Uber picks Expedia chief as its new CEO

Uber’s lengthy, sometimes tumultuous search for a new CEO is over. Sources talking to both the New York Times and Recode have learned that the ridesharing company has picked Expedia chief Dara Khosrowshahi as its new leader. The company will only say that its board has voted on a CEO and will reveal the decision “to the employees first,” but the reported decision makes sense in light of recent leaks surrounding Uber’s choice.

If the rumors were accurate, Uber’s choice was down to three candidates: former GE chief Jeff Immelt, HPE’s Meg Whitman and a third mystery pick (who we now know to be Khosrowshahi). Immelt backed out right before the vote, supposedly after doubts about his leadership and potential over-eagerness to court Travis Kalanick. Whitman, meanwhile,had publicly rejected the move and wasn’t expected to take the CEO spot unless she had guarantees that Kalanick would have reduced involvement. In other words, Uber may have chosen Khosrowshahi by process of elimination.

Whatever the reasons, the incoming executive has some enormous challenges on his hands. To start, he has to overcome Uber’s notoriously toxic corporate culture. Some of that was accomplished by ousting leaders like Kalanick and implementing kinder policies, but he still has to prove that Uber is no longer the money-obsessed, occasionally law-defying company it was before.

Also, Khosrowshahi has to edge Uber closer to profitability after years of bleeding cash. Uber has been readying itself for an initial public stock offering, but it can’t really go ahead with that plan as long as it continues to lose money hand over fist. The soon-to-be-former Expedia leader has to rein in costs and otherwise show that Uber has a long, healthy life ahead.

Source: New York Times, Recode

Google built an entire fake city to test the AI of its driverless cars

Why it matters to you

Some of the greatest challenges faced by self-driving algorithms are the everyday situations we encounter in neighborhood environments.

As robot cars prowl the streets of Castle, a fake city built in the California desert, humans concoct elaborate scenarios to test the limits of the self-driven car’s awareness and reactions. Google engineers use cones, signs, mannequins, and even other cars, to devise situations that challenge the driverless cars to respond as human drivers would.

The top tech companies are in a furious race to bring the first truly driverless cars to the mass market and, in doing so, change transportation forever. Self-driving cars have been tested in all sorts of conditions, but the complex algorithms behind the technology have yet to conquer one of the most baffling challenges — our urban infrastructure. Waymo, the project founded by Google’s parent company Alphabet, is trying to take the lead.

It’s a big gamble though, with three out of four Americans doubting that fully autonomous cars are safe. One high-profile incident could quickly sour public opinion on the technology, setting it back years.

The normally secretive Google recently gave the Atlantic exclusive access to one of its testing facilities. The 100-acre fake town is named after the Castle Air Force base near the town of Merced. To call it a “city” is a bit misleading — all that matters is where the rubber meets the road, literally. There are no buildings in the testing area, just roads, driveways, and intersections.

The team tries to recreate situations the robot cars are likely to encounter in real-life environments, such as one-way traffic and a bike lane next to parallel parking spaces. “I was really keen on installing something with parallel parking along it,” Steph Villegas, a program manager for Waymo, said. “Something like this happens in suburban downtowns. People are coming out of storefronts or a park. People are walking between cars, maybe crossing the street carrying stuff.”

In addition to what Villegas calls “props,” some tests also involve humans, also known as professional pedestrians. Is it difficult to do your job while worrying about being run over by a robot? “We just have to learn to trust,” Cassandra Hernandez, one such pro, said.

Google built an entire fake city to test the AI of its driverless cars

Why it matters to you

Some of the greatest challenges faced by self-driving algorithms are the everyday situations we encounter in neighborhood environments.

As robot cars prowl the streets of Castle, a fake city built in the California desert, humans concoct elaborate scenarios to test the limits of the self-driven car’s awareness and reactions. Google engineers use cones, signs, mannequins, and even other cars, to devise situations that challenge the driverless cars to respond as human drivers would.

The top tech companies are in a furious race to bring the first truly driverless cars to the mass market and, in doing so, change transportation forever. Self-driving cars have been tested in all sorts of conditions, but the complex algorithms behind the technology have yet to conquer one of the most baffling challenges — our urban infrastructure. Waymo, the project founded by Google’s parent company Alphabet, is trying to take the lead.

