Windows 10: MAJOR changes coming in blockbuster Redstone update, here's what to expect

Microsoft is already hard at work on its next major Windows 10 update, codenamed Redstone

MICROSOFT only released its first blockbuster update to Windows 10 – codenamed Threshold – last month, but the US technology is already hard at work on the next major update. And it sounds like it could dramatically improve the new Windows operating system.

 

Microsoft is hard at work on the next major update to its latest desktop, tablet and smartphone operating system, Windows 10.

The news comes weeks after the Redmond technology firm rolled out its first blockbuster update – codenamed Threshold – as well as an Android and iOS app for its popular virtual assistant, Cortana.

Dubbed Redstone, the upcoming Windows 10 update is expected to introduce a slew of clever new features and tweaks to the operating system.

According to The Verge, Microsoft is experimenting with a number of upgrades to Cortana, including allowing the voice assistant to float around the operating system.

 

Microsoft could allow Cortana to follow users as they navigate around the operating system, surfacing useful information based on what users are viewing on-screen.

The nifty context-aware functionality sounds closer to Now On Tap in Android Marshmallow than the infamously annoying Clippy character bundled with Windows 97 to 2003.

Microsoft is also believed to be planning a number of updates to the Notification Centre, also known as Action Centre.

Future versions of this pane are expected to include widgets, offering quick snapshots of data, synced across your Windows 10 devices.

Uber recently updated its Windows 10 app to allow users to book a taxi from the Cortana window. It's possible the Notification Centre widget could boast a similar functionality.

Microsoft is expected to focus on Cortana in its next major update, codenamed Redstone

Not only will Cortana gain more functionality, but is also expected to be omnipresent across Windows

Microsoft is also believed to be looking into a deeper integration between its hugely popular Office 365 services and the Windows 10 OS.

The US technology firm is expected to focus on Task Continuation – a feature that allows users to seamlessly transition between devices and operating systems.

Task Continuation allows users to start a task on one device and then resume and finish it on another.

 

Microsoft this month rolled out the companion app on iOS and Android

Microsoft first introduced the ability to sync Cortana's Notebook, which includes your interests, weather preferences and more, from your Widnows 10 PC to an iOS or Android via the Cortana app this month.

The Cortana app on Android also allows PC owners to send and receive text messages from their desktop OS. Call notifications will also appear within Windows 10.

Microsoft had previously limited this functionality to customers running Windows 10 on their computer and smartphone.

Task Continuation is expected to get another bump in functionality after Redstone.

The major update is still in the early stages, so some of these details could change and evolve throughout the next few months.
Still, these early rumours and leaks offer a fascinating insight into the priorities for Windows 10 within Microsoft.
Redstone will also reveal how the US firm sees its Windows 10 operating system evolving over the next calendar year.