Microsoft released Insider Preview Build 14279 last March 4 and it includes several updates for Cortana, the logon screen, and Japanese input methods (IME).
Sway option in the Photo app and the March update for the Xbox app were also included. Aside from those, fixes were also implemented for several issues with the latest operating system. However, the latest build is currently only available to Windows Insider Program members in the Fast ring.
With the update, Cortana is capable of interacting in more languages. The intelligent assistant can be activated in Spanish (Mexico), Portuguese (Brazil) and French (Canada). Microsoft added that Cortana is now familiar with common food, accents and languages of the said countries.
The logon and lock screens now share the same background, unlike before when they used two separate background images. The personal background that the user has set is used on both screens.
The Japanese IME was also improved. Typing response has been calibrated to provide a smoother transition from one character to another. The prediction database has also been made better and can now provide more options of words.
The Photo app in Windows 10 has an additional option, Sway, which creates a Web-based story book for the selected photo album. Users can put additional items to make it interactive, like narration and captions to make it an interactive photo album.
The Xbox app, which is still in beta, now shows Gamescore Leaderboard.
Several PC issues were also remedied with this latest update. These include:
- Fixed crashing issue with Microsft Edge and Cortana for users with a roaming profile
- Fixed Cortana's repetitive reminder even if the action has been completed
- Fixed the desktop issue where items that were pasted or moved are not showing immediately
- Fixed bluescreen issue for specific drivers
Microsoft has also informed its community that there are still several PC issues being investigated and being worked on. Some of these are freezing issues on Surface Book, Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4; machine going into a bluescreen after coming from a hibernate status; Kaspersky products not performing as designed; and connectivity issues with older Wi-Fi network.
Gabe Aul, the tech giant's corporate vice president, also said in the blog post, "While we don't have a new build for mobile from our Development Branch today, I do want to let Windows Insiders know that as of yesterday, all firmware updates for Windows 10 devices will now be auto-published for our Windows Insiders when they become available. This allows us to deliver on our goal of eliminating the gap in time between when firmware was available for retail customers and Windows Insiders, as well as eliminating the manual steps that were previously required."