It’s a big gamble though, with three out of four Americans doubting that fully autonomous cars are safe. One high-profile incident could quickly sour public opinion on the technology, setting it back years.

The normally secretive Google recently gave the Atlantic exclusive access to one of its testing facilities. The 100-acre fake town is named after the Castle Air Force base near the town of Merced. To call it a “city” is a bit misleading — all that matters is where the rubber meets the road, literally. There are no buildings in the testing area, just roads, driveways, and intersections.

The team tries to recreate situations the robot cars are likely to encounter in real-life environments, such as one-way traffic and a bike lane next to parallel parking spaces. “I was really keen on installing something with parallel parking along it,” Steph Villegas, a program manager for Waymo, said. “Something like this happens in suburban downtowns. People are coming out of storefronts or a park. People are walking between cars, maybe crossing the street carrying stuff.”

In addition to what Villegas calls “props,” some tests also involve humans, also known as professional pedestrians. Is it difficult to do your job while worrying about being run over by a robot? “We just have to learn to trust,” Cassandra Hernandez, one such pro, said.

Hot new app? Most of us can’t be bothered to download it

Why it matters to you

While we may be glued to our smartphones, most of us seem to be using the same apps day after day after day.

When it comes to downloading a new app, it would appear that the majority of us are old dogs. That is to say, we simply can’t be taught new tricks … or at least be convinced to download new apps. According to comScore’s new 2017 U.S. Mobile Apps Reports, more than half of American smartphone users download exactly zero new apps a month. That’s right, friends: 51 percent of us are keeping our iPhone and Android home screens looking exactly the same month after month after month.

But for the apps that already have claimed precious real estate on your mobile screen, they’re enjoying quite a bit of usage. ComScore reports that 57 percent of the time smartphone owners spend engaging with digital media takes place in a mobile app. Of that 57 percent, 50 percent occurs in smartphone apps, and only 7 percent happens in apps on tablets.

Only 34 percent of our time is apparently spent on a desktop, and just 9 percent is spent on the mobile web.

Unsurprisingly, the most app-friendly demographic in the U.S. is comprised of millennials, who spend around 67 percent of their digital media time using smartphone apps. Moreover, those between the ages of 18 and 24 spend more than three hours every day in apps. For comparison, those between the ages of 25 and 34 spend 2.6 hours a day in apps, and 35 to 44-year-olds dedicate 2.3 hours every day to apps.

Millennials are also the most willing group to actually try out new apps. While only 49 percent of Americans are said to download one or more apps every month, the younger generation seems to drive most of that interest. 18 to 34-year-olds say that they’re always looking for new apps (at least, 70 percent of them do), and more importantly, they’re actually willing to pay for them. In fact, 20 percent of this user base downloads at least one paid app per month, and nearly 50 percent make five or more in-app purchases every year.

But why are most people relatively disinterested in apps at this point? According to comScore, folks are looking to declutter not only their lives, but their smartphone screens as well. Indeed, this has been a trend since 2014 — new apps just aren’t gaining that much traction.

Smart code helps your phone browse the web twice as quickly

Many attempts at improving the speed of mobile web browsing involve some obvious sacrifices: Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages alter how you view the pages, while proxies introduce the risk of someone intercepting your sensitive data. Researchers have found a way to boost performance without those compromises, though. Their Vroom architecture loads mobile websites up to twice as quickly by optimizing how a site loads, no matter how that site is built — even an AMP page stands to load faster. It boils down to loading more of the site at once, rather than the back and forth that usually takes place.

Typically, your phone’s web browser has to process nearly 100 web links before you see an entire page. It has to make multiple requests and spend a lot of time idling. Vroom, however, bundles the info that a browser needs to load a page. When your browser requests info, the server also provides “hints” about other necessary resources and coordinates the delivery of that content to make the most of your phone’s processor.

The code does have a catch, as the name suggests: the web server has to know how to reshuffle data. Even if Vroom was ready right away (it isn’t), it’d take a while to propagate. However, there’s a realistic chance of that happening. The project has the backing of Google’s Faculty Research Award, the National Science Foundation and MIT, so there’s clearly interest in translating this technology to the real world.

