Microsoft’s Windows 10 phones have pen support and will scan your face

Microsoft is preparing two new Lumia devices for the holiday season. While some specifications have leaked previously, Windows Central is reporting that both devices will include an iris scanner to let you log into the phones with your face. This is a part of the Windows Hello feature in Windows 10. Alongside the iris scanning, Microsoft is also reportedly bringing its Surface Pen technology to both of its upcoming Lumia handsets.

A NEW SMART COVER AND SURFACE PEN SUPPORT

Windows Central reports that the larger Lumia 950 XL handset will include support for the Surface Pen and a new smart cover that has a circular cut out for easy access to notifications. The Microsoft enthusiast site also offers up a render of the “Cityman” device that’s expected to be called the Lumia 950 XL when it goes on sale later this year. The Verge can confirm the render is accurate and close to what the device looks like.

It’s not clear exactly when Microsoft plans to launch these two new handsets, but Windows Central claims Verizon will not offer the Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL, leaving AT&T to sell just the 5.2-inch Lumia 950. Both handsets will ship with a 20-megapixel PureView camera, with the XL benefiting from a triple LED flash. Windows Central has posted the full specifications of both devices, and they’ll be available with Windows 10 Mobile preinstalled later this year.

Talkman (Lumia 950)

• Matte White or black polycarbonate body
• 5.2 inch WQHD (1440×2560) OLED display
• Snapdragon 808, 64-bit Hexa core
• Iris scanner (infrared) for Windows Hello
• 3GB of RAM
• 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot
• 20MP PureView rear camera
• 5MP Wide-angle front facing camera
• 3000 mAh removable battery
• Qi wireless charging with flip cover
• USB Type-C

Cityman (Lumia 950 XL)

• Matte White or black polycarbonate body
• 5.7 inch WQHD (1440×2560) OLED display
• Snapdragon 810, 64-bit Octa core
• Iris scanner (infrared) for Windows Hello
• 3GB of RAM
• 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot
• 20MP PureView rear camera with triple LED flash
• 1mm silver ring inside the circumference of the black camera pod
• Aluminum side buttons
• 5MP Wide-angle front facing camera
• 3300 mAh removable battery
• Qi wireless charging integrated
• USB Type-C

How to Uninstall Apps & Games in Windows 10

It’s safe to say that we love our devices. At the very least, we love them enough to have them always with us, asking questions through and providing new information about the world around us. Microsoft wants you to love its new Windows 10 operating system and your Windows device. The free Windows 10 upgrade that arrives in just a week’s time isn’t just about giving you new features to toy with. It also has plenty of changes designed to make life easier.

Uninstalling apps in Windows 8 wasn’t necessarily difficult. That being said, it wasn’t exactly obvious either. Getting rid of something on your PC required you to know whether it was an app or program, which many people didn’t. Once you figured that out you had to find the correct place for uninstalling whatever it is you wanted to get rid of. Apps downloaded from the Windows Store had their own way. Programs downloaded over the internet had another.

Windows 10 addresses these issues. First, it doesn’t matter whether it’s an app or program you want to get rid of. Getting it off your device works the same way. Here’s how to uninstall apps and programs in Windows 10.

Mostly, the Control Panel is gone from Windows 10. In its place, Microsoft has added more features and improved the settings in its dedicated Settings app. It’s this app that has offers the easiest way to uninstall apps and programs in Windows 10.

With your mouse click on the Windows button in the bottom-left corner of your screen. If you’re using  touch, you should tap on that same button.

Now tap or click on the Settings cog in the Start Menu. Touch users should see the Settings cog too, but you’ll have to tap the menu button in the top-left corner of your screen to bring up the apps and shortcuts area first. It should be just above the Power button.

Tap or click on System.

Tap or click on the Apps & Features menu item on the right edge of the System Settings menu. It’s the third option from the top of your screen.

Now you’ll need to wait for the Settings app to scan your PC.

Uninstalling things is easier on Windows 10 because it gives you a breakdown of all the relevant information you need. Say that you’re looking to just free up some space. From this screen you can see what apps are taking up the most space. Maybe you’re having stability issues that weren’t always there? You can see what day you install each app or program. You can re-order the list by name, install size or date.  There’s also a search bar to track down the specific app or program you want to uninstall in a hurry.

For the purposes of this tutorial, we’re uninstalling PayPal. Tap or click on the name of the app or program you’d like to Uninstall.

There’s a Move button here because Microsoft originally planned to let users install apps on an SD Card. That feature is still coming, but it didn’t make it in time for the final release. Ignore that button and tap click on Uninstall.

