The Windows 10 April 2018 Update is officially here as of April 30, so read on to find out why this new update is worth getting excited about.

In a lot of ways, Microsoft crafted one of the best operating systems it’s ever made with Windows 10. One of the reasons it’s so popular is the way Microsoft continues to support it with free major overhauls, like the Windows 10 April 2018 Update.

As with any major update for Windows 10, the April 2018 Update (which was previously called the Spring Creators Update) brings a ton of exciting new features to the operating system, and we’ve gathered up everything we know about the update and dumped it right here in this article.

Luckily, you can now update to the Windows 10 April Update manually, and we even have a guide on how to download and install it now.

The Windows 10 April Update was originally scheduled to release on April 10, but thanks to some reliability issues leading to frequent BSODs on some PCs, it was delayed. But, Microsoft has since fixed these issues and the Windows 10 April Update is now available for download. 

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next major update for Windows 10
• When is it out?  April 30, 2018 
• What will it cost? As with previous major Windows 10 updates, it will be free

Windows 10 April 2018 Update release date

We now know that the official release date for the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is April 30. This will be the day when people can manually download and install the update.

However, if you want to wait until the Windows 10 April 2018 Update becomes available to download automatically, then it should start appearing from May 8, as previous rumors suggested.

This update is the product of over a year’s work, with features that were first tested by Windows Insiders, a group of testers who try out early versions of Windows 10, back in early 2017.

It was thought that the then-named Spring Creators Update would be releasing on April 10. Everything was pointing towards that date being real, until a major bug pushed Redstone 4 back. At least we don't have to wait any longer.

Windows 10 April 2018 Update confirmed features

Because of the extensive testing process of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, we have a good idea of some – but not all – of the features that are coming.

Timeline

The Timeline feature was supposed to arrive with last year’s Fall Creators Update, but Microsoft didn't feel it was ready, so it was cut from the release. Now, after months of testing, it looks like it will debut in Redstone 4.

It shows a visual timeline of the desktop, allowing the user to jump right back into what they were doing on another device – and that includes Android and iOS handsets.

As well as allowing for this seamless transition when switching between different devices, it will also let the user revisit a desktop state from an earlier time. A bit like a Windows version of macOS Time Machine.

It could prove to be a really useful feature, so fingers crossed it’s ready in time.

User interface improvements

The way Windows 10 looks will get a big overhaul with Windows 10 April 2018 Update, with the ‘Fluent Design’ look giving making the operating system look better than ever when the Spring Creators Update arrives.

Many windows and menus you’re used to seeing will get a fresh lick of paint, and not only will Windows 10 look nicer, the operating system will be easier to use as well.

 

Near Share

Microsoft is looking to make wirelessly sharing files between devices easier than ever in Windows 10 April 2018 Update thanks to its new Near Share feature.

With Bluetooth and Near Share turned on (from the Action Center), you can quickly share documents and more by pressing the ‘Share’ button in apps (or in Windows Explorer) – which will then display nearby devices you can send the file to.

Focus Assist

With the Windows 10 April Update, Microsoft is taking ‘do not disturb’ to a new, and better, level with Focus Assist. This mode will allow you to shut off all notifications when you need to focus up and get stuff done. And, when you’re done with whatever you’re working on, Focus Assist will give you a detailed report with everything you missed while you were on a grind.

Quick Bluetooth pairing

Connecting your Windows 10-powered device to Bluetooth peripherals is also set to be much quicker and easier in Windows 10 April 2018 Update thanks to the new quick pair feature. When a device in pairing mode is within range of your Windows 10 device running the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, a notification will appear prompting you to pair it. Click on it, and it will be accessible to your Windows 10 device, without having to go into Settings.

At the moment this only works with Microsoft peripherals, but hopefully we’ll see devices from other manufacturers make use of it when Windows 10 April 2018 Update officially releases.

Edge improvements

The Edge web browser is also getting a hefty amount of updates with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, as Microsoft continues to improve its software to compete with Chrome and Firefox.

A new-look menu grants you quick access to your bookmarks, history and other essential parts of the browser, and you can now quickly pin eBooks to the Start Menu when reading them in Edge.

Edge will also be better at automatically filling in forms with your information as well, making it easier to sign up for websites and the like. It will remember your payment card details as well (but not the security code on the back), making it easier to pay online. It’s good to see these new features, which Edge’s competitors have had for a while. Better late than never.

