Video: Quick look at Windows 10 Redstone build 11082

Microsoft has released the first Redstone build of Windows 10 to Windows Insiders today. Build 11082 includes no noticeable new features on the surface, however it does include a number of under the hood changes that will benefit users in the near future. 

In todays video, I explain what OneCore is and what Microsoft has changed under the hood to improve the operating system. I also explain how Microsoft is planning to speed up the release of builds for the fast ring, as this was something insiders have been requesting for some time. 

Have you installed build 11082 yet? Let us know below!

See how a Bulgarian carrier is selling the Lumia 950 XL (video)

In some parts of Eastern Europe Windows Phones have a relatively high market share, meaning carriers have no problem marketing the handsets directly to consumers. 

In the above ad we have Bulgarian carrier Vivacom promoting Microsoft’s new flagships as something the young boy is clearly hinting at rather persistently, with the tag line which roughly translates into “This christmas, say clearly/exactly when you want – the new Lumias with windows 10...” 

Setting up Microsoft’s rather expensive new handsets as as extremely desirable seems to me to be a good marketing strategy for the premium devices. Do our readers agree?

Windows 10 in-depth: Groove Music (video)

For the last Windows 10 in-depth video of 2015 we’re rockin’ out to Groove Music. As we wrote recently, music on Microsoft is the best that it’s been for awhile and Groove Music is a big part of that. While there are features that people would like to see added, I think Groove is one of the best apps that Microsoft made in Windows 10. 

Groove lets you listen to music from your device, stream songs from your OneDrive, and if you have a Groove Music pass listen to online made radio stations and albums. The interface fits very will with Windows 10 and works well with touch or mouse and keyboard. 

If you prefer to listen to music you own, Groove does a good job of letting you play from your device or stream through OneDrive. If you prefer the subscription based model, Microsoft has a Groove Music pass which is similar to Spotify or Apple Music. 

Groove came in strong when it arrived with Windows 10 and it’s gotten better over time. It now has iHeartRadio integration on top of its other music options. There are features that people would like to see added but overall I think Groove Music is very impressive. 

Watch the video above and share your comments below! Would you like to see an in-depth series of Windows 10 Mobile?

Record video footage with Windows 10 Game DVR

So I play a lot of games (Heroes of the Storm!) and I frequently want to record what I'm doing, so that I can provide commentary for others, but also so that I can learn from my mistakes. I generally use a tool like Camtasiafor my recording and editing, especially outside of gaming, but Windows 10 now has a recording tool built into the OS called  Game DVR, so I wanted to highlight that for you. You should also know that this can record any application, and not just games. 



To make any sort of changes or access the shortcuts for the Game DVR, you actually need to go to the Xbox app, which is built into Windows 10. Don't ask me, I just work here. In fact, if you typed in "Game DVR", it wouldn't even show the application. 

This is found in your Programs folder, and I just get to it from my Start Menu: 

 

Shortcuts 

I have a difficult time remembering shortcuts, so I snipped them out and have them posted in a OneNote page which is always up on my screen. 

 

Now what I end up doing is simply hitting Win + Alt + R when I launch a new game, and that will start recording the game for me. I sometimes forget that I'm recording content, so I always have the timer visible in the top right corner as well, with the Win + Alt + T shortcut, which displays a small icon. This will not appear in your recording. 

For commentary, such as my Heroes of the Storm videos, I record my mic as well: Win + Alt + M, and the display I mentioned above will also show you if you mic is active.Changing where the files are stored 

I keep my OS and the applications I most frequently use stored on an SSD, so that I can access them as quickly as possible. For everything else, which mainly falls under media (videos, songs, images, games), I store on a 3TB hard drive. 

 

By default, Game DVR stores your recorded videos within the Videos / Captures folder. This is great, except that folder is located on my SSD. To change this, it's pretty straightforward 

From your file explorer, drag your "Captures" folder within Videos/Captures into the new location where you want your videos to be stored. In my case, I want them to me stored on my large D drive. 

 

To verify that this worked, open your Xbox App and navigate to the Game DVR settings, and the Saving Captures area should point out exactly where it is being stored. The Game DVR only knows the store videos within the Captures folder.Viewing clips 

You can view your recorded clips from within the Xbox App as well. On the left hand side, you'll find a tab that looks like a film reel (we used to record footage on these) with a gamepad in front of it. Click on that. 

 

Now you have a number of options at your disposal. Unfortunately, sharing only works for clips from Xbox One or Windows Store games. This is understandable, as they probably don't want you sharing questionable content from other applications with your Xbox Live network. 

 

What is interesting about the Shared Tab though, is that it will also point out games that I've recorded from my Xbox One console, too. 

 

For clips that come from Xbox One / Windows 10 games, I can share them in my activity feed, send a message to a friend, or showcase it within my profile. 

 

In this crowning achievement, I was playing Star Wars: Battlefront (the game is awesome), and I had the courage to take on Darth Vader. Surprisingly, things went in my favor. I must have a bit of Jedi blood in me. Coincidence that the film releases on my birthday? 

 

On Xbox One this will actuall post the video to your OneDrive, which you can share with everyone. I'm not sure why this feature isn't available here, though. 

