With Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft finally allowed developers to "convert" their classic Win32 apps to be distributed via Windows Store. A special tool called 'Project Centennial' or 'Desktop Bridge' allows packing classic Desktop apps into the *.appx format used by UWP. It also gives them the ability to use new APIs which were exclusively available to UWP apps only. However, there was a critical bug causing lots of computers to crash when using converted apps which now appears to be fixed with the latest update for Windows 10 version 1607.
Author: Roman Linev
Long time news writer, Microsoft ecosystem fan, Android user. Loves Japanese culture, photography and his cats. You can also follow Roman on Twitter.
Microsoft Edge will get session manager and tabs browser in Windows 10 Creators Update
During the October 2016 Microsoft event, the company showed some improvements that are coming in Windows 10 Creators Update all over the OS. However, most of them were shown so briefly that many people didn't even notice it. After the event, Microsoft published a recap video in which we were able to find a few interesting things. There were some interesting additions to Microsoft Edge.
Skype Preview update adds link previews, drag-and-drop support and a few tweaks
A few days ago Microsoft pushed a new update for Skype Preview (UWP) for Windows 10. Even though it is in a Preview state, this version of Skype still lacks many features that are available for users on other platforms, but developers behind it are working hard to make it the best Skype experience on PCs. With the latest update, Microsoft is closing another gap, bringing features such as drag-and-drop and webpage previews to the Windows 10 version of the app.
Classic Microsoft Office apps will get new inking features soon
Microsoft is holding an Office-related event next month, but we got a hint about some of the new features coming to classic Office apps during the recent Surface / Windows 10 event. The company itself wasn't focusing on announcing them and spent more time talking about other stuff, including 3D support in PowerPoint, but we got our first look at the new Inking functionality right after the event, when the official Microsoft Office channel on YouTube uploaded the following video:
Cortana for Android update brings performance improvements and usability tweaks
As you know, Microsoft's digital assistant Cortana is available on several platforms, such as Android, iOS and company's own Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. Its functionality was on par on every platform for some time, but that doesn't mean there's no way to improve it. Yesterday Microsoft released another update for the Android version, bringing some performance improvements, tweaks to the app's UI and some more minor but welcomed changes.
Watch Microsoft Windows 10 Event right here
Microsoft is holding an October 2016 Windows 10 Event in a few hours where the company is expected to announce new hardware products and talk about the next release of Windows 10 (codenamed Redstone 2 which is planned to release next Spring).
Opera 41 for Windows released, offers up to 86% performance improvements
The final version of Opera 41 was released earlier today. According to the developers, this release brings major performance improvements, especially on browser start up. The team behind this release describes the new startup sequence as a smarter and faster one — you will be able to access it almost immediately, no matter how many tabs you have open.
