Wednesdays become glorious again! Normal service has resumed as Microsoft has released Windows 10 build 18290 today to the Fast ring channel of the preview program.
This, after a brief pause last week due to Thanksgiving.
Build 18290 as the company highlights, mostly comes with some refinements to the UI. Which is to be expected for a build that gets released right after the break. It is the latest version from the 19H1 development branch,
Let’s start with the big one, the Fluent Design elements that are now part of the Start Menu.
We have polishes to the power and user menus, as well as some neat little icons that allow for easier identification. These are also visible in the power menu on the sign-in screen.
Talking about sinking time, we have the ability to manually syncing your system clock in the Data & Time Settings panel. This can be a lifesaver if you have the time service disabled, or when you suspect that your clock might be out of sync.
Another handy ability is an update to the icon in the notification area that lets you know when an app is accessing your microphone, double clicking the icon opens its privacy settings.
Microsoft has also improved Search and Cortana experiences in this build, with an update to the landing page that has a bit more room to breathe, has light theme support and even a touch of acrylic, along with search filter options.
Windows 10 now also notifies you when your device requires a reboot, including new build releases, with an orange indicator in the system tray.
And finally, it is now a tad easier to keep track of your tasks from Mail and Calendar apps, thanks to an integration with the Microsoft To-Do app that offers an ability to switch directly to it with an icon. This update is rolling out to both Insiders and regular users.
Overall, mostly minor improvements, as you can see.
But important additions to the overall usability of Windows 10.
Microsoft does note that older builds will soon be expiring. This is nothing new, as older builds do expire by first notifying you daily and then at some point, stop working altogether. The date for current builds is December 14, by the way.
So, if you are running a preview build yourself, you can avoid this scenario by upgrading to this new one.
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