If I navigate to my OneDrive from within my browser, I can see that it is actually stored there. I can now share it with anyone. 

 



I can Right-Click -> Embed and it will display this prompt: 

 

This will generate the HTML that I can embed directly into this page, which you can see below. This won't actually play the video within this page though. It will redirect you to OneDrive, where you can view it without needing to log in.

Wrapping up 

So hopefully this was pretty helpful for you. If you know of any tricks I may have been missing in here, let me know! And remember, you can use this for any application, not just games.

Windows 10 cheat sheet with video

Windows 10 is the best operating system that's come along from Microsoft in a long time. It's a shape-shifter that changes its interface depending upon whether you're using a traditional computer or a touch-based one. It undoes the damage wrought by Windows 8, including eliminating the awkward Charms bar and bringing back the long-mourned Start menu. A lot more has changed as well, with a new default browser called Edge, the integration of the Cortana digital assistant and plenty more. 

Whether you've upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 8 or an earlier version of Windows, or if you've got it on a new PC, this cheat sheet will get you up to speed on it. I'll cover everything you need to know, and I've also provided quick-reference charts listing useful keyboard shortcuts, touchscreen gestures and touchpad gestures. 

Note: If you want to get the most out of Windows 10, you'll have to use a Microsoft ID as your user account. Without a Microsoft ID, you won't be able to use a number of Windows 10 apps or sync settings among multiple devices. So when you set up Windows 10 for the first time, sign in with an existing Microsoft ID or create a new one. (You can also switch to a Microsoft ID account later. I'll show you how.) 

Before we get started, a few words about some terminology you'll need to know. Microsoft has sowed enormous confusion with a set of lightweight apps that were originally designed for the Windows 8 touch-oriented Start screen interface. It first called them Metro apps, and then through the years changed their names to Modern apps, Windows Store apps, and then Universal Windows apps. Now it's settled simply on Windows apps, although at times the company also calls them Universal Windows apps, to get across the point that they will run on all versions of Windows 10, including for mobile phones. In this article, we'll refer to them as Windows apps. 

What about apps designed for the desktop? Microsoft now calls them Windows desktop applications. In this article we'll call them desktop applications, for simplicity's sake.

HTML5 Video for Netflix comes to Firefox for Windows

Yesterday we told you that Netflix for Windows 10 had received an update, but that's not all that's coming to Windows. Firefox also has plans to up the ante with HTML5 Video for Windows. This is the much-utilized format on the internet today. 
Netflix is announcing that Firefox now comes with the latest HTML5 premium video extensions, such as Media Source Extensions (MSE), which the streaming service utilizes in an effort to adapt its streaming to the bandwidth of each viewer, and Encrypted Media Extensions (EME), that allows for the viewing of encrypted content. 
The new video player will support Firefox users on Windows versions beginning with Vista and newer operating systems. Netflix says it worked with both Mozilla and Adobe in an effort to do this. "We were pleased to find through our joint field testing that Adobe Primetime's CDM, Mozilla’s tag, and our player all work together seamlessly to provide a high quality viewing experience in Firefox. With the new Premium Video Extensions, Firefox users will no longer need to take an extra step of installing a plug-in to watch Netflix", the streaming service claims. 
Mozilla promises that it will bring this technology to other platforms such as Apple in 2016. It's using its open source CDM sandbox, which it claims will provide better security. 
Sponsored CONTENT ON BetaNews 
Hear What Elle King and Betty Who Have to Say About Learning to Not Apologize for Being Themselves 
Listen to What Elle King and Betty Who Have to Say About Confidence, Society’s Nonsense, and Not Taking No for An Answer. 

Why the latest version of software isn’t always the best

Since Netflix’s inception, Firefox users have needed to install a plugin in order to watch Netflix. Starting this week, that’s no longer necessary, at least for some users. 

Yesterday Netflix announced that its HTML5 video player is now available in Firefox, making plugins a thing of the past. For now this is only available in the Windows version of the browser, though the post on the Netflix Tech Blog notes that OS X support is on the way, rolling out sometime next year. 



Though this means that users no longer need to download a plugin, it still involves proprietary software. Netflix playback uses DRM, and Mozilla worked closely with Adobe to bring its Primetime Content Decryption Module (CDM) to Firefox version 43. While OS X is the only additional platform mentioned so far, the Mozilla blog post about the new feature mentions that Mozilla and Adobe plan to bring the Primetime CDM to Firefox on other operating systems in 2016. 

Most users of the browser will be happy that they’re able to watch their favorite shows without the need for a plugin, but for some this may seem an ominous sign of things to come, as it means that Firefox now features a built-in DRM solution. On the other hand, Mozilla mentions that the Adobe Primetime CDM runs sandboxed, making it more secure than the previous plugin-based approach. 



The HTML5 player makes use of the HTML Premium Video Extensions, which help enable its DRM through the Encrypted Media Extensions, but also include the Media Source Extensions. These allow Netflix to adapt its streams to your available bandwidth, which should make for a better viewing experience. 

Now that this feature has come to Firefox, Netflix now supports HTML5 video in what it calls “all major browsers” — Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Chrome. Sorry, Opera fans.