Microsoft’s new tools help devs manage cloud deployments on the go

At Build 2016 developer conference earlier a year ago, Microsoft surprised everyone when it opened the Windows 10 operating system to integrate an Ubuntu-based Bash shell right into the platform.

Microsoft Build 2017 happened in Seattle this week.

In an effort to beat Amazon and Google, Microsoft announced it has inked partnerships with HP and Intel to bring Cortana-powered voice-activated speakers to the market in the near future.

The Story Remix app in Windows 10 Preview build 16193. A single Windows 10 S laptop can serve as a safe environment for learning both Microsoft’s operating system and Linux – how cool is that? New elements have been added over time; the Graph also represents, for example, documents and files, so you can find out who’s been working on what files and when. Microsoft has already started converting its Metro apps to Fluent Design.

In another concession to the popularity of Apple’s products, iTunes software will be added to the Windows Store – an announcement that evoked some of the loudest cheers in Thursday’s crowd.

The original Creators Update came earlier this year, in April.

“Fluent Design will deliver intuitive, harmonious, responsive and inclusive cross-device experiences and interactions”, says Terry Myerson of Microsoft in a blog post.

The update would be optimal if Microsoft had a pervasive mobile operating system, but the United States technology giant saw Windows smartphones eclipsed by Apple and Android devices, the analyst noted. We just hope that iTunes is more adaptive to Microsoft’s Fluent Design language, and not remain clunky like the current one we see on Windows.

Microsoft has unveiled a new app called Windows Story Remix lets users edit photos and video with 3D and mixed reality elements.

In short, even if Google – or Opera or Mozilla – repackaged their browsers in a way that would allow them to be installed via the Windows Store, the actual architecture of the apps would lead Microsoft to reject them outright.

Nadella’s talk of 500 million was the first change to Microsoft’s official Windows 10 milestone since September 2016, when the company claimed 400 million “active devices“.

OneDrive Files on Demand, which will give users access to all files in the cloud without requiring them to download anything onto a specific device.

Microsoft’s new controller will work without requiring the placement of motion sensors in a room to trace a user’s movements.

Using the keynote on the second day of its Build developer conference, the firm revealed several of the headline features coming with the update in the autumn, as well as touching on its plans in the world of mixed reality and its HoloLens headset. Not only will Windows 10 on ARM support Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, Win32 apps in the Windows Store, but also existing Win32 apps.