MiRo is the robot dog that promises to be a geek’s best friend

Why it matters to you

Programmable robot dog MiRo likes to be stroked, can recognize its owner’s face, and could end up looking after you in your old age.

Dogs may be a man’s best friend, but MiRo — a programmable robotic canine — could well prove to be a geek’s best buddy.

“MiRo is a type of companion robot that we have developed with a familiar form of a non-threatening, small friendly hybrid mammal, rather than a mechanical-looking device,” Sebastian Conran, co-founder of developer Consequential Robotics, told Digital Trends. “With the limitations of current processing a humanoid would inevitably be disappointing. However, we have low expectations of functional behavior from our pets so we can exceed expectations. It was important to demonstrate that robotic devices can be emotionally engaging.”

Emotionally engaging, cute, dog-inspired looks are far from MiRo’s only tricks, though. It also boasts impressive optical navigating skills, a range of smart sensors for detecting its surroundings, face recognition technology, and more. All that’s lacking is a robot tongue for licking your face when you fall asleep!

“The project was a result of my collaboration with University of Sheffield’s robotic department where I am designer-in-residence to the engineering faculty with a mandate to bridge the chasm between academic research and consumer experience,” Conran explained.

So far, 20 alpha prototypes and 50 beta prototypes have been assembled — with the next steps including a finished software demo at the end of this year, and consumer sales commencing in 2018.

What’s most interesting about MiRo, however, is that it’s not envisioned as a toy, but rather as a tool which could one day play a useful role in keeping elderly people company, a bit like the famous Paro seal robot.

“With the right programming, MiRo should be capable of emotionally engaging with older users,” Conran said. “The ethos is that companion robots should provide companionship and amusement whilst people are alone, alleviating isolation and encouraging people to look after themselves. It is designed to supplement human care and not in anyway displace it.”

With a rapidly aging population to cater for, we’ll have to wait to see whether tools like MiRo can break through into the mainstream. What we do know for sure is that a hairless dog would certainly save on vacuuming!

Microsoft promises new unified update schedule for Windows 10 and Office 365

Why it matters to you

Unifying the update schedules of Windows 10 and Office 365 makes sense, but this big change will have some serious repercussions for Windows 10 enterprise users.

Today Microsoft announced that Windows 10 and Office 365 will be aligning update schedules going forward, meaning we should see two major “feature updates” for both products every year.

To be clear, security updates and patches will continue to roll out as soon as they’re available via Windows Update. But major, feature-rich updates will now be on a twice-a-year schedule, according to the Microsoft blog.

The move is intended to make life a little easier for enterprise users, who will have an easier time keeping their systems up-to-date and secure if Microsoft limits feature releases to just two major updates a year. This effectively brings Windows 10 in line with Office 365, which had already adopted a twice-yearly update schedule.

So, when will you be getting your next Windows 10 feature update? According to Microsoft, the feature updates for Windows 10, Office 365 ProPlus, and the System Center Configuration Manager, will roll out every March and September starting with September 2017.

Microsoft also made a few adjustments to the support schedule for the feature updates going forward. Each one will receive 18 months of technical service and support, before being supplanted by a newer, more feature-rich Windows 10 update.

More than anything this change is a measure to introduce a certain amount of predictability and simplicity into the lives of enterprise users, some of whom have to manage a massive number of Windows installs. According to Microsoft, keeping up with feature and security updates has already made enterprise users happy — and it’s part of the reason Windows 10 is reportedly the fastest-adopted version of Windows among enterprise users.

This change to the Windows 10 feature update schedule comes right on the heels of the Creators Update release, the most recent Windows 10 feature update. It’s not likely we’ll see another update of that magnitude this September, but it is exciting to see that Microsoft won’t be doling out feature updates piecemeal, and will instead bundle them together for bigger semiannual releases.

Amazon may start producing clothing on-demand with patented factory

Why it matters to you

Assuming you can get accurate measurements, ordered-precisely-to-size clothes may become a thing for everyone.

The next time someone asks, “Who are you wearing?” the best answer may be “Amazon,” even if it’s a one-of-a-kind article of clothing. The online shopping giant was recently granted a patent for on-demand apparel manufacturing, according to Recode.