If you’re sick of websites blaring out sounds and music when you’re browsing, then the new ability to right-click on a tab and mute it will be a blessing, and InPrivate mode can now run certain extensions if you want it to.

Printing has also been improved thanks to the ‘Clutter Free’ option that removes the unnecessary text, images and more from pages when you print out websites, making them look nicer and saving on ink.

Edge will also get an updated look to match the Fluent Design theme of Windows 10.

 

Mixed Reality updates

We’ve also recently heard that Microsoft is adding a range of new features to its Mixed Reality platform with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update.

Heading up the list of improvements is a brand-new virtual environment for users to wander around. As well as the existing Cliff House, folks can now enjoy the Skyloft with its impressive city view (as opposed to the former’s ocean outlook). Think modern super-posh penthouse apartment, basically.

Other important changes have been implemented on the SteamVR front, including the introduction of haptic feedback for the motion controllers in SteamVR games. Also, general performance levels have been improved in these games, with Microsoft managing to tune things to use a ‘significantly lower’ amount of video RAM.

You’ll also be able to take screenshots in Mixed Reality apps easily with the controllers, and video performance in apps is improved as well.

These are all welcome additions that should make Mixed Reality even more competitive compared to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. 

• Everything you need to know about how to use Windows 10

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Vehicular terrorism is on the rise, but technology under development by the U.S. Department of Defense could save lives by disabling a weaponized car before it ever reaches its target. The Pentagon’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWD) is working on a device called a Radio Frequency Vehicle Stopper to address the prevalence of vehicle-based attacks targeting civilians, Defense One reports.

To prevent this kind of violence and other kinds of vehicular attacks (an unauthorized car rushing behind a military security gate, for instance), the Pentagon’s Radio Frequency Vehicle Stopper points high powered microwaves at a vehicle, disabling its electrical components via the engine control unit and making the engine stall out. You can watch the technology in action in the Department of Defense video below.

As Defense One reports, the group is developing two version of its technology, one with a 50-meter range small enough to fit in a truck bed and another larger version with a range of more than a hundred meters designed to remain in place. The latter would particularly be useful in the kind of open public spaces that lend themselves to violent vehicular attacks in popular urban areas like markets and shopping hubs. This kind of technology is only becoming possible now due to breakthroughs in powering the concentrated beams emitted in these kind of notoriously energy-hungry weapons.

While vehicle-based attacks were once rarely observed outside of war-zones, they’ve occurred with increasing frequency in high-density urban areas and tourist destinations in recent years. As the attack in Toronto last week proved, the results are effortlessly deadly to unsuspecting pedestrians. It’s unfortunate that such a device is necessary at all, but if they were to become readily available, these Radio Frequency Vehicle Stoppers could discourage the rising trend of vehicular attacks, protect victims when they do occur and help law enforcement obtain additional intelligence by apprehending suspects without resorting to lethal violence.

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Amazon is famous for its hard-charging work culture, and Charlie Kindel, an Amazon executive who helped shape the rise of Alexa, is ready to hit the pause button after a five-year stint with the company and three years with the team at work on the company’s smart home division. Writing on his personal blog earlier today, Kindel shared the memo that his colleagues received last week to explain his decision. In a nutshell, said Kindel, he’s burnt.

“The pace of the past 5 years has finally gotten to me and I simply need to catch my breath. I’ve recently been joking with folks that “I used to get my adrenaline rush going heli-skiing. Now I just go into work.” I have a car restoration project that is two years behind schedule. My home automation system needs a complete revamp (it’s gotten a bit crusty since it was installed in 2001).

I was originally just going to take a temporary leave, but I like the idea of having total freedom of thought to decide what’s next in my life. By making a clean break from Amazon all options (including coming back to Amazon) are still on the table.”

Kindel, who held a director level role at Amazon, said his last day as this past Friday.

Before joining Amazon, Kindel had held the role Microsoft Windows Phone general manager. He has also done dabbling in the world of startups, including starting a company called FreeBusy whose tool used artificial intelligence to generate mileage logs using users’ cloud-based calendars. That outfit has more recently evolved to center around an AI scheduling assistant.

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On May 25, the latest installment of the Star Wars theatrical franchise will drop in theaters.

