The new Windows 10 build reveals a couple of interesting new features for multitaskers and gamers
As we inch toward the next big Windows 10 update -- the ‘Creator’s Update’ this is due in early 2017’ -- incremental updates of the operating system are gradually rolling out. During the Windows Developer Day that happened on 8 February, a new build of the operating system rolled out unveiling several new features along with a few design updates.
The update (Build 15031) introduces a handful of key capabilities including Compact Overlay window, Dynamic Lock, improvements to the Windows Game Bar’s full-screen support, and numerous bug fixes.
Compact Overlay window basically gives your computer or laptop a picture-in-picture mode, enabling programs like a media player app or video conferencing window to sit permanently above other windows. This should make it easy to keep track of the cricket match while working on a presentation, for example. This feature is part of the much-touted Universal Windows Platform (UWP) -- a programming standard that enables apps to seamlessly adapt and reconfigure to various screen sizes and device capabilities from phone to tablet to PC. The first two apps slated to incorporate this feature are the Movies & TV app and the Skype Preview app.
Dynamic Lock is a new feature that will automatically lock the computer when your paired Bluetooth-enabled phone is not in close proximity, effectively shutting off the screen and locking the system after 30 seconds. This feature can be enabled from the Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options screen.
For Windows 10 gamers, the Windows Game Bar (accessed by hitting Win+G when a game is running in full-screen mode) now supports 52 additional games including Borderlands 2, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and more. As always, this bar enables gamers to quickly launch a video recording or capture screenshots in the heat of the action.
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to have a go at this new build, go to PC Settings, click ‘Update and recovery’, select ‘Preview builds’, then hit the ‘Check now’ button. Do note, however, that this isn’t a stable build so avoid updating to this version on your primary computer.
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