Source: University of Michigan

‘PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ knocks ‘Dota 2’ off its Steam throne

It’s no secret that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is selling well even in its Early Access form, but it just crossed an important (if symbolic) milestone. On the morning of August 27th, the battle royale shooter overtook Dota 2 as the game with the most simultaneous players on Steam, with 877,844 fighting at once — yes, it was more popular than the blockbuster title from the company that created Steam. It was a short-lived victory (PUBG is down to ‘just’ 450,000 as of this writing), but it’s no mean feat when PlayerUnknown and crew were happy to have broken 500,000 just a few weeks earlier.

Even at that peak number, the game likely isn’t the most popular overall. Even in 2014, Riot Games’ League of Legends had as many as 7.5 million people playing at once. Newer daily numbers don’t appear to be available, but it’s safe to say that number isn’t likely to have dropped much or at all.

It’s not hard to see why PUBG might eclipse its Steam rival, at any rate. It has an easy-to-grasp concept (make sure you’re the last one standing) that makes it more accessible than a daunting game like Dota 2, and it’s practically tailor-made for competitive players and streamers. It’s the second most popular game on Twitch after (you guessed it) League of Legends, and it’s well ahead of Dota 2. Simply put, more people can get into PUBG, whether they’re playing or watching from the sidelines.

#1 on @steam_games! Thank you all, once again, for the continuing support you are showing the #PUBG team ❤ pic.twitter.com/aBPkP5O2Qg

— PLAYERUNKNOWN (@PLAYERUNKNOWN) August 27, 2017

Source: PlayerUnknown (Twitter)

Apple Maps Transit Directions Now Available in Ottawa, Edmonton, and Québec City

Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data in the Edmonton, Alberta area, enabling iPhone users in Canada’s fifth most populous city to navigate with public transportation, including buses and trains.

Apple Maps can provide routes for both Edmonton Transit System (ETS) buses and Edmonton Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains throughout the Edmonton area, including to and from the Edmonton International Airport.

Apple Maps gained a Transit tab in iOS 9. The feature lags several years behind Google Maps, but Apple’s public transportation support is exhaustive, mapping all station entrances and listing departure times. Apple Maps also provides detailed advisories about service interruptions and other changes.

At launch, the feature was limited to Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and over 300 cities in China. Since then, Apple has been working to expand support for public transportation to other cities around the world.

For a regularly updated list of cities with Apple Maps transit, visit the iOS Feature Availability page on Apple’s website.

Updated: As pointed out by MacRumors reader Creek0512, Apple Maps transit directions have also gone live in Québec City and Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. In Ottawa, OC Transpo buses and O-Train directions are available. In Québec City, RTC bus and Métrobus directions are available.

(Thanks, Josh!)

Tags: Apple Maps, Canada, transit
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Apple Stores Hosting Free Star Wars-Themed Sessions Starting Friday

In celebration of Force Friday II later this week, Apple has invited customers to attend free Star Wars–themed sessions and workshops at select Apple retail stores between Friday, September 1 and Saturday, September 9.

Participating countries include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain, Hong Kong, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Most stores will offer a one-hour session called How To: Build Your Own Star Wars Trailer using an iPad and iMovie:

Explore how to create a Star Wars trailer with authentic footage from the films. You’ll discover signature Star Wars trailer-making techniques in an exclusive video from The Last Jedi director, Rian Johnson. Then you’ll create your own trailer complete with titles, transitions, sound effects, and official Star Wars music using iPad and iMovie.

There will also be Kids Hour: Coding the Droids from Star Wars, in which children ages six to 12 can learn how to program a BB-8 droid:

Join us for an exciting Kids Hour starring the galaxy’s favorite droids. Using the same code developers use every day, kids will bring Star Wars droids to life by programming simple movements, loops, and more. Then they’ll design a maze and navigate their droids through the obstacles. Kids can bring their own iPad and Sphero robot, or we’ll provide them.

At Apple’s flagship Union Square store in San Francisco, Lucasfilm’s VFX and animation studio Industrial Light & Magic will explore how they use animation and 3D modeling to bring the Star Wars galaxy to life.

Force Friday II officially begins at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on September 1 and runs through the weekend. The promotional campaign is for the film Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which debuts in theaters December 15.

An earlier report said Apple retail stores may carry some new Star Wars toys or merchandise starting on Force Friday II.

