Yesterday, Microsoft introduced a new "ring" for participants of the Windows Insiders program. It is named the Release Preview Ring and is different from the Fast and Slow rings previously available for Insiders. Here is what you can expect if you switch to this ring.
How to fix apps that look small on high DPI and high resolution displays
Today, many PCs ship with very high resolution displays even if the PC form factor is smaller for example, an Ultrabook or a tablet. Or you may have a desktop monitor with 4K resolution. At such resolutions, Windows automatically turns on DPI scaling so everything on your screen becomes larger. However, there are some third party apps, which don't render properly on high DPI screens. They look too small for the screen resolution. Let us see how to fix them if Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 does not scale them properly.
Official Microsoft stats: 16% users on Windows 10 in Nov 2015 amongst those who opt in to Telemetry
According to Microsoft, users are moving to Windows 10 very quickly. Since they are using all possible ways to coax the average user to switch from previous Windows releases to the latest version, it might be working. Microsoft has shared some of their official stats which show that 16% of users were already on Windows 10 in November 2015. This comes with a very important footnote though which mentions that this usage data is obtained from customers who have opted to send Microsoft telemetry data.
Get official information about Windows 10 updates and releases
Microsoft has rolled out a new website where you can learn what is included in the released updates and version upgrades for Windows 10. It was about time to be honest since users like transparency about what an update does, especially business users. Almost all software today provides very detailed change logs.
Microsoft has rolled out Windows 10 build 10586.104
A new cumulative update for Windows 10 version 1511, also known as November Update or Threshold 2, was released by Microsoft. This time we have a change log and know exactly what happens by installing this update. Let's explore this update.
MouseMonitorEscapeSpeed (Mouse pointer stickiness) fix for Windows 10
In Windows 8.1 Update 1, Microsoft introduced a behavior where if you happen to have multiple displays and move the mouse pointer over to the other monitor while dragging a window for example, it blocks them at the corners. You have to move it fast in order for the mouse to not stick. This stickiness of the mouse pointer was a Windows 8 feature which could be disabled by a Registry tweak. Unfortunately it doesn't work in Windows 10. However I found a workaround for this.
Even with Telemetry disabled, Windows 10 sends a lot of info back to Microsoft
Another round of privacy related hysteria has started around Windows 10 recently. Many users use various tricks to turn off telemetry and data collection which is sent back to Microsoft servers. Once these tweaks are applied, such users feel themselves relatively safe. However, it has come to be known that even if you disable telemetry, Windows 10 continues to connect to Microsoft's servers and sends some data there. This happens also in editions like Windows 10 Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) where it can be officially disabled.
Keyboard Opener automatically opens and closes the Windows touch keyboard in Windows 8
I know of many users who use Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 with a Start Menu replacement because of the changes they don't like in Windows 10 such as forced updates, removal of many settings and customization, privacy-intruding data collection or nothing much of value in Windows 10. However there is one improvement in Windows 10 for those of you who use programs and apps with a touchscreen: the touch keyboard automatically pops up when you tap inside a text field. With a simple free app, you can do this on Windows 8 too.
Useful Calculator keyboard shortcuts in Windows 10
In Windows 10, Microsoft replaced the good old calculator with a new Modern app. Many people are not aware that it has hotkeys like the old one. You might be interested in learning those hotkeys to use it more productively. Today, we will share all Calculator keyboard shortcuts available in Windows 10. Here we go.
Firefox has got a variable release schedule
Mozilla developers have decided to switch from doing frequent planned releases of Firefox to a variable schedule. From now, Firefox will quit the version race started by Chrome and will be released less frequently.
