The first major update for Windows 10 was released recently and it comes with various new changes, along with new features. A lot of these additions are quite obvious, but some of them are hidden away. In case of your phone, you have already used a ‘find my device’ application. However, in case you lose your laptop, what are you going to do?
In most cases, you need to make use of a third-party application in order to track your laptop’s location. Thankfully, Microsoft decided to add it in a more straightforward manner. Similar to the mobile, you can simply enable ‘find my device’ and this will track the last known position of your laptop.
If your laptop is lost or simply gets stolen, you need to sign in on the web from another device since it is already linked to your Microsoft Account. Head over to settings > update & security > find my device, in order to take a look at this feature.
With the latest Windows 10 update, Cortana gets a lot of more handy and useful, especially if you use a Windows Phone as well. Missed call notifications can be enabled through a new option located in Cortana’s settings selection.
This is quite useful during the off-chance that you miss a call. Using this feature, you can reply to both texts and calls.
You can initiate a text message with your voice but the feature is not yet available in the new messaging app and therefore, it is mandatory to use Cortana at the moment in order to send messages. Using Cortana, you can also create reminders pertaining to dates, locations, times which you input into digital notes.
This is possible if you have a device using a stylus. You can also link your account in case you are a Uber user. Cortana can offer driving directions for events besides an option to request for a Uber ride.
The Automatic Time Zone Update was present in Windows for quite a long time but in case you travelled to another country, time zones were never changed automatically. However, with the latest Windows 10 update, things have changed considerably. There is a new “set time zone automatically” option, located in settings > time & language.
After you install the latest update, this option is enabled by default. Furthermore, if you are using Microsoft Edge, there is a new option which allows you to cast media to the device.
In other places, there is a little cast icon which is located in places like photos or videos. With the cast media feature, you can send photos; videos and compatible devices can also receive audio without the requirement of any setup.
This feature is quite similar to the Google Chromecast feature at the moment. There is a new feature available for people who make use of multiple Windows 10 devices. The sync option can be enabled in Edge settings and with this; the browser finally syncs passwords and various favorites, across all the PCs and laptops that you make use of.
In other news, Microsoft’s decision to prevent its users from clean wiping their machines and starting again was pretty disturbing. According to this process, the first time you upgraded your machine, you would be doing so, in order to activate the Microsoft Account against the installation of Windows 10.
You will be able to wipe the machine and execute a fresh installation, once you’ve done that. Keep in mind that this process would still ask for a Windows 10 Key but it can be skipped. Windows would self-activate once you boot into it for the first time.