Windows 10 Getting Two New Changes

Microsoft has unveiled a couple of changes to improve Windows 10: smartphone owners will be able to see notifications on their computer screen, while many Chrome extensions could be coming to the Edge browser.

A forthcoming update will introduce something called "notification mirroring." That will mean pairing a Windows or Android smartphone or tablet with a Windows 10 computer. Users can then automatically have any notifications that normally appear on their smartphone or tablet show up on their computer screen instead.

The idea is that while somebody is working on their computer, they will be able to see and dismiss notifications without the need to pull their phone out of their pocket every time and check - something that can a hassle especially if there are constant notifications. Dismissing the notification will also remove it from the phone screen, though developers will have to support this on an app-by-app basis.

The plan is initially to put the update into the Cortana app, but eventually build it directly into the main Windows 10 system. Microsoft says its exploring supporting iPhones with the system, but hasn't yet found a way to work with Apple. (Source: technobuffalo.com)

Browser Extensions Coming To Edge

Meanwhile, Microsoft is finally getting round to including extensions to its Edge browser. The absence of extensions at the launch of Windows 10 earned a great deal of criticism, but they are now included in some beta test editions of future Windows 10 updates.

Just as with full-blown applications, extensions can be a chicken and egg situation. There's always been a strong danger that developers won't bother making Edge extensions if not many people are using the browser, but many people won't use the browser if it doesn't offer extensions.

To get round that, Microsoft says it will make it as easy as possible for developers of Chrome extensions to make them work on Edge. Developers can either use a special conversion tool, or can simply add two lines of code to their Chrome extension. (Source: pcworld.com)

Browser Figures Bad News For Microsoft

Microsoft is under a lot of pressure to get people using Edge as recent figures show only 43.4 percent of people worldwide are using either Internet Explorer or Edge, compared with 39.1 percent on Chrome. Recent trends suggest Google could take the #1 slot for browsers as early as this May.

What's Your Opinion?

Would you find it useful to have mobile device notifications on your computer screen? Are you a big user of browser extensions? Has the lack of extensions deterred you from using Edge?