to take the fun in LUDO to a new level

• 2 special fields to enhance the wonderful chaos of LUDO

Ludo Blitz is free in Windows Store. However, it is possible to buy some items within the game. Check out the video about the game before heading over to the Windows Store to download Ludo Blitz.

Twitter for Windows 10 Mobile gets a new beautiful design, content discovery, Moments and more.

Well that is kind of unexpected. Twitter today released a major update for Windows 10 Mobile totally making it beautiful and also bringing some new features that makes the app identical to its PC sibling. It even got the little heart in replacement of the star to 'Like' a Tweet. Really, the design is beautiful and on par with Twitter apps on other platforms with the addition of the black theme, which is not available on Android and iOS. Unfortunately, switching to black theme is not app specific and cannot be done in the app settings, is related to the system theme. There's also no way to navigate horizontally to switch between the different pivot screen. Overall, it remains a nice update and I expect it will get better in a future update.

Check out the full change log and update the app in the Windows Store:
Find the best of Twitter in an instant with Moments. Follow top stories through immersive pics, clips and conversations. Get insights and perspectives you won't find anywhere else. 
- Find the best of Twitter in an instant. 
- Get exclusive pics, clips and conversations. 
- Express yourself with a Tweet. 
- Find people and accounts that interest you. 
- Hello from this part of the world! 
- See the moment.

Dropbox for Windows Phone 8.1 updated with quick search, commenting and Jump list.

Dropbox

Dropbox for Windows Phone is a Windows Universal app, meaning that it works on Windows for desktop and Windows 10 Mobile. The popular cloud storage app also works with Windows Phone 8.1. Today, Dropbox was updated to bring some of the Windows 10 features to Windows Phone 8.1.

With this update Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows users will be able to initiate a search by simply typing anywhere. They won't necessarily need to tap the search icon first. The app also allow users to comment on files, bringing collaboration with others by inviting them to a discussion with the use of @mentions. Finally, there's Jump list for access to recent files through a right click on the application icon and tile.

Grab the update in the Windows Store.