When you Uninstall an app in Windows 10 the information associated with the app goes too. This ensures that no trace of the app is left on your system. It’s all about good computer hygiene really. If you’re sure you want to Uninstall the app and get of its info too tap or click on Uninstall in the pop-up.

Now just give the Settings app time to get rid of the app. If it’s a smaller app it’ll happen in seconds. Larger apps could take more time to uninstall from Windows 10.

That’s if, you’ve successfully uninstall an app or game in Windows 10.

Again, absolutely be sure that you want to uninstall an app or program before doing so. There’s nothing worse than having to track down your passwords and information for an app again if you don’t have them readily available. Any programs that you uninstall — iTunes, for example — need to be downloaded from the web or wherever you installed them from originally if you decide you want them back for some reason. Remember to check the Windows Store too, traditional Desktop programs are available there in Windows 10. Apps you’ve downloaded from the Windows Store can be downloaded there and you won’t need to pay for them again if you already have.

Apps and programs built into Windows 10 — like Mail or Calendar — can’t be uninstalled. Apps added by your device maker can be uninstalled.

How to Get the Start Screen Back in Windows 10

There were two core things that Windows users reacted to negatively whenever they got to try Microsoft’s Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems for the first time. First up were full screen apps and how isolating the felt — even though Microsoft did allow some form of limited multitasking. Second, was the Windows 8 Start Screen. The Start Screen is gone in Windows 10 by default, but there is a way to get the Start Screen back in Windows 10 if you’re savvy enough.

It’s absolutely understandable that someone would want the Start Screen if they upgraded from Windows 8.1.The Start in Windows 8 looms large, every time you hit a Windows button or press the Windows key on your keyboard, it pops to life with its flipping tiles, built-in search and up-front power button. Really, the Start Screen was never more than a super-sized version of the Start Menus that came before it. It put the focus on the content of your apps and let you use your entire screen to pin your favorite apps. Since the launch of Windows 8, a large part of users have adapted to the way the start Screen works.

Here’s how to Get the Start Screen Back in Windows 10: Tablet Mode

The Start Screen is gone from Windows 10 because it’s no longer something Microsoft feels that every Windows 10 users needs to stay productive. Windows 10 has a feature called Continuum that knows whether you have a mouse and keyboard connected to your device. If you have a device with touch running Windows 10 and Continuum detects a keyboard it’ll, ask you if you’d like to turn off Tablet Mode. Turning off Tablet Mode shrinks the Windows 10 Start Screen into the Start Menu you likely have on your PC.

You can Turn on Tablet Mode  to get the Start Screen back if you preferred the way the Start Screen in Windows 8 looks. Be aware that doing so also turns all of your apps back into fullscreen apps too.

Look for the Action Center button in the system tray of the taskbar on the right-bottom of your screen. When you find it, tap or click on it. It’ll look like a full or empty mini message. If you’re using a device with a touch screen, place your finger on the right edge of the display and swipe to the left.

Now tap or click on the Tablet Mode button that sits on the bottom-left end of the Action Center.

Again, turning on Tablet Mode does more things than just super-size the Start Screen. As such, it’s not a good way to directly address your Start Screen issue.

Bring Just the Start Screen back in Windows 10: Settings

Luckily, Microsoft was smart to include a more direct way of bringing the Start Screen back and it comes by way of a simple toggle located in the new Settings app.

Press the Windows button on your keyboard or at the bottom of your screen in the left to open the Start Menu.

Now tap or click on the Settings icon in the bottom-left corner of the Start Menu.

Welcome to the new Settings app. This app is one of the big changes Microsoft introduced for Windows 10. Many of the settings and features that were in the Control Panel have been moved here and reorganized in categories that’ll make more sense to users. The category we’re looking for isPersonalization. Tap or click on the Personalization icon; it’s on the middle-right.

The first thing you’ll see in the Personalization screen is the option to customize how your Desktop looks with a picture. We’re not looking for background options, but for Start options. Click or tap Start on the right side of your screen.

Now tap or click on the button labeled Use Start full screen. It is this button that will supersize the Start Screen in Windows 10, giving you an experience very similar to what you got with Windows 8. This switch doesn’t yield to you being in tablet mode or not. This means that you can keep the Start Screen even when you aren’t in Tablet Mode.

This gives you the best of both worlds, you can run tons of different apps in a familiar way, without having to give up the Start Screen and it’s easy to real Live Tiles. Don’t forget that you can use a mouse and keyboard to resize the Start Menu and make it bigger too. Just hover your mouse cursor over its edges.

Windows 10 is a free update rolling out to devices running Windows 7 and Windows 8. Microsoft.