Shooting Star Wars: A Solo Story hasn’t been all roses, with Ron Howard stepping in to take over for directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller and reshooting many scenes. But the show must go on!

Yesterday, Lucasfilm released a featurette with interviews from the cast and crew talking about the making of the film and Han Solo as a character.

The featurette also includes some new footage beyond what we’ve seen in the trailers, such as Han fighting alongside Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and Val (Thandie Newton), alongside previously teased scenes like the train heist on Vandor and the scene where Han Solo wins the Millenium Falcon from Lando (Donald Glover).

Central to the featurette, and the film in general, is that the story takes place in a type of world we haven’t seen yet on Star Wars, where the galaxy is completely under the control of the Empire, Howard reminds us. These circumstances push Han Solo, already a free spirit, to become the character we’ve come to know and love.

Check out the featurette below:

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NBC wants to brings some of you to step foot on the set of your favorite shows like Saturday Night Live and Vanderpump Rules. Through the help of VR - and a partnership with Google - they’re about to do just that.

The deal inked between the two companies is one that involves 10 ‘multi-episode VR productions’ that will be filmed using Google’s VR Jump platform and posted to YouTube where you can watch them for free.

Right now, these 10 VR productions are being shot in normal VR - the kind that can be viewed using Google Cardboard, Daydream View or Samsung Gear VR - but NBC says that select future productions will be shot in VR180, a new VR format providing 4K, three-dimensional video. 

The first set of shows to get the VR treatment are from Bravo’s Vanderpump set and include a 360 tour of Lisa Vanderpump’s recently opened Hollywood dog rescue center, Vanderpump Dogs, as well as an exclusive bonus clip from the season finale of “Vanderpump Rules.”  

Are true VR TV shows on the horizon? 

Right now it appears as though the partnership is just producing additional content in VR, rather than dedicating the resources necessary to create actual shows for the VR audience - an area that’s severely lacking at the moment.

The silver lining here is that, if enough people tune into the VR videos, NBC and Google might feel convinced to create bespoke series for VR devices. 

“We are constantly looking for opportunities to bring consumers new ways to experience content from across the NBCUniversal portfolio,” said Ron Lamprecht, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises in a press release sent to TechRadar.

Does that means there's a chance that partnership might open the doors to full-on 360-degree TV shows? Maybe! 

• Love VR headsets? Don't have one of your own? These are the best VR headsets of 2018

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Mike Cagney, who was ousted last summer from the lending company he founded, is back with a new startup and a whole lot of funding from some of his previous investors.

According to new report in Bloomberg, Cagney who earlier this year formed a new lending startup called Figure, has raised $50 million to grow the company, which plans to use the blockchain to facilitate loan approvals in minutes instead of days.

According to the company’s site, its lending products will include home equity lines of credit, home improvement loans and home buy-lease back offerings for retirement.

The round was led by DCM Ventures and Ribbit Capital and included participation from Mithril Capital Management, Cagney confirmed to Bloomberg.

Ribbit Capital in Palo Alto, Ca., has been leading investments in the world of fintech and digital currencies from nearly its founding nearly six years ago. Others of its many bets include the online consumer lending company Affirm and Point, a startup that buys equity in U.S. homes. Mithril, cofounded by Peter Thiel, prides itself on funding companies that take time to build (its vehicles have long investing timelines than do most venture funds).

The cross-border firm DCM Ventures, meanwhile, is perhaps the most interesting participant in this round. The reason: Back in 2012 DMC began investing in Social Finance, or SoFi, the company that Cagney founded previously.

It isn’t uncommon for VCs to invest in founders with whom they’ve worked before, of course. And SoFi — which initially focused on refinancing student loans but today provides personal and mortgage loans and wealth management services and appears to be pushing further into bank-like services — has grown by leaps and bounds since its August 2011 launch.

But Cagney was forced out of the company last summer, not long after a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed by a former employee who claimed he’d witnessed female employees being harassed by managers and was fired after he reported it.

Another former employer who’d worked at the company’s office in Healdsburg, Ca., told the New York Times that her work environment had been akin to a “frat house,” with employees “having sex in their cars and in the parking lot.” That same story, based on conversations with 30 then-current and former employees, also reported that Cagney himself had raised questions with staff because of his own behavior, including bragging about his sexual conquests.