During the past two years, Amazon has been busy launching its own fashion labels. More recently the company introduced Outfit Compare for Prime members who can get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from Amazon stylists. Since Amazon also has its own broadcast network, that is where you can tune into Amazon’s digital video fashion and beauty program, Style Code Live.

It would appear that the next item on Amazon’s clothing-industry checklist is, “Our own factory — no inventory.” The original patent application date is December 16, 2015. The patent was granted on Tuesday.

Amazon on-demand apparel manufacturing

Rather than manufacture and stock styles and sizes, the patented system could let you choose a style, select materials, and colors. You would then either enter your exact current measurements or perhaps include a link to an online registry.

With all the necessary information the order would be processed by various computer-driven systems at the fabrication plant closest to the shipping destination for same-day or next-day delivery. In big cities, it is not inconceivable that you might decide to go out right after work, order some new custom duds by mid-afternoon, and have them delivered freshly pressed and hung at your workplace by closing time.

One part of the patent seems similar to the above fantasy, except for localized assembly. “By aggregating orders from various geographic locations and coordinating apparel assembly processes on a large scale, the embodiments provide new ways to increase efficiency in apparel manufacturing.”

Not content to limit the system only to clothing, as Recode pointed out, the patent states the system could be applied to other products, such as “footwear, bedding, curtains, and towels.”

From home to outer space, the new Google Earth is full of things to do

It was already easy enough to lose yourself in Google Earth. Whether you’re dodging through the narrow alleys of Kobe, Japan, or skimming Lake Achen in Austria, Google Earth offers rich 360-degree content, along with spectacular satellite imagery that can satiate any hunger for exploration.

But Google went a step further this week with a major update that not only redesigned the interface, but also added rich textual and visual content from partners such as BBC Earth, NASA, and the Jane Goodall Institute. The new Voyager tab acts as a curated magazine that houses stories from these select partners, and it even features never before seen behind-the-scenes content from shows such as Planet Earth II. There’s also plenty of packaged content from the Google Street View team you can check out.

Sau goodbye to any other plans you had this weekend, as we explore all the new possibilities in the new Google Earth.

This is home

The first address most of us type when we see the blue marble floating in space is home. It’s why one of the highlights of the Culture category in the new Voyager tab is a series called “This is Home.” This series takes a look at some traditional homes of cultures and people most of us may not know much about. There are five homes you can visit at the moment: an Inuit Igloo, Bedouin tent, Reed House, Sherpa home, and Greenlandic Illoq. Tap on one and you’ll be taken to the geographical coordinates, with a brief description of the person and the area. There are usually three “cards” telling the story of the culture and the home — the first shows the satellite view, the second offers a Street View 360-degree image, and the third takes us into the home itself. Stories of more homes are on the way.

This is Home

Nature and wildlife

Google Earth

With the new Voyager tab, you can learn more about nature and wildlife than ever before. Partners include BBC Earth, the Jane Goodall Institute, the World Wildlife Fund, and The Ocean Agency, among others. What’s neat is that much of the content is from decades of back catalogs from these various agencies, and you can even find behind-the-scenes content that has yet to be aired — such as when the BBC Earth team found a Komodo dragon in their bathroom. A lot of this content includes videos you can watch in Google Earth, without needing to leave the site.

The Natural Treasures series, for example, lets you choose environments like “Islands,” “Mountains,” and “Jungles,” to explore. For example, if you choose Mountains, you’ll get a story describing major mountains and the surrounding area. Most of these have accompanying videos you can enjoy.

“We’re trying to give viewers that deeper experience,” Chadden Hunter, a producer at the BBC Natural History Unit, told Digital Trends. “With this fully interactive tool, we’re hoping people will just explore for hours.”

There’s a lot of content to sift through, as there’s more than a 100 assets from BBC Earth alone. You can check it all out by tapping on the Voyager icon on the left, and clicking on Nature.

The view from space

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

You can’t talk about Earth and satellite images without mentioning NASA, a partner with the new Google Earth. The space agency currently has two stories you can explore in Google Earth: “Scenes from Space” and “Reading the ABCs from Space.” The latter involves scrolling through the alphabet with geographical structures that look just like the letters — you’ll also find fun, quirky descriptions with each letter. “Scenes from Space” takes a look at gorgeous landscapes via satellite images, with a description and links to read more about what you’re seeing.

To check out NASA Earth Observatory’s content, tap the Voyager icon, and head to Nature.

