Sometimes, if a version of an image without a watermark cannot be obtained from the author, it can be removed to make the image more reusable. All licenses acceptable on Commons permit this kind of modification. There are a number of ways to remove watermarks using widely-available tools, and new technology is rapidly appearing in this area. Below are a few recommended procedures.
Development
At the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in 2011, Andrew Lees, then chief of Microsoft's mobile technologies, stated that the company intended to have a single ecosystem for PCs, phones, tablets, and other devices. "We won’t have an ecosystem for PCs, and one for phones, and one for tablets—they’ll all come together."[6][7]
In December 2013, technology writer Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft was working on an update to Windows 8 codenamed Threshold, after a planet in Microsoft's Halofranchise.[8] Similarly to "Blue" (which became Windows 8.1),[9] Foley called Threshold a "wave of operating systems" across multiple Microsoft platforms and services, scheduled for the second quarter of 2015. Foley reported that among the goals for Threshold was to create a unified application platform and development toolkit for Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One (which all use a similar Windows NT kernel).[8][10] It was speculated that Threshold would be branded as "Windows 9".[11]
In April 2014, at the Build Conference, Microsoft's Terry Myerson unveiled an updated version of Windows 8.1 that added the ability to run Windows Store apps inside desktop windows and a more traditional Start menu in place of the Start screen seen in Windows 8. The new Start menu takes after Windows 7's design by using only a portion of the screen and including a Windows 7-style application listing in the first column. The second column displays Windows 8-style app tiles. Myerson stated that these changes would occur in a future update, but did not elaborate.[12][13] Microsoft also unveiled the concept of a "universal Windows app", allowing Windows Store apps created for Windows 8.1 to be ported to Windows Phone 8.1 and Xbox One while sharing a common codebase, with an interface designed for different device form factors, and allowing user data andlicenses for an app to be shared between multiple platforms. Windows Phone 8.1 would share nearly 90% of the common Windows Runtime APIs with Windows 8.1 on PCs.[12][14][15][16]
In July 2014, Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella explained that the company was planning to "streamline the next version of Windows from three operating systems into one single converged operating system for screens of all sizes", unifying Windows, Windows Phone, and Windows Embedded around a common architecture and a unified application ecosystem. However, Nadella stated that these internal changes would not have any effect on how the operating systems are marketed and sold.[17][18] Screenshots of a Windows build which purported to be Threshold were leaked in July 2014, showing the previously presented Start menu and windowed Windows Store apps[10] followed by further screenshot in September 2014 of a build identifying itself as "Windows Technical Preview", numbered 9834, showing a new virtual desktop system, a notification center, and a new File Explorer icon.[19]
Announcement
Threshold was officially unveiled during a media event on September 30, 2014, under the name Windows 10; Myerson said that Windows 10 would be Microsoft's "most comprehensive platform ever", providing a single, unified platform for desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and all-in-one devices.[11][20][21] He emphasized that Windows 10 would take steps towards restoring user interface mechanics from Windows 7 to improve the experience for users on non-touch devices, noting criticism of Windows 8's touch-oriented interface by keyboard and mouse users.[22][23] Despite these concessions, Myerson noted that the touch-oriented interface would "evolve" as well on 10.[24] In describing the changes, Joe Belfiore likened the two operating systems to electric cars, comparing Windows 7 to a first-generation Toyota Prius hybrid, and Windows 10 to an all-electric Tesla—considering the latter to be an extension of the technology first introduced in the former.[25]
Microsoft has not clarified the reasoning for naming the new operating system Windows 10 instead of Windows 9; however, Terry Myerson has stated that "based on the product that's coming, and just how different our approach will be overall, it wouldn't be right to call it Windows 9." He also joked that they couldn't call it "Windows One" (alluding to several recent Microsoft products with a similar brand, such as OneNote, Xbox One and OneDrive) because they had already made a Windows 1.[11]
Further details surrounding Windows 10's consumer-oriented features were presented during another media event held on January 21, 2015, entitled "Windows 10: The Next Chapter". The keynote featured the unveiling of Cortana integration within the operating system, new Xbox-oriented features, Windows 10 for phones and small tablets, an updated Office Mobile suite, Surface Hub—a large-screened Windows 10 device for enterprise collaboration based upon Perceptive Pixel technology,[26] along with HoloLens—augmented reality eyewear and an associated platform for building apps that can render holograms through HoloLens.[27]
Release
On June 1, 2015, Microsoft first promoted that Windows 10 would be released on July 29, 2015.[2] Microsoft began an advertising campaign centring around Windows 10, "Upgrade Your World", on July 20, 2015 with the premiere of television commercials in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The commercials focused on the tagline "A more human way to do", emphasizing new features and technologies supported by Windows 10 that sought to provide a more "personal" experience to users.[28][29] The campaign culminated with launch events in thirteen cities on July 29, which celebrated "the unprecedented role our biggest fans played in the development of Windows 10".[30]