Evidently, DCM and Figure’s other backers were able to brush aside concerns about anything of the sort happening again at Figure. This morning, we reached out to Cagney and Figure’s investors for more information and hope to have more for you soon.

Employees are also signing up for Figure, with the belief, ostensibly, that Cagney is well-positioned to create another financial services juggernaut. According to Bloomberg, Figure has already quietly assembled a team of 56 people. They include the former chief risk officer of LendingHome, Cynthia Chen, and the former chief legal counsel of PeerStreet, Sara Priola.

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It used to be that the best gaming laptops were those that had Intel Core i7 processors, 8GB of RAM and any discrete graphics imaginable. Gaming laptops were so few and far between that it wasn’t a matter of whether they were good or not. Instead, the only question was ‘Can it run Crysis?’

In 2018, the best gaming laptops are entirely different from what they looked like in the past. There are ultra-thin portable solutions using Nvidia Max-Q technology, but you can still buy a clunky, powerful behemoth that can plow through every game you throw at it. And, now that Intel has released a wide range of 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors for laptops, including the Core i9-8950HK, there are no limits on what the best gaming laptops can do. 

So, whether you’re looking for a laptop that can handle work just as well as gaming, or you want a gigantic gaming behemoth, we have the recommendations you’re looking for. And, because we’ve tested, reviewed and ranked all the gaming laptops on this list, you can be confident that you’ll find the best gaming laptops for your needs right here on this list. 

Hailing in Coffee Lake to the world of the best gaming laptops, the MSI GS65 packs a ton of power into a very unassuming package. Rocking an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8750H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, there’s nothing that can stand in the way of this laptop. And, what’s better, thanks to its subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this power out wherever you go without having to hide your nerdy pastimes.

Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth 

Kicking Nvidia’s Max-Q technology off right, the Asus Zephyrus GX501 combines the heralded thinness of an Ultrabook with the performance of a gaming PC to bring the best of both worlds to your feet. Despite exhibiting subpar times in our battery life benchmarks, this svelte powerhouse of a notebook is one for the books when it comes to both portability and style. Plus, it’s virtually silent if noise is a cause for distraction in your everyday routine.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501

It may have an edgy name, and you may not be able to stick a bigger hard drive in it later, but the Razer Blade is built for stamina and, obviously, high quality graphics. On top of featuring a battery life over 7 hours and 30 minutes, it can handle up to 4K Ultra-HD gaming with the help of a Razer Core V2 external graphics box and a spare monitor. Or, you could opt in for the more recently added integrated 4K display option. However you choose, you’re in for a treat, we promise. 

Read the full review: Razer Blade

The Asus Strix GL502 may not boast the most innovative design, swapping out the usual black and red color scheme for one that makes it feel like Halloween year-round. But, it's undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to gaming in 1080p. In fact, we were able to crank the settings all the way up in Overwatch without taking a hit below 60fps. The battery life is janky, sure, but the screen, performance and onboard sound system more than make up for it.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Strix GL502

One of the biggest pitfalls when it comes to the best gaming laptops is you’re usually stuck with this huge, bulky device that you’re embarrassed to take out into public. Fortunately the Gigabyte Aero 15 throws that tradition in the garbage. This laptop packs an 6-core 8th-generation Intel I7-8750H and a GTX 1060 into a package that allows it to pass as an Ultrabook. And, thanks to that beefy processor, the Aero 15 is just as good at working as it is at playing. 

Read the full review: Gigabyte Aero 15

Unlike most laptops its size, the Alienware 13 R3 bears a hinge-forward design. By moving the heat sinks behind the screen, the chassis is allowed to be thinner, at 0.81-inch (0.22cm). Unfortunately, this means you won’t find many 13-inch laptop bags that will actually suit the Alienware 13 R3. While you may be tempted by the inclusion of a full-size Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, it’s the OLED touch display that caught our attention. 

Read the full review: Alienware 13 R3

At long last, Razer has introduced a true desktop replacement that won’t weigh you down. Measuring in at only 0.88 inches thick with the option between a 17-inch 1080p display running at 120Hz or a G-Sync-laden 4K touchscreen, the Razer Blade Pro also introduces the company’s ultra-low-profile mechanical switches to a notebook for the first time ever. That’s a deal that’s only sweetened by an unusual trackpad placement that makes it comfier to boot.