Travel and history

Google Earth

Google already has Trips, an app you can use to plan your next vacation, but you can use the new Google Earth for this as well. The Travel tab in Voyager offers curated points of interest in major cities around the world, such as Paris, Tokyo, New York City, and more. If you choose to explore Paris, for example, you can find stories like “72 Hours in Paris: Day 1,” where you’ll see multiple points of interest to visit.

The History tab seems to be more of an assortment of random stories from the Street View team and some other partners. The list here is small, but you can explore interesting pieces such as “The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks,” and “Lost Civilizations from Above.”

A surprising Sesame Street tie-in

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Sesame Street is broadcast in more than 150 countries, reaching more than 156 million children around the world. The tie-in here is to provide educational content for children through the Muppets, who act as role models promoting education, good habits, respect, and understanding.

The first story from Sesame Street on Google Earth is called “Girls Around the World,” and you’ll find aired content from 12 different co-productions in places such as Afghanistan and India. Tap on a country and children can learn a little about the place, meet the local Muppet, and even see the Muppet interviewing locals. There’s also a lot of content that’s told by kids, for kids.

To find Sesame Street in Google Earth, tap on the Voyager icon on the left, tap on Culture, and find Sesame Street’s Girls Around the World. Expect more content to be added often.

Sesame Street’s Girls Around the World

Tips and tricks

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

There are a few neat tricks in the new Google Earth you should know about. Firstly, if you have a Google Chromecast, you can cast to your TV. On Chrome, find the Cast icon on the top right and share your tab to a nearby Chromecast device. On Android, you’ll need to open the Google Home app, slide out the navigation drawer, and tap on Cast screen/audio. 

There’s also a dice icon below Voyager on the sidebar — tap it to trigger “I’m Feeling Lucky,” where Google will take you to a random point in the world. You can bookmark any place you visit, and you can find these saved places in the My Places tab on the sidebar.

You can also share a location with just a link. Tap the Share icon in the sidebar and you can either copy the link to your clipboard, or share it directly to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Immerse yourself to the max in VR

Got an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive? The Google Earth VR app is now available on both platforms, and it allows you to fly to anywhere in the world. You can take cinematic tours, visit featured places, and even move the position of the sun to transform the place you’re in from day to night. You can grab the app from the Oculus store here, and you can find it on Steam for the HTC Vive.

Google told Digital Trends that Voyager content will regularly be updated with partners. The new Google Earth is available on Android and the Google Chrome browser. An iOS version is in the works, and the company is looking to bring the experience to other browsers as well.

From home to outer space, the new Google Earth is full of things to do

It was already easy enough to lose yourself in Google Earth. Whether you’re dodging through the narrow alleys of Kobe, Japan, or skimming Lake Achen in Austria, Google Earth offers rich 360-degree content, along with spectacular satellite imagery that can satiate any hunger for exploration.

But Google went a step further this week with a major update that not only redesigned the interface, but also added rich textual and visual content from partners such as BBC Earth, NASA, and the Jane Goodall Institute. The new Voyager tab acts as a curated magazine that houses stories from these select partners, and it even features never before seen behind-the-scenes content from shows such as Planet Earth II. There’s also plenty of packaged content from the Google Street View team you can check out.

Sau goodbye to any other plans you had this weekend, as we explore all the new possibilities in the new Google Earth.

This is home

The first address most of us type when we see the blue marble floating in space is home. It’s why one of the highlights of the Culture category in the new Voyager tab is a series called “This is Home.” This series takes a look at some traditional homes of cultures and people most of us may not know much about. There are five homes you can visit at the moment: an Inuit Igloo, Bedouin tent, Reed House, Sherpa home, and Greenlandic Illoq. Tap on one and you’ll be taken to the geographical coordinates, with a brief description of the person and the area. There are usually three “cards” telling the story of the culture and the home — the first shows the satellite view, the second offers a Street View 360-degree image, and the third takes us into the home itself. Stories of more homes are on the way.

This is Home

Nature and wildlife

Google Earth

With the new Voyager tab, you can learn more about nature and wildlife than ever before. Partners include BBC Earth, the Jane Goodall Institute, the World Wildlife Fund, and The Ocean Agency, among others. What’s neat is that much of the content is from decades of back catalogs from these various agencies, and you can even find behind-the-scenes content that has yet to be aired — such as when the BBC Earth team found a Komodo dragon in their bathroom. A lot of this content includes videos you can watch in Google Earth, without needing to leave the site.