Tags: Star Wars, Apple retail
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Essential PH-1 vs. Google Pixel: Pure Android Showdown

The Google Pixel was hailed as one of the best phones of 2016, if not the best. Although it wasn’t necessarily flashy or innovative from a design standpoint, the device melded Google’s pure vision for Android with quality hardware. We gave it our Editors’ Choice award, and we’re looking forward to finding out what Google is planning for the Pixel’s successor, which is likely to land in the fall.

Before that happens, however, a new contender has emerged on the horizon: The Essential PH-1. It’s a device that resembles the Pixel in many ways, and that’s hardly a coincidence. Essential is a startup founded by Andy Rubin, the man typically considered the “father of Android” during his time with Google. This makes the PH-1 something like a Pixel from another dimension — though they’re hardly the same phone. Read on to find out how the two compare with one another.

Specs

Essential PH-1

Google Pixel

Size
141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8 mm (5.57 x 2.80 x 0.31 inches)
143.8 x 69.5 x 7.3mm (5.6 x 2.7 x 0.2-0.3-inches)
Weight
6.53 ounces (185 grams)
5 ounces (143 grams)
Screen
5.71-inch LCD
5-inch AMOLED
Resolution
2,560 x 1,312 pixels (504 ppi)
1,920 x 1,080 pixels (441 ppi)
OS
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Android 8.0 Oreo
Storage
128GB
32, 128GB
MicroSD card slot
No
No
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
RAM
4GB
4GB
Connectivity
GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE
GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE
Camera
Dual 13 MP rear, 8MP front
12MP rear, 8MP front
Video
4K at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps, 720p at 120fps
4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30 or 60fps
Bluetooth
Yes, version 5.0
Yes, version 4.2
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer
Water resistant
No
No
Battery
3,040mAh
2,770mAh
Charging port
USB-C
USB-C
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Colors
Stellar Gray, Ocean Depths, Black Moon, Pure White
Very Silver, Quite Black, Really Blue
Availability

Unlocked, Sprint

Unlocked, Verizon

Price
$700
$650
DT review
Coming soon
4 out of 5 stars

From a hardware standpoint, there’s no getting around the fact the Essential PH-1 is a generation newer than the Pixel. Google’s smartphone benefited from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor. At the time of the phone’s release, it was speedier than the 820 found in other Android flagships, but it can’t compare to the 835 in Essential’s first product.

With the latest generation of Snapdragon processors, Qualcomm has touted performance gains of around 30 percent, along with a marked improvement in power efficiency, thanks to the newer chipset’s 10-nanometer construction. The Pixel is still likely plenty fast for most users, but you should feel a difference between the two handsets, and it works in Essential’s favor.

In another respect, the phones are more similar: Both offer 4GB of RAM. Surprisingly, however, the Essential has an edge in terms of internal storage. Whereas the Pixel comes with a base amount of 32GB, the PH-1 starts at 128GB. The 128GB configuration of the Pixel has been notoriously difficult to track down, and costs more — another reason the newcomer gets the win in this category.

Winner: Essential PH-1

Design and display

This is easily the most significant difference between these two devices, and it all comes down to the Essential’s futuristic, edge-to-edge display. The 5.7-inch LCD panel stretches all the way to the top, curving around the front-facing camera and offering up 2,560 x 1,312-pixel resolution. It nearly fills the entire front of the handset, save for a chin along the bottom edge. It also looks stunning.

Meanwhile, the Pixel’s design is pretty run-of-the-mill as far as smartphones go, with chunky bezels above and below the screen.

The PH-1 bears a unique look many upcoming smartphones — including Apple’s iPhone 8 — are expected to emulate. And, although that notch on the top edge may seem awkward at first glance, it represents a major step toward bezel-free displays. On the back, both phones have rear-mounted fingerprint sensors, and the Essential even has magnetic pins in the upper-right corner for modular components, like a 360-degree camera.

At 504 pixels-per-inch, the Essential’s screen is also considerably sharper than the 5.5-inch, 1080p AMOLED offered in the Pixel. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with the display in Google’s flagship, but both in terms of resolution and usable space, it loses this battle. Neither phone is water-resistant, though that’s something the next Pixel is expected to rectify.