Read the full review: Razer Blade Pro

For less than a grand and a half, you might not think it, but the Gigabyte SabrePro 15 is a bargain. In its price range, you won’t find a laptop with this level of performance. Although it’s only available in one configuration, the GTX 1060 is a nice change of pace considering most affordable gaming laptops struggle to run triple-A games beyond medium settings. That goes without mentioning the fantastic RGB keyboard and Microsoft Precision Touchpad.

Read the full review: Gigabyte SabrePro 15

• This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Asus ROG Strix GL502 

To be frank, Alienware hasn’t been a name typically associated with value. That seems to be changing with the Alienware 17 R4, which bears so many different customization options when it comes to specs that you can practically name your own price. Bespeckled with all of the signature elements we’ve come to expect from the brand, such as RGB backlit-accents and tons of ventilation, our only real qualm with the Alienware 17 R4 is a disappointing battery life.

Read the full review: Alienware 17 R4

If you like your laptop thin, light and affordable with lengthy battery life, you’re going to have to look somewhere else. The Asus ROG G703, a hulking behemoth of a gaming laptop, takes the specs of a desktop PC and only ever so slightly squishes them down into a package that can more or less be taken anywhere. At 10.6lbs (4.8kg) and with a 17.3-inch screen, it won’t fit in your backpack, but with a graphics card and processor this powerful – does it really matter? 

Read the full review: Asus ROG G703

• This product is only available in the US and  Australia at the time of this writing. UK readers: check out a fine alternative in the Alienware 17 R4 

Watch the video below for the top 7 things to consider when buying a laptop.

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article

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Move over, America: France also has its fair share of suburban ennui.

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Virtual reality has yet to hit the big time with the vast majority of consumers — headset sales are still in the single-digit millions — but today Google and NBC announced a deal to make programming that could help the medium pick up some more mainstream appeal. The two said that they will be working together to produce at least 10 multi-episode VR productions that will run as extra content alongside core programming on NBC itself and its network of other channels.

Users can watch in VR on Google Cardboard or Daydream View, and it will also be hosted on YouTube for those not immersively inclined. Google said that it will also down the line make some of the content available on the VR180 format for 4K, three-dimensional video.

Initial programs that will get the VR treatment include NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (which has already produced a selection of VR productions here, here, and here); reality show “Vanderpump Rules” from Bravo; and content from SYFY WIRE, the website for the Syfy TV channel.

With VR still a relatively young industry, and Google continuing to develop its own internal capabilities, there are a number of routes that can be taken to capture the experience. In this case, it looks like Google will be using the deal with NBC to promote and use Jump, its own platform for VR video capture that it first launched back in 2015.

We’ve asked Google if it can give more details regarding the business relationship with NBC, and we will update this post as we learn more. For now, it’s another opportunity for Google to develop more premium content — creating a new set of videos against which to sell advertising — and working alongside NBC Universal to help it also update its content for new and different audiences.

This is not the first time that NBC Universal has tried out content on VR: as one example it also worked with Intel and Oculus to bring Olympic content to headsets.

It’s also become a very standard part of TV programming to develop additional content that can be watched by fans alongside the core TV show, to help extend touch-points with an audience who may otherwise only be seen for 22 minutes each week, at best. VR presents another opportunity for that, too.

“We are constantly looking for opportunities to bring consumers new ways to experience content from across the NBCUniversal portfolio,” said Ron Lamprecht, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, in a statement. “This partnership combines the creative expertise of NBCUniversal with Google’s VR capabilities to create these engaging experiences. We look forward to working with Google and YouTube on more collaborations like this in the future.”

Google has also been looking for more ways to cosy up to premium content companies to develop content for its platforms, partly to secure those relationships for a future where it might find itself competing for a content-hungry VR audience, and partly to help try to create that audience today. Other partnerships have included deals with HBO and Netflix.

“NBCUniversal’s networks and shows have a proven track record of high-quality storytelling that audiences can’t get enough of. Bringing them to VR lets fans connect with that content in a whole new way,” said Amit Singh, VP of business and operations for VR and AR at Google, in a statement. “NBCU’s teams were able to easily capture engaging VR content using the latest VR Jump cameras. And with YouTube, audiences can experience it on any device, bringing them closer to their favorite series.”

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