10 Things to Love About Windows 10

For months, we’ve watched as Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system took shape. Early on, the operating system looked an awful lot like Windows 8, it’s immediate and almost universally hated predecessor. Quietly, the company did some work behind the scenes before unleashing a ton of new features on testers and members of its Insider Program.

Windows 10 launches on July 29th with a host of new features and software changes. Microsoft says that it’s listened to what users wanted. The Start Screen that completely took over your display is out, unless you’d like to turn it back on or have a Windows PC equipped with touch. Everything from how new updates are delivered to how Microsoft makes its Office productivity apps available has been addressed.

More importantly, Microsoft is trying to strike a new balance between all of its different devices. Windows 10 is Microsoft’s first foray into uniformed ecosystems like the one that Apple pioneered with the iTunes App Store. Buying an app or game works on multiple devices. Xbox accessories work with Windows 10 PCs in the same ways they would an Xbox One. OneDrive and app settings sync keeps all of your important account details and information synced from PC to PC. The Windows Store that was stuffed full of ill-conceived apps and garbage has been cleaned up. Now it offers apps compatible with notebooks, desktops, smartphones and tablets.

Having used Windows 10 all this year, I can promise you that there are going to be some things you love about the new operating system and the way it behaves. Here are 10 of the things you’ll love about the free Windows 10 update in no particular order.

The Surprisingly Small Windows 10 Upgrade Price

First, let’s start with actual pricing. For years, Microsoft took a two prong approach to Windows upgrades.

Say you had a PC already and just wanted to get the latest operating system on it. If you played your cards right and waited until just the right moment, Microsoft gave away free upgrades with PCs still running the previous version of Windows. Microsoft offered this upgrade program in partnership PC makers who didn’t want sales of their machines to tank because people were waiting to get their hands on something new.

The other way you could get a Windows upgrade was by simply paying upwards of $100 for it. Microsoft sold digital copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 on its Microsoft Store website. Boxed DVDs were available on store shelves.

Neither of those things make sense today. A very, very small percent of users actually paid the full upgrade price for Windows. Rather than do that, people simply waited until they had to purchase a new PC anyway. Second, in a world where devices, priorities and attention shifts at any given moment, taking three years to develop and add new features in a huge upgrade isn’t reasonable.

Windows 10 upgrades are absolutely free for anyone running Home, Pro and Ultimate versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 for the next year. Those that manage to make to install the upgrade on their PC can expect free updates with new features going forward.

It's Easy to Go Back to Windows 7 and Windows 8 from Windows 10

Microsoft has stacked Windows 10 with tons of features that they say users wanted. It’s spent the better part of three years trying to understand the things users didn’t like about Windows before.

When Windows 10 release day arrives on July 29th, Microsoft hopes that users love it. The company hopes that people will see their own ideas. It hopes that on-screen buttons and more common sense design will have users ready to embrace its products with open arms.

In the event that doesn’t happen, Microsoft has a back up plan. Previously, upgrading your copy of Windows meant leaving your old version of Windows behind without a full-on reset. Never fear, Microsoft has solved that with this release too.

For Windows 10, Microsoft is taking a more measured approach to upgrades. Say you get to Windows 10 from Windows 8 or Windows 7 and don’t like any of the new features it provides. You could break out the restore drive that you created or the old DVD that came with your PC and reinstall everything. You could also just hit the simple button built-into the Windows 10 Settings app and have your old operating system restored. Windows 10 keeps the files necessary to go back to a previous version of Windows for one solid month, giving you plenty of time to decide whether the operating system is right for you.

Your Windows 10 PC Looks at Behaves Like a PC Should

It’s no secret that people don't like full screen apps from the Windows Store and they don't like the Start Screen taking over their display. Windows 10 solves this problem by putting the focus back on the things people are used to.

If you’re a notebook or a desktop users you’ll never have to worry about looking at the Start Screen and full screen Windows apps again. Microsoft, has made both of these things optional, and you only get them by default if Windows detects that you have no keyboard plugged in and a touchscreen present. Windows Store apps now run side-by-side with Desktop apps like iTunes and Photoshop.

Buying Stuff from the Windows Store Just Makes Sense

If we’re calling a spade a spade, the Windows Store was a disaster in Windows 8. Microsoft did the right thing in creating its own safe, centralized place to download apps. Where it errored was it not opening up the store to traditional apps and other things that people like to buy.

The Windows Store is one centralized place for you to buy just about anything you need in Windows 10. Windows apps purchased through the store work on desktops, notebooks, tablets and smartphones. The music and video stores that used to require a trip to Microsoft’s Xbox Music and Xbox Video apps now live in the Windows Store too. All of your purchases sync across devices and are available from any PC that you’re logged into.