Features
A major aspect of Windows 10 is a focus on harmonizing user experiences and functionality between different classes of devices, along with addressing shortcomings in the Windows user interface that were introduced in Windows 8.[22][23][31] Continuing with this pattern, the successor to Windows Phone 8.1 unveiled at the same event is also branded as Windows 10, and shares some user interface elements and apps with its PC counterpart.[32]
The Windows Store app ecosystem was revised into Windows apps.[14][33] They are made to run across multiple platforms and device classes, including smartphones, tablets, Xbox One consoles, and other compatible Windows 10 devices. Windows apps share code across platforms, have responsive designs that adapt to the needs of the device and available inputs, can synchronize data between Windows 10 devices (including notifications, credentials, and allowing cross-platform multiplayer for games), and are distributed through a unified Windows Store. Developers can allow "cross-buys", where purchased licenses for an app apply to all of the user's compatible devices, rather than only the one they purchased on (i.e. a user purchasing an app on PC is also entitled to use the smartphone version at no extra cost).[15][34][35]
On Windows 10, Windows Store serves as a unified storefront for apps, Groove music (formerly Xbox Music), and Movies & TV (formerly Xbox Video).[36] Windows 10 also allowsweb apps and desktop software (using either Win32 or .NET Framework) to be packaged for distribution on the Windows Store. Desktop software distributed through Windows Store is packaged using the App-V system to allow sandboxing.[37][38]
User interface and desktop
A new iteration of the Start menu is used on the Windows 10 desktop, with a list of applications and other options on the left side, and live tiles on the right. The menu can be resized, and expanded into a full-screen display, which is the default option in touch environments.[22][31][39] A new virtual desktop system known as Task View was added. Clicking the Task View button on the taskbar or swiping from the left side of the screen displays all open windows and allows users to switch between them, or switch between multiple workspaces.[22][31] Windows Store apps, which previously could be used only in full screen mode, can now be used in self-contained windows similarly to other programs.[22][31] Program windows can now be snapped to quadrants of the screen by dragging them to the corner. When a window is snapped to one side of the screen, the user is prompted to choose a second window to fill the unused side of the screen (called "Snap Assist").[31] Windows' system icons were also changed to a new, minimalist design.[39]
Charms have been removed; their functionality in Windows Store apps is accessed from an App commands menu on their titlebar.[22][31] In its place is Action Center, which displays notifications and settings toggles. It is accessed by clicking an icon in the system tray, or dragging from the right of the screen. Notifications can be synced between multiple devices.[32][39] The Settings app (formerly PC Settings) was refreshed and now includes more options that were previously exclusive to the desktop Control Panel.[40][41]
Windows 10 is designed to adapt its user interface based on the type of device being used and available input methods. It offers two separate user interface modes: a user interface optimized for mouse and keyboard, and a "tablet mode" designed for touchscreens. Users can toggle between these two modes at any time, and Windows can prompt or automatically switch when certain events occur, such as disabling tablet mode on a tablet if a keyboard or mouse is plugged in or a convertible tablet is being used in its a laptop state. In tablet mode, universal apps default to full screen mode, and the taskbar remains visible (unless set to auto-hide), but now contains a back button for use in apps and defaults to a "lightweight" mode that does not display opened programs. The full screen Start menu is used in this state, similarly to Windows 8, but scrolls vertically instead of horizontally.[23][42][43][44]
System and security
Windows 10 incorporates multi-factor authentication technology based upon standards developed by the FIDO Alliance.[45] The operating system includes improved support forbiometric authentication through the Windows Hello and Passport platforms; devices with supported cameras (requiring infrared illumination, such as Intel RealSense) allow users to login with face- or iris-recognition, similarly to Kinect. Devices with supported readers support fingerprint-recognition login. Credentials are stored locally and protected usingasymmetric encryption. The Passport platform allows networks, software and websites to authenticate users using either a PIN or biometric login to verify their identity, without sending a password.[46]
The enterprise version of Windows 10 offers additional security features; administrators can set up policies for the automatic encryption of sensitive data, and selectively block applications from accessing encrypted data. Windows 10 also offers Device Guard, a system which allows administrators to enforce a high security environment by blocking the execution of software that is not digitally signed by a trusted vendor or Microsoft, with a particular focus on blocking zero-day exploits. Device Guard runs inside a hypervisor, so that its operation remains separated from the operating system itself.[45][47]