Winner: Essential PH-1

Battery life and charging

We weren’t terribly impressed with the Pixel’s 2,770mAh battery in our testing. Coming from the iPhone 7, which had a significantly smaller battery, Google’s effort was pretty underwhelming. Fortunately, the Essential PH-1 has a larger, 3,040mAh unit. Both benefit from fast charging, though neither supports wireless charging.

While the bigger size may seem promising alongside the Essential’s 835 chipset, it’s important to remember this phone is packing a more pixel-dense display — and displays are the number one enemy of battery life. At least on paper, it’s hard to tell if we’ll see a significant difference when it comes to battery life, though initial reviews have been encouraging. We’ll know more once we test the device for ourselves.

Winner: Essential PH-1

Camera

On the back of the Essential PH-1, you’ll find twice the number of cameras as on Google’s flagship. That’s two to be exact, along with a 13-megapixel image sensor and an f/1.9 aperture. Those are numbers on par with the best phones out there, though the PH-1’s results seem to be a bit of a mixed bag, according to the reviews we’ve seen thus far.

Essential’s method combines a monochrome and full-color sensor, similar to what Huawei and Motorola have done with their dual-lens cameras. You can use the monochrome lens alone for true black-and-white shots, but otherwise, the whole experience seems surprisingly average for such a top-of-the-line device.

On the other hand, the Pixel offered perhaps the best camera of any smartphone released last year, despite it only using a single lens. It produces vibrant, detailed shots, and Google’s HDR+ mode worked reliably well with no noticeable processing lag. Although the 12.3-megapixel, f/2.0 shooter lacks the depth-of-field tricks you’ll find in most dual-lens cameras, it was excellent in every other respect — making the Pixel one of the leading handsets to beat when it comes to photography.

Winner: Google Pixel

Software

Both of these devices offer a straightforward and bloat-free Android experience. That’s refreshing compared to the sea of phones pushing heavy customizations to Google’s operating system, though it does mean there isn’t much separating them from a software standpoint.

There are small differences, however. Essential’s camera interface isn’t quite as feature-packed as the one in the Pixel, and Google has provided 24/7 tech support for its phone in the form of a dedicated app. Otherwise, you should expect the same fast, fluid, and user-friendly rendition of Android in both phones. Pixel users are in the early stages of receiving updates to Android 8.0 Oreo, while Essential’s device is launching with 7.1.1 Nougat. There’s no word on when Oreo may arrive for the PH-1, but given the stock nature of the software, hopefully it won’t take very long.

Winner: Tie

Price and availability

You’d think, given the Pixel has been around for nearly a year, that it would be easier to find and buy than any new phone on the market. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case. For a long time, some configurations — usually the larger XL model with the 128GB storage option — were available in extremely limited quantities. Manufacturer HTC faced supply issues throughout the phone’s lifespan, though, now it seems as though there’s plenty of stock available.

The 32GB Pixel retails for $650 direct from Google, while the 128GB model normally goes for $750. If you’d rather not go unlocked, the device is also available on contract from Verizon.

The 128GB version of the Essential, meanwhile, runs for $700, and can be purchased either unlocked or through a carrier — in this case, Sprint. Considering how new the phone is, it’s hard to say how the supply will shake out. For now, the Essential gets the nod as it offers significantly better specs for nearly the same price.

Winner: Essential PH-1

Overall winner: Essential PH-1

As excited as we are for Google’s next flagship, the Essential PH-1 beats the current Pixel on paper. The Essential’s innovative design, state-of-the-art silicon, and larger battery look to improve in a few key areas where Google’s phone was lacking. Still, no matter which you choose, you’re certain to have one of the best Android devices on the market right now.

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update news — everything you need to know

Microsoft has settled on bi-annual updates for Windows 10, with the first update arriving in the spring and the second in the fall. Accordingly, the first update for 2017, dubbed Creators Update based on all of its new features and functionality for creative types, arrived in April. The second update, which is a little more derivatively titled Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, should arrive early this fall and likely in September. Here’s an up-to-date accounting of all of the most important Windows 10 Fall Creators Update news.

If you’re a Windows Insider on the Fast Ring, then you already know what Fall Creators Update will add to your Windows 10 PC. If you’re not, then read on to learn what Microsoft is bringing to the table, as well as some features that were promised at the company’s Build 2017 event that won’t be making it into Windows 10 this time around.