Windows 8 allowed developers to put links to their desktop apps in the Windows Store. The new Windows Store allows developers to list their apps directly in the Windows Store for purchase. When you download these apps they are packaged in a way that keeps them from harming your system – just like newer Windows apps. Suddenly, the Windows Store makes sense for millions more users.

Built in Windows 10 Apps Are Much More Mature

There were some pretty great apps included with Windows 8. OneDrive and the second version of Xbox Music both come to mind. There were also some pretty horrible ones too.

Horizontal scrolling, that is Microsoft’s unorthodox idea that users want to scroll through things from left to right is gone. The disappearing menus that kept millions from figuring out how to add an account to Mail or share a picture are gone. Replacing them are common sense ideas borrowed from apps on iPhone, Android and the web.

Mail, Camera, Maps, Calendar, People, Music, Photos, Movies & TV, News, Finance, Weather and Sports have all gotten make overs. The apps that haven’t gotten make overs are already on their way out. Skype has been discontinued and Microsoft now hopes that users will install the Skype desktop app until it unveils a dedicated Messages app later this year to take the old Skype apps place.

There’s only one place to find settings now.

The Reign of Internet Explorer Is Over

After years of hoping that users would forget about its reputation, Microsoft is conceding that Internet Explorer’s time in the sun is over. The browser will live on in versions of Windows 10, there whenever users come across a website that just won’t work correctly for some reason.

Replacing it is Microsoft Edge, the company’s all-new browser for all devices. Microsoft Edge embraces the standards that Chrome and Firefox use instead of its own code. Later in the year Microsoft plans to add extension support so that developers can add more features over time themselves. Already, it has a built-in notetaking mode for devices with a touch screen and a reading mode for consuming longform stories and content. There’s even built-in password management.

On Windows 10 Office is Completely Free for Basic Users To Read Documents With

For a long time users somehow collectively assumed that Microsoft Office was just something that came with Windows. To them, the two were forever joined. Millions of users who needed power features and reliability reluctantly picked up $120+ copies of Microsoft’s productivity apps. Others simply switched to using Google Docs.

Windows 10 marks the first time that Microsoft has made copies of its Office apps available for free to Windows 10 users in app form. Office Online has existed for years, but Windows users watched as Microsoft made viewing documents free in Office apps for Windows Phones, iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Available on launch day in the Windows Store are very functional, free versions of OneNote, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Each connects to Microsoft’s OneDrive service. Users who need more features and document editing can sign up for an Office 365 account for as little as $6.99 a month.

You Don't Have to Worry About Updates

For years, Microsoft has provided tips and best practices for getting and keeping your Windows PCs up-to-date. A growing number of people are now more security and update conscious than they used to be, but some still fail to practice proper PC hygiene.

Microsoft is taking that out of users hands. Businesses are still be able to decide what essential apps get installed on their networks. Users at home will no longer have that luxury. Instead, Windows 10 automates the process, giving users no choice but to install the latest software updates on their systems. Users do get the opportunity to schedule a specific time to perform restarts after software upgrades.

Windows 10 Integrates with Your iPhone & Android Smartphone

Deep down, Microsoft knows that integrating Windows and Windows Phone is essential. Only by having both operating systems work together does either one stand a chance of surviving in a world where people demand a decent ecosystem. All the same apps and services that work in Windows 10 for notebooks, tablets, desktops and 2-in-1s works with Windows Phone. Passwords and other information always sync between the too.

The company is also very realistic about its chances of eclipsing iPhone and Android at this point. In addition to offering its own operating system, Microsoft is reaching out to users through a new app called Phone Companion.

Phone companion allows users to add files to their Android and Windows Phones. In addition to that, the app includes quick links to apps that bring the Windows experience to the iPhone and Android. Besides OneDrive and Outlook, the app includes Cortana, the digital personal assistant that’s built into Windows 10.

Every Windows 10 PC is an Xbox One

The Xbox One is Microsoft’s consumer pride and joy. The company toiled for years in the console space, building a name for itself and snatching away users from other platforms. While it was doing that, video game maker Valve was busy stealing PC gamers right from under its nose.

With Windows 10 Microsoft is trying to turn around its PC and mobile gaming fortunes. First, the Xbox One Wireless Controller will work when plugged into a Windows 10 PC using a microUSB cable. Second, the company plans to add a wireless dongle for those who’d like to ditch the cable connection entirely.

Software wise, the Games app has been tossed out in favor of the Xbox app. Besides providing quick access to Xbox Live, the app lets users record videos and take screenshots from within their games with just a keyboard combination. Video game makers can create Xbox enabled games on PC that have the same Xbox Live privileges as games on the Xbox One. The same technology that allows the Windows Store to carry compartmentalized Desktop apps can be used for video games too.