To reduce the storage footprint of the operating system, Windows 10 automatically compresses system files. The system can reduce the storage footprint of Windows by approximately 1.5 GB for 32-bit systems and 2.6 GB for 64-bit systems. The level of compression used is dependent on a performance assessment performed during installations or by OEMs, which tests how much compression can be used without harming operating system performance. Furthermore, the Refresh and Reset functions use runtime system files instead, making a separate recovery partition redundant, allowing patches and updates to remain installed following the operation, and further reducing the amount of space required for Windows 10 by up to 12 GB. These functions replace the WIMBoot mode introduced on Windows 8.1 Update, which allowed OEMs to configure low-capacity devices with flash-based storage to use Windows system files out of the compressed WIM image typically used for installation and recovery.[48][49][50] Windows 10 also includes a related function in its Settings app known as Storage Sense, which allows users to view a breakdown of how their device's storage capacity is being used by different types of files, and determine whether certain types of files are saved to internal storage or an SD card by default.[51]
Online services and functionality
Windows 10 introduces a new default web browser, Microsoft Edge.[52] It features a new standards-compliant rendering engine forked from Trident, annotation tools, and offers integration with other Microsoft platforms present within Windows 10.[53][54] Internet Explorer 11 is maintained on Windows 10 for compatibility purposes, and is deprecated in favor of Edge.[55][56]
Windows 10 incorporates Microsoft's intelligent personal assistant, Cortana, which was first introduced with Windows Phone 8.1 in 2014. Cortana replaced Windows' embedded search feature, supporting both text and voice input. Many of its features are a direct carryover from Windows Phone, including integration with Bing, setting reminders, aNotebook feature for managing personal information, as well as searching for files, playing music, launching applications and setting reminders or sending emails.[57][58] Cortana is implemented as a universal search box located alongside the Start and Task View buttons, which can be hidden or condensed to a single button.[39]
Windows 10 also offers the Wi-Fi Sense feature originating from Windows Phone 8.1; users can optionally have their device automatically connect to "suggested" open hotspots, and share their own network's password with contacts (either via Skype, People, or Facebook) so they may automatically connect to it on a Windows 10 device without needing to enter the network's password. Credentials are stored in an encrypted form on Microsoft servers, and sent to the devices of the selected contacts in this form.[59]
Multimedia and gaming
Windows 10 provides heavier integration with the Xbox ecosystem: an updated Xbox app allows users to browse their game library (including both PC and Xbox console games), and Game DVR is also available using a keyboard shortcut, allowing users to save the last 30 seconds of gameplay as a video that can be shared to Xbox Live, OneDrive, or elsewhere. Windows 10 also allows users to control and play games from an Xbox One console over a local network.[62] The Xbox Live SDK allows application developers to incorporate Xbox Live functionality into their apps, and future wireless Xbox One accessories, such as controllers, are supported on Windows with an adapter.[63] Candy Crush Saga and Microsoft Solitaire Collection are also bundled with Windows 10.[64][65]
Windows 10 adds FLAC and HEVC codecs and support for the Matroska media container, allowing these formats to be opened in Windows Media Player and other applications.[66][67][68]
DirectX 12
Windows 10 includes DirectX 12 alongside WDDM 2.0.[69][70] Unveiled March 2014 at GDC, DirectX 12 aims to provide "console-level efficiency" with "closer to the metal" access to hardware resources, and reduced CPU and graphics driver overhead.[71][72] Most of the performance improvements are achieved through low-level programming which can reduce single-threaded CPU bottlenecking caused by abstraction through higher level APIs. The performance gains achieved by allowing developers direct access to GPUresources is similar to other low-level rendering initiatives such as AMD's Mantle, Apple's Metal API or the OpenGL successor, Vulkan.[73][74] WDDM 2.0 introduces a new virtual memory management and allocation system to reduce workload on the kernel-mode driver.[69][75]
Removed features
Windows Media Center was discontinued, and is uninstalled when upgrading from a previous version of Windows.[76][77] Those who performed upgrades from a Windows installation that had Media Center receive a replacement Windows DVD Player universal app at no charge to maintain DVD playback functionality.[78]
The OneDrive built-in sync client, which was introduced in Windows 8.1, no longer supports offline placeholders in Windows 10.[79][80] Functionality to view offline files is expected to be added sometime in the future in a new Windows app.[81]
Users are no longer able to synchronize Start menu layouts across all devices associated with a Microsoft account. A Microsoft developer justified the change by explaining that a user may have different applications they want to emphasize on each device that they use, rather than use the same configuration across each device. The ability to automatically install a Windows Store app across all devices associated with an account was also removed.[82]
The option to select various methods for downloading Windows Updates (or ignoring them completely) was removed. Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise users, if configured by the administrator, may defer updates, but only for a limited time.[83] Users consent to the automatic installation of all updates, features and drivers provided by the service, and to the automatic removal or changes to features being modified or no longer provided, under the end-user license agreement.
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