The Natural Treasures series, for example, lets you choose environments like “Islands,” “Mountains,” and “Jungles,” to explore. For example, if you choose Mountains, you’ll get a story describing major mountains and the surrounding area. Most of these have accompanying videos you can enjoy.

“We’re trying to give viewers that deeper experience,” Chadden Hunter, a producer at the BBC Natural History Unit, told Digital Trends. “With this fully interactive tool, we’re hoping people will just explore for hours.”

There’s a lot of content to sift through, as there’s more than a 100 assets from BBC Earth alone. You can check it all out by tapping on the Voyager icon on the left, and clicking on Nature.

The view from space

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

You can’t talk about Earth and satellite images without mentioning NASA, a partner with the new Google Earth. The space agency currently has two stories you can explore in Google Earth: “Scenes from Space” and “Reading the ABCs from Space.” The latter involves scrolling through the alphabet with geographical structures that look just like the letters — you’ll also find fun, quirky descriptions with each letter. “Scenes from Space” takes a look at gorgeous landscapes via satellite images, with a description and links to read more about what you’re seeing.

To check out NASA Earth Observatory’s content, tap the Voyager icon, and head to Nature.

Travel and history

Google Earth

Google already has Trips, an app you can use to plan your next vacation, but you can use the new Google Earth for this as well. The Travel tab in Voyager offers curated points of interest in major cities around the world, such as Paris, Tokyo, New York City, and more. If you choose to explore Paris, for example, you can find stories like “72 Hours in Paris: Day 1,” where you’ll see multiple points of interest to visit.

The History tab seems to be more of an assortment of random stories from the Street View team and some other partners. The list here is small, but you can explore interesting pieces such as “The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks,” and “Lost Civilizations from Above.”

A surprising Sesame Street tie-in

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Sesame Street is broadcast in more than 150 countries, reaching more than 156 million children around the world. The tie-in here is to provide educational content for children through the Muppets, who act as role models promoting education, good habits, respect, and understanding.

The first story from Sesame Street on Google Earth is called “Girls Around the World,” and you’ll find aired content from 12 different co-productions in places such as Afghanistan and India. Tap on a country and children can learn a little about the place, meet the local Muppet, and even see the Muppet interviewing locals. There’s also a lot of content that’s told by kids, for kids.

To find Sesame Street in Google Earth, tap on the Voyager icon on the left, tap on Culture, and find Sesame Street’s Girls Around the World. Expect more content to be added often.

Sesame Street’s Girls Around the World

Tips and tricks

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

There are a few neat tricks in the new Google Earth you should know about. Firstly, if you have a Google Chromecast, you can cast to your TV. On Chrome, find the Cast icon on the top right and share your tab to a nearby Chromecast device. On Android, you’ll need to open the Google Home app, slide out the navigation drawer, and tap on Cast screen/audio. 

There’s also a dice icon below Voyager on the sidebar — tap it to trigger “I’m Feeling Lucky,” where Google will take you to a random point in the world. You can bookmark any place you visit, and you can find these saved places in the My Places tab on the sidebar.

You can also share a location with just a link. Tap the Share icon in the sidebar and you can either copy the link to your clipboard, or share it directly to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Immerse yourself to the max in VR

Got an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive? The Google Earth VR app is now available on both platforms, and it allows you to fly to anywhere in the world. You can take cinematic tours, visit featured places, and even move the position of the sun to transform the place you’re in from day to night. You can grab the app from the Oculus store here, and you can find it on Steam for the HTC Vive.

Google told Digital Trends that Voyager content will regularly be updated with partners. The new Google Earth is available on Android and the Google Chrome browser. An iOS version is in the works, and the company is looking to bring the experience to other browsers as well.

MakeVR is here to steamroll the learning curve for 3D modeling software

Thanks to the advent of 3D printing, the doors to creativity have been flung wide open. Nowadays, anybody with $200 to spare can get their hands on a machine that allows them to fabricate just about any object they could ever want.

But there’s still a big barrier standing between having an idea in your head and transforming that idea into a tangible object: 3D modeling software.

