Windows 10's new browser reportedly lets you search with your voice Windows 10's oft-reported Spartan web browser may not just be a leaner, fresher substitute for Internet Explorer -- it could have a few tricks up its sleeve, too. Sources for The Verge claim that Microsoft's voice-guided Cortana assistant will be present both in the OS and in Spartan -- much like Chrome's "OK Google" feature, you can reportedly open a new browser tab and ask Cortana to look something up, whether it's a website or your flight itinerary. There's also talk of pen-based annotations for websites that you can share with others through the cloud. The apparent scoop also supports details mentioned in earlier reports, including the existence of separate desktop and mobile versions, a lightweight, Chrome-like interface and the inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows for the sake of compatibility. Whether or not you'll see Microsoft show any of this at its January 21st Windows 10 event is another matter. Neowin claims to have seen an early build of Spartan, and it didn't see Cortana -- while the assistant may show up, neither it nor Spartan itself is necessarily ready for the spotlight. http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/08/windows-10-browser-and-cortana/?ncid=rss_truncated ========================================================== Microsoft Spartan could be 300 times better than Internet Explorer DETAILS ARE STARTING to emerge of the browser that will form part of the forthcoming Windows 10 operating system when it reaches the clutches of the general public. The browser, codenamed 'Spartan', will augment, rather than replace, Internet Explorer, and will contain significant enhancements that bring it into line, and in some cases exceed, its rivals which continue to gain market share. As expected, Cortana will be integrated to bring a Google Now-style experience to the browser, and searches for what Microsoft hopes will be useful information will take place without you having to search at all. A report on The Verge said that all functions currently taken up by Bing in Internet Explorer will become Cortana-based in the Spartan version. Microsoft has already announced that Cortana will be a significant part of Windows 10, although it doesn't appear in current preview builds. Tab grouping will reduce the clutter of tabs on the browser page, for example keeping 'always open' tabs separate from 'current shopping' and 'read later'. The report also talks about abandoned plans for custom themes, a mainstay of Firefox and Google Chrome, which may come back to the table at a later date. It's clear that Spartan is something totally new that will live alongside IE10 so that you can roll back if needed to browse 'heritage sites' that don't play nicely. And that name? We'll probably know more about whether it's an internal codename or a new brand at the consumer event for Windows 10 on 21 January. But are we the only ones to notice another nice little nod to the Halo series there? Mind you, it's also the name of a type of apple, which could lead to all kinds of problems when Tim Cook finds out. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer...ld-be-300-times-better-than-internet-explorer ============================================================ Windows 10: More Spartan features come into focus We began talking about Microsoft’s plans to make a new browser back in September 2014. At that time, we didn’t know that the company forked the Trident engine to develop a different browser codenamed ‘Spartan’ alongside Internet Explorer. Recently, we took a quick peek at the user interface of the new browser, and now we learn that there’s a lot more to Spartan than meets the eye. Citing “sources familiar with the company’s Windows plans”, The Verge reports that Spartan’ killer feature will be new inking capabilities that will allow Windows 10 users to annotate pages they visit, as well as share them with someone they know. The magic behind the scenes is done by Microsoft’s OneDrive, which will store a copy of the annotated web page for you to access it from any browser across major platforms. This will also allow multiple users to make, edit and share notes on the same webpage, enabling a whole new level of collaboration. Cortana will assist you as you search, helping you find information such as flight schedules, dinner bookings, delivery tracking and more, all from the good old address bar, replacing every current Bing search accelerator. Spartan will also include a lot of small touches, such as a new way to group tabs. Initial plans included support for custom skins, but will reportedly be added in a future update to the browser. Microsoft’s new browser is said to be developed as a Windows Store app, capable of automatic updates, and will feature the same user interface across all device form factors. Internet Explorer will also be present as a legacy option, but Spartan will be the main browser moving forward. Microsoft is going to break the silence with more details at the Windows 10 event on January 21st, and that moment can’t come soon enough. http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-10-more-spartan-features-come-into-focus
Windows 10: What to expect in the consumer preview There's only one more week to go before we finally learn a lot more about Windows 10 - not just on PCs, but on phones and other devices too. We may also get our greasy paws on the 'Consumer Preview' that has been rumored to be released on or shortly after the event which takes place on January 21st. Neowin will be there to bring you the latest updates; but below you can find a list of features that are already known to be included in the next build compiled by Studio384, a Neowin member no less! Continuum Continuum dynamic user interface enabled Desktop Dropdown lists have been given a revamp There are new animations for maximize and restore Cortana is enabled by default The taskbar has a new design The search button is now a search bar by default New backgrounds Media support System-wide support for the FLAC audio format WinRT The settings Charm has been removed Settings fly-out now appears within an app The title bar has been revamped, full screen is now on the bar instead of in an option menu A lot of apps dropped the "Permissions" tab (when it's empty) Apps can be installed on an SD Internet Explorer Improved support for ECMAScript 6 Improved support for ECMAScript non-standard Apps Settings has been revamped with a new interface Multiple new settings have been added Multiple other panels have been improved with more functionality, like Battery saver, Storage Sense, and more Windows Update has been extended with a lot of new functionalities to replace the Control Panel counterpart Calculator has been revamped Alarms has been revamped There is now a world clock function Xbox has been revamped Get started has been revamped Photos has been added as an app (not to confuse with Photos) Store beta has been added as an app (not to confuse with Store) Maps has been revamped Windows Feedback has been revamped Sound recorder has been revamped Lumia Camera Beta has been added as an app Xbox has been added as an app (not to be confused with Games) And further The Windows kernel has been updated from version 6.4 to 10.0 There are still a few questions we'd like answered on the future of Windows which we also hope will be answered next week, but for now, this is what we know about the upcoming build. For this and previous Windows 10 Technical preview changelogs, be sure to check out Studio384's site. http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-10-what-to-expect-in-the-consumer-preview
