Microsoft Build 2017: the latest news and announcements from the conference – The Verge

You can now play with Windows 10’s impressive Story Remix video editor

2017-05-13T12:00:01-04:00

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Microsoft surprised everyone with a new Windows 10 Story Remix feature earlier today. It's essentially a video editing tool that will let you merge together photos and videos with impressive 3D effects. It was one of the surprise additions to Microsoft's Build keynote, and now the company is allowing Windows 10 testers to experiment with the new app ahead of its debut in the Fall Creators Update later this year.

While Story Remix appeared to be a separate app on stage at Build earlier, Microsoft now describes it as "an evolution of the Photos app," suggesting that these features will simply ship as part of the default Photos app in Windows …

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The Windows Store is looking a lot like the future of Windows

2017-05-12T12:08:21-04:00

It's been a busy few weeks for Microsoft: unveiling Windows 10 S, the Surface Laptop, and a slew of major Windows 10 updates and features at Build 2017. But one thing that stood out among the various announcements by Microsoft was a renewed focus on the Windows Store, which is increasingly looking like a central piece of the future of Microsoft's operating system.

A renewed focus on the Windows Store

When the Windows Store launched back in 2012 alongside Windows 8 and Windows RT, things were very different. Fueled by the massive success of Apple's iOS App Store, tech companies were running to create storefronts of their own to keep up (inclu …

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Replacing VR and AR with ‘mixed reality’ is good for Microsoft and bad for the rest of us

2017-05-12T09:52:47-04:00

At yesterday's Build keynote, Microsoft opened preorders for its new line of Windows Mixed Reality development kits. Unlike HoloLens, which is also a Windows Mixed Reality device, these headsets are positioned as an alternative to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. But as it's done before, Microsoft refused to call them "VR headsets" - because, as HoloLens inventor Alex Kipman explained, the terms virtual and augmented reality are obsolete. "These are not separate concepts. These are just labels for different points on the mixed reality continuum," Kipman told the audience. "This is why, to simplify things, we call all of it 'Windows Mixed Realit …

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I tried Microsoft’s first Mixed Reality headset and it was just like VR

2017-05-11T17:38:49-04:00

Microsoft is planning to introduce a number of what it calls Mixed Reality headsets later this year. While the software maker first unveiled HoloLens as its answer to augmented reality, it has expanded its plans with a larger "Mixed Reality" focus. I got a chance at Microsoft's Build developer conference to try out Acer's Mixed Reality headset.

The hardware itself felt comfortable on my head, and I was able to quickly adjust it for a tighter fit. It didn't feel particularly heavy, but I only tested an app experience on the headset for around 10 minutes. The gaze support and tracking felt just like any regular VR headset, and it was quick to …

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Microsoft’s design video features a completely redesigned desktop and email app

2017-05-11T16:06:35-04:00

Microsoft introduced its new Fluent Design System today at Build, which it believes will usher the company into the future with a whole new look and feel for its products. The design language focuses on five areas: light, depth, motion, material, and scale. In between talk of what all these choices mean and why they're important, the company gave us previews of how we can expect to see it executed. From the looks of it, Microsoft is experimenting with the design of a new email client, file system, and desktop, among other things. We took screenshots of everything we could find that looked new and clearly spoke to the company's design choices …

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Microsoft will make its Edge browser faster in the next Windows 10 update

2017-05-11T15:09:23-04:00

Microsoft is focusing on performance and responsiveness for its Edge browser in the next major Windows 10 update. During a developer session at Build today, the software giant outlined its priorities for the next release as part of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Top of the list is making sure opening and closing tabs are a lot smoother. If you're familiar with Edge, you'll probably be aware of the slight lag when opening a new tab and typing a URL occasionally. It spoils the experience, and Microsoft is aiming to eliminate this.

Alongside performance improvements, there are some subtle design changes on the way. As part of Microsoft's …

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Cirque du Soleil will use HoloLens to design sets and plan shows

2017-05-11T14:39:46-04:00

Cirque du Soleil has partnered with Microsoft to develop a way for the acrobatic entertainment company to test out stage setups and choreography in augmented reality using HoloLens. A working version of the technology was shown onstage today during Microsoft's Build conference for developers.

Chantal Tremblay, the director of creation for Cirque du Soleil, explained that it takes the company about 18 to 24 months to go from choosing a theme for a show to releasing it to the public. Much of that time is spent building the show's sets at Cirque's studios in Montreal. But with HoloLens, Cirque scenic designer Carl Fillion said, the company wil …

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Microsoft’s next mobile strategy is to make iOS and Android better

2017-05-11T14:31:48-04:00

Microsoft hasn't had a great time with mobile. While we can debate whether or not Windows Phone is finally dead, Microsoft is certainly ready to move on. After missing the mobile boat, Microsoft is now trying to sneak onto iOS and Android devices like a stealthy submarine. We've seen the company focus on iOS and Android apps before, but at the Build event in Seattle this week the message is clear: Microsoft is finally being realistic.

Microsoft's new push is to convince Windows users it can help them resume activities and apps even if they're using an iPhone or Android device. The idea is simple: it doesn't matter what devices you're using …

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Microsoft’s first VR development kits are available for preorder, will ship this summer

2017-05-11T13:21:08-04:00

Microsoft is opening preorders today for the first Windows Mixed Reality development kits. The virtual reality headsets from HP and Acer are supposed to ship this summer, and can be found in the Microsoft Store. Acer's kit will cost $299, while HP's version - seen above - will sell for $329.

While "mixed reality" often refers to augmented reality glasses like Microsoft's HoloLens, both these products essentially seem like VR headsets. Like all Windows Mixed Reality (formerly Windows Holographic) headsets, though, the development kits use internal tracking sensors, which removes the need for external cameras or markers. Based on our previous …

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Microsoft’s HoloLens headset is coming to China by the end of this month

2017-05-11T13:20:08-04:00

A year after Microsoft started shipping HoloLens devices to the United States and Canada, it's ready to expand the holographic / mixed reality gadget to another huge territory: China. On stage at Build 2017, Microsoft's Alex Kipman announced that HoloLens will arrive in China by the end of this month.

The headset is already available in nine countries, but Microsoft sees China as "the world's biggest market for virtual reality." So far, Kipman said that "over 22,000 developers imagined over 70,000 transformative concepts on HoloLens." HoloLens was Microsoft's first huge (and expensive) undertaking in pushing forward its mixed reality ambiti …

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