What’s new in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?

As its name implies, some of the new features in Fall Creators Update are once again focused on people who use their PCs for creative purposes. But that’s not all that Microsoft promised for the update. Here are some of the highlights of what you can expect when you hit that update button.

New Windows 10 Photos app (once known as Story Remix)

Microsoft made a decent sized splash at Build 2017 when it introduced a new Story Remix app that promises to make it easy to create video productions that mix photos and video and offer tools for cool 3D animations and captioning effects. As time went on, some uncertainty arose as to whether or not the app would make it in time for Fall Creators update and just how much of the promised functionality would arrive.

Now, it seems like some of the functionality will arrive in an update to the Windows 10 Photos app — and so no more standalone Story Remix — but that the update won’t necessarily arrive along with the update itself and not every highlighted effect will be available immediately. Rather, it could come as a Photos app update in the Windows Store soon after Fall Creators Update is pushed to Windows 10 PC. Check out this tweet from Microsoft corporate vice president Chris Pratley:

Story Remix will be in the Store when RS3 launches (auto-updates the existing Photos app). RS2 minimum, but RS3 for full functionality.

— chris pratley (@chrispr) August 15, 2017

We’ll have to wait for the shipping version to see exactly what’s in store. However, check out the following video for an overview of what Microsoft ultimately hopes to bring to Windows 10 users.

A more Fluent Design

Next, Microsoft announced some significant enhancements to the design language that developers — inside and outside of Microsoft — can use to make new Windows 10 apps. Called “Fluent Design” and formerly codenamed “Project Neon,” the new design language integrates touch, ink, voice, gaze, and gesture controls with five design elements including light, depth, motion, material, and scale. The net result will be more visually exciting apps that are optimized for a given device.

Microsoft has used Fluent Design to spice up a few of its own first-party apps and the Windows 10 user interface (UI) in general, so it’s actively in the process of rolling out Fluent Design out in Windows Insider preview updates. One small example is the Calculator app, which as you can see from the following screenshot has incorporated a nifty transparency effect. Another is a flat-color design to the Action Center that adds some refinement to the user interface.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Microsoft has promised more extravagant uses for Fluent Design, such as its Edge browser recognizing when an active pen is in use on a screen, and morphing the app to enable intelligent pen input. Check out the following screenshot for an example:

Fluent Design will be a major part of Windows 10 going forward, and while its effects have only been scattered here and there in the latest Fall Creators Update preview builds, we’re likely to see more apps adopt its principles once the update has officially rolled out. Check out the introduction video for a better idea of what Microsoft hopes to achieve with Fluent Design.

Microsoft Edge gets a face lift

Microsoft has introduced a number of new features and enhanced functionality through the Windows Insider program, that weren’t specifically introduced at Build 2017. Microsoft Edge is one key Windows 10 component that’s received quite a bit of attention. Some of the changes to Edge coming with Fall Creators Update include:

• Improved EPUB support: Reading EPUB ebooks in Edge will be a more pleasant and useful experience, with new copy and “Ask Cortana” support along with the ability to add notes via the keyboard or Windows Ink. Ebooks acquired via the Windows Store will also sync reading progress, bookmarks, and notes across devices.
• Enhanced favorites: Working with Edge favorites will be easier, with a new directory tree view when saving favorites, and the ability to expand and collapse folders. A favorite URL can also be added from within the menu or the Favorites Bar.
• Better PDF support: Viewing and working with PDFs in Edge will be much improved in the Fall Creators Update. PDF form support has been added, along with the ability to view PDF table and contents, and ink directly on PDFs from within Edge.
• Pin web pages to the desktop: Edge will now allow you to pin web pages to the Task Bar, including using the website’s icon to identify the page. You’ll be able to simply select “Pin this page to the taskbar” to make a page immediately and easily accessible.
• Go Full Page: Finally, there’s an easy way to make Edge fill the entire screen. Just hit F11 (as with most browsers) to enter and leave full screen mode, or use the icon in the menu.