The problem is that practically all 3D CAD (computer aided drafting) software has a pretty steep learning curve. Whether you’re using a free tool like Blender or an expensive professional program like AutoCad or Solidworks, it takes a fair amount of technical skill to create anything beyond the most basic shapes.

It’s especially difficult if you have no prior CAD or 3D modeling experience. With no foundation to build on, figuring out how to perform a seemingly simple task ( say, cutting a cylindrical hole in something) often requires watching hours of tutorial videos.

California-based startup Sixense set out on a mission to break this barrier down.

“We wanted to democratize 3D modeling”

“We wanted to democratize 3D modeling,” the company’s Director of Business Development, Steve Hansted, told Digital Trends. “Our goal was to give anyone, regardless of age or experience level, the opportunity to come into a professional solid modeling CAD engine and build geometry — with a very shallow learning curve.”

The fruit of that labor is a program called MakeVR — a 3D modeling platform that, unlike most CAD software, isn’t run in a traditional desktop environment. Instead, users access and use the software through the HTC Vive virtual reality platform.

Since more people own PC’s than own room-scale virtual reality setups, it’s possible going VR-only could put MakeVR at a bit of a disadvantage from a business standpoint, but from a creative standpoint, operating in VR gives MakeVR a number of distinct advantages.

“The difference between this and more traditional modeling programs is that [MakeVR] is leaps and bounds more tactile,” said Patrick Daniels, a freelance designer and modeler who dropped by DT headquarters to take the software for a spin. “You get spatial awareness with this, whereas if I’m sitting down with a mouse and keyboard, I’m generally just staring at one model. But I could see myself working on entire environments with this software,” he explained.

That’s the magic of it. Instead of modeling in a limited, two-dimensional environment on your monitor, MakeVR allows users to fully immerse themselves in a virtual creative space, and manipulate objects using two hands — much like you would if you were working with solid materials in the real world. As Daniels so eloquently put it, “it just fits well in your brain.”

“It just fits well in your brain”

What’s most exciting, however, is that this is just the beginning. MakeVR launched on Viveport a couple of weeks ago, but Hansted says that the project is anything but over.

“MakeVR will be something that’s continually evolving,” he explained. “Right now we refer to it as ‘advanced freeform modeling.’ You have access to the CAD engine’s suite of Boolean tools, and a few other things. But there’s a lot more that we haven’t unlocked in the first release. Where we’re going from here is adding tools for things like precision alignment, collaboration, physics — and eventually unlocking as many of the tools from MakeVR’s underlying CAD engine as are reasonable to put in a VR environment, and are desired by users.”

Once you’ve seen the software at work, it’s hard to keep your imagination from running wild. 3D printing is where MakeVR is most at home right now, but in the not-so-distant future, the technology could easily be extended to other fields — say, game design.

Imagine five developers from around the globe all working on different aspects of a project in the same virtual room. One might work on buildings while another works on character design, and still another on the sky and surrounding environment. This could all be done virtually, collaboratively, in a 3D space that each user is immersed in. Something like that could have a huge impact on game development.

Make no mistake; MakeVR is the future.

MakeVR is here to steamroll the learning curve for 3D modeling software

Thanks to the advent of 3D printing, the doors to creativity have been flung wide open. Nowadays, anybody with $200 to spare can get their hands on a machine that allows them to fabricate just about any object they could ever want.

But there’s still a big barrier standing between having an idea in your head and transforming that idea into a tangible object: 3D modeling software.

The problem is that practically all 3D CAD (computer aided drafting) software has a pretty steep learning curve. Whether you’re using a free tool like Blender or an expensive professional program like AutoCad or Solidworks, it takes a fair amount of technical skill to create anything beyond the most basic shapes.

It’s especially difficult if you have no prior CAD or 3D modeling experience. With no foundation to build on, figuring out how to perform a seemingly simple task ( say, cutting a cylindrical hole in something) often requires watching hours of tutorial videos.

California-based startup Sixense set out on a mission to break this barrier down.

“We wanted to democratize 3D modeling”

“We wanted to democratize 3D modeling,” the company’s Director of Business Development, Steve Hansted, told Digital Trends. “Our goal was to give anyone, regardless of age or experience level, the opportunity to come into a professional solid modeling CAD engine and build geometry — with a very shallow learning curve.”

The fruit of that labor is a program called MakeVR — a 3D modeling platform that, unlike most CAD software, isn’t run in a traditional desktop environment. Instead, users access and use the software through the HTC Vive virtual reality platform.

