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500 million machines are now running Windows 10

500 million machines are now running Windows 10

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Microsoft is announcing today that 500 million active machines are now running Windows 10. The latest statistic comes almost 8 months after the company revealed 400 million devices were running Windows 10. Microsoft revealed its latest Windows 10 figures just as the software maker starts its Build developer event in Seattle today.

Microsoft had originally claimed it would have 1 billion devices running Windows 10 by 2018. The bold estimate was revised last July, with Microsoft admitting "it will take longer than FY18 for us to reach our goal of 1 billion monthly active devices." It now seems this will take a lot longer than 2018 for Microsoft to reach 1 billion Windows 10 devices. Growth has stalled since the free Windows 10 upgrade offer, and Microsoft has all but given up on phones that could have helped boost its numbers.

Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the company has been loosely targeting 550 million monthly active Windows 10 devices by the end of June, and 575 million by the end of September. Today’s 500 million figure shows the company is roughly on schedule with its revised estimates, and it’s a large number of devices that makes it increasingly harder for developers to ignore.

Microsoft will now again try and tempt developers to create Universal Windows Apps for its Windows 10 operating system, while also convincing them to port existing desktop apps into the Windows Store. Build is a key event for this type of push, and the majority of Microsoft’s Windows focus will be seen tomorrow during the company’s second keynote at 11AM ET / 8AM PT.

Today’s Storystream

Feed refreshed 15 minutes ago Yes, it happened again.

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The Verge
Jacob Kastrenakes15 minutes ago
YouTube’s biggest defense against TikTok: money.

The company is going to start giving creators a share of ad revenue when commercials play between YouTube Shorts. The platform’s relatively generous payments are a large part of its rich creator culture, and now we’ll find out if they’re enough to lure short-form creators away from TikTok.


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Twitter
Elizabeth LopattoAn hour ago
Signal, the encrypted messaging app, gets free promotion from Twitter’s lawyers.

Last year, Elon Musk tweeted “Use Signal,” leading to a spike in new users. Twitter’s lawyers said in a footnote in a previous filing that Musk had been messaging with investor Marc Andreessen of a16z on Signal about a Twitter investment. The problem for Twitter’s discovery process is that Signal messages can be set to auto-delete; Musk’s lawyers maintain he doesn’t ordinarily use Signal for business. Now, there’s a sealed motion that.... contains Musk’s Signal tweet. 👀


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Alex CranzTwo hours ago
If you’re into the minimalist PC build then Nvidia’s latest GPUs might present a problem.

Nvidia finally announced the 40-series—specifically the more expensive and more powerful 4090 and 4080. But big power means these are some big cards and that could be a problem for PC builders who prefer smaller, minimalist looks for their PCs. Builders at the /sffpc subreddit, that focuses on small form factor pc builds, are already worried.


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The Verge
Barbara KrasnoffTwo hours ago
A lot of people seem to agree that lock screen widgets are one of the best new features of iOS 16.

So we put together a how-to on customizing your iPhone’s lock screen and wallpaper with widgets and design options, and even linking them to Focus modes. It’s easier than you’d think.


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Youtube
Mitchell ClarkTwo hours ago
Apple replaced the iPhone 14 Pro’s SIM slot with a block of plastic.

iFixit’s teardown of the iPhone 14 Pro gives us a look at what’s behind the Dynamic Island, and does a good job of demonstrating why the regular iPhone 14’s removable back glass is so nice.

We also get to see what’s taken the place of the SIM slot: a bare PCB, and a plastic spacer. So useful!


Welcome to the new Verge

Revolutionizing the media with blog posts

Nilay PatelSep 13
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External Link
David Pierce4:51 PM UTC
Bluetooth speakerphones are an underrated accessory.

Wirecutter has a good roundup of options, which are as good for Zoom calls as advertised, but they’re also just useful in life! I use mine roughly as a desk phone, and also connect it every time we’re doing the “everyone gather around the phone to talk to Grandma” thing. I have the Jabra Speak 510, and love it.


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External Link
Elizabeth Lopatto4:28 PM UTC
The SPAC-lash is here.

So remember the craze for SPACs, an alternative way to take a company public? The times, they have a-changed: the SPAC King of Silicon Valley, Chamath Palihapitiya, couldn’t find acquisition targets for two of his piles of cash. One of them, Social Capital Hedosophia VI, is the largest-ever SPAC.


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Twitter
Richard Lawler4:23 PM UTC
Use every (mega) pixel.

Halide is touted as one of the best photography apps on the iPhone, and as usual, it has a new update out to help you get the most out of the best camera available on the platform — that 48-megapixel sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro.

Version 2.9.0 of Halide is live in the App Store, with quick 48MP shooting directly to HEIC or JPG and many other new features.


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Nilay Patel4:21 PM UTC
Speaking of CarPlay.

Dan posted about CarPlay earlier and it reminded me that wireless CarPlay has actually set Apple back in its quest to somehow take over the car market — problems with it disconnecting are the number one complaint from new car owners, according to JD Power. Something to think about as Apple continues its relentless quest to remove all the ports from our phones.

The most frequent problem reported across the industry regardless of powertrain type or brand cachet related to smartphone connectivity. Dropped connections with Apple CarPlay was the number one problem, as Android Auto complaints leveled off from last year. Further, the number of reported problems with wireless Apple CarPlay increased as well, due to the feature being offered in more cars. 


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Twitter
Richard Lawler2:43 PM UTC
PC gamers showed up for a PlayStation hit.

NPD’s August update for videogame sales has arrived, noting that PS5 was number one in hardware sales for the month and that new-gen hardware sales are up significantly from last year due to improved supply for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S.

But the most astounding leap came from Marvel’s Spider-Man, which jumped from 84th on the chart the month before to number 3, thanks to Sony re-releasing the PlayStation exclusive on PC via Steam (and Steam Deck).


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Dan Seifert2:37 PM UTC
Apple’s CarPlay is still frustratingly basic.

Stephen Hackett at 512 Pixels has blogged about the frustrations he’s had migrating to a new iPhone and not having his CarPlay preferences carry over, despite every other app on his phone copying over correctly.

I’m with him on that, but I’m more annoyed by the second point he highlights: CarPlay still treats every vehicle you connect to as a different thing. Instead of preserving your preferences when you plug in to a different car, it makes you set it all up again for each new vehicle. This is annoying for families with more than one car; it’s downright maddening for frequent users of rental cars. Seems like a simple thing to fix!