My People finally arrives

Microsoft promised a new way to manage contacts for Windows 10 Creators Update, and it never materialized. The My People feature is arriving with Fall Creators Update, however, bringing with it a My People Hub icon on the Task Bar, the ability to pin up to three users for easy access, and new ways to to start communicating with people without needing to open an app first. The My People functionality is rather limited at this point, but it’s nevertheless a welcome feature that makes keeping in touch a bit easier.

Link your phone to Windows 10

Microsoft promised a number of new ways to integrate your smartphone with Windows 10, and unfortunately, most of those won’t be making their way in the Fall Creators Update (see below). One new feature that did make the cut is a new ability to link your Android and iOS smartphone to your Microsoft account and send web pages to from your phone to your PC to pick up where you left off.

It’s easy enough to set up and it works, but it’s only a hint of what’s to come. Eventually, more apps will be supported and hopefully, the feature will be easier to use. In the meantime, it’s obvious that Microsoft wants to make sure that Windows 10 users running Android and iOS devices remain tied closely to Microsoft platforms.

OneDrive Files on Demand

Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage service is a great fit for anyone who is tied in closely with Windows 10 and the company’s Office productivity suite. OneDrive also became a source of frustration for users when Microsoft changed how it handles really large amounts of storage. In the past, OneDrive used a placeholder feature that allowed users to see everything that’s stored there but only download files as needed. That saved space on machines with limited local storage but maintained the ability to access any file on OneDrive.

Microsoft changed OneDrive a couple of years ago to only sync certain files and folders locally, meaning that while users could save space they also couldn’t access all of their OneDrive files from the Windows Explorer. What a pain. With Fall Creators Update, however, Microsoft is bringing OneDrive Files on Demand, which is an enhanced version of the placeholder concept and allows users to save local storage space while retaining access to any OneDrive file. Users will see all of their files in Windows Explorer and a new cloud status icon will show whether a file is stored in OneDrive or locally.

OneDrive Files on Demand has been available to Windows Insiders for a few builds now, and it works well. It’s also voluntary — users can elect to turn the feature on or keep things the way they’ve been.

A whole bunch of little things

Finally, Microsoft has made a number of behind-the-scenes improvements that will roll out in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update:

• Input has been improved for mouse, keyboard, touch, and pen users, with a new touch keyboard with shape writing added in, enhancements to the handwriting panel, and easier ways to access emojis.
• There’s information on GPU status and utilization in the Task Manager Performance tab that lets gamers and video editors keep tabs on how that shiny new GPU is being used.
• And, as usual, a slew of performance and stability improvements are on their way to make Windows 10 a generally faster and more reliable operating system. For example, the Power Throttling feature will reduce the CPU resources used by background apps to help make laptop battery life last a little longer — up to 11 percent longer, in fact.

Microsoft is also bringing some new security and privacy functionality in Fall Creators Update. New ransomware protections are on the way with the ability to protect folders from unauthorized changes, for example. In addition, Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) will be enhanced to provide advanced protections with tools like Windows Defender Exploit Guard, Windows Defender Application Guard, and significant updates to Windows Defender Device Guard and Windows Defender Antivirus.

What’s not coming in Fall Creators Update

Some of the more exciting functionality that Microsoft teased at Build 2017 involved the enhanced integration of Windows 10 with Android and iOS and new ways to go back in time to pick up tasks, apps, and files where you left off. Those features, summarized below from our coverage of Build 2017, won’t be making their way to Fall Creators Update.

• Timeline: Users will be able to move through a timeline that displays what they were doing, and when, moving back in time to access previously used files, apps, and websites. The timeline will allow users to go back over a long period of time and return to a past task as if it was still open. In addition, the feature will work across devices, allowing a user to see what was done no matter which device or platform was used.
• Pick Up Where You Left Off: Cortana will provide the means to access previously used apps, documents, and websites across Windows, iOS, and Android. Users will be able to log off of their PCs, for example, and then pick up a doc where they left off on an iOS or Android device.
• Cloud Clipboard: The Clipboard will now be shared between PCs and smartphones via the cloud, allowing users to copy photos, map links, paragraphs, images, or other content and then paste it into apps on other devices.

Who will receive Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?

As far as we’re aware, if you’re running Windows 10 Creators Update, then you’re eligible to receive Fall Creators Update when it arrives in September (or so). Microsoft hasn’t published any special requirements for the latest version.