Since more people own PC’s than own room-scale virtual reality setups, it’s possible going VR-only could put MakeVR at a bit of a disadvantage from a business standpoint, but from a creative standpoint, operating in VR gives MakeVR a number of distinct advantages.

“The difference between this and more traditional modeling programs is that [MakeVR] is leaps and bounds more tactile,” said Patrick Daniels, a freelance designer and modeler who dropped by DT headquarters to take the software for a spin. “You get spatial awareness with this, whereas if I’m sitting down with a mouse and keyboard, I’m generally just staring at one model. But I could see myself working on entire environments with this software,” he explained.

That’s the magic of it. Instead of modeling in a limited, two-dimensional environment on your monitor, MakeVR allows users to fully immerse themselves in a virtual creative space, and manipulate objects using two hands — much like you would if you were working with solid materials in the real world. As Daniels so eloquently put it, “it just fits well in your brain.”

“It just fits well in your brain”

What’s most exciting, however, is that this is just the beginning. MakeVR launched on Viveport a couple of weeks ago, but Hansted says that the project is anything but over.

“MakeVR will be something that’s continually evolving,” he explained. “Right now we refer to it as ‘advanced freeform modeling.’ You have access to the CAD engine’s suite of Boolean tools, and a few other things. But there’s a lot more that we haven’t unlocked in the first release. Where we’re going from here is adding tools for things like precision alignment, collaboration, physics — and eventually unlocking as many of the tools from MakeVR’s underlying CAD engine as are reasonable to put in a VR environment, and are desired by users.”

Once you’ve seen the software at work, it’s hard to keep your imagination from running wild. 3D printing is where MakeVR is most at home right now, but in the not-so-distant future, the technology could easily be extended to other fields — say, game design.

Imagine five developers from around the globe all working on different aspects of a project in the same virtual room. One might work on buildings while another works on character design, and still another on the sky and surrounding environment. This could all be done virtually, collaboratively, in a 3D space that each user is immersed in. Something like that could have a huge impact on game development.

Make no mistake; MakeVR is the future.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge on US Cellular now getting Nougat

The smaller U.S.-based network is the last major carrier to send out the update.

Good news for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge users on US Cellular: the phones are finally getting the update to Android 7.0 Nougat, as noted by SamMobile. This is weeks after the U.S.’s four of the major carriers had already seeded the update.

The US Cellular variants of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are receiving an update with a file size of about a gigabyte and a half. The update brings with it a new user interface, better notifications, a blue light filter, and a plethora of other goodies enjoyed by other Galaxy S7 users on Nougat.

Too eager to wait for the update to hit your phone? Grab the download at US Cellular’s site.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Best SD cards for Galaxy S7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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How to connect a Controller to your Gear VR

Pairing your new Gear VR controller will only take a minute, and it’s a breeze.

The day has finally come, when you can purchase a new Gear VR controller to use for your adventures in VR. That of course means that you need to know how to pair this awesome new accessory with your Gear VR headset. Have no fear, we’ve got the details for you here!

Read more at VR Heads!

Microsoft will now release major Windows 10 updates twice a year

Microsoft has announced a “predictable twice-per-year feature” update schedule for Windows 10.

After revealing last year that it had two big updates to Windows 10 planned to released in 2017, the first of which is the Creators Update that recently shipped, the company has now promised to majorly update Windows 10 twice a year, each year. The updates will arrive in March and September and will be serviced and supported for 18 months, Microsoft committed on Thursday.

Interestingly, it specifically said Windows 10, rather than Windows in general, which suggests the company thinks Windows 10 will be around forever. That shouldn’t surprise Windows devotees, however, since Microsoft’s Jerry Nixon made headlines in 2015 when he referred to Windows 10 as “the last version of Windows”. So, does this officially mean we should never expect a Windows 11?

• What’s new in Windows 10 Creators Update?
• The best new features from the Creators Update

Keep in mind Microsoft hasn’t even announced what the next major Windows 10 update is called, but it has already started allowing Windows Insiders to test software codenamed Redstone 3. We also know that the next Windows 10 update will include power throttling for background apps, people integration into the taskbar, and maybe even some “Project Neon” design changes.

We should learn more about the next update, which we now know will arrive in September, at Microsoft’s Build conference in May.