Funky new (less boring) icons on the way for Win10

Microsoft refreshed Office's icons last year, and now it's Windows 10's turn. The software giant is rolling out updates to the icons for Windows 10's core apps over the months ahead, starting with the Calendar and Mail apps in a new Release Preview for Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. The company's design team explained that it wanted to break away from the flat, colorless icons you see today in favor of ones that are at once more consistent with newer branding (including apps available beyond Windows) and different enough that you'll have an easier time finding the one you want.

This is arguably an overdue move. Microsoft hadn't really touched Windows 10's main icons since its debut in 2015, so they risked feeling old. There were also inconsistencies creeping in, especially once Office got its new look. This update drags Windows 10's appearance into the modern era, and might just give you a more colorful OS in the bargain.

www.engadget.com

Let's take a bad thing & make it worse: Windows 10 Mail, now with added Ads!

Microsoft was, and maybe still is, considering injecting targeted adverts into the Windows 10 Mail app.

The ads would appear at the top of inboxes of folks using the client without a paid-for Office 365 subscription, and the advertising would be tailored to their interests. Revenues from the banners were hoped to help keep Microsoft afloat, which banked just $16bn in profit in its latest financial year.

According to Aggiornamenti Lumia on Friday, folks using Windows Insider fast-track builds of Mail and Calendar, specifically version 11605.11029.20059.0, may have seen the ads in among their messages, depending on their location. Users in Brazil, Canada, Australia, and India were chosen as guinea pigs for this experiment.

A now-deleted FAQ on the Office.com website about the "feature" explained the advertising space would be sold off to help Microsoft "provide, support, and improve some of our products," just like Gmail and Yahoo! Mail display ads.

The Win10 Mail app sucks - do yourself a favour & use Webmail or Outlook!

www.theregister.co.uk

Windows 10 Mail is already abysmal, and Microsoft wants to make it worse

For a long time, I've had a theory that Microsoft feel they have to offer free email client software, BUT need to make it a bit crap. If they make it too good, it would cannibalise sales of Outlook, their premium PIM product. Microsoft didn't get to their lofty position by giving away their crown jewels!

Over the years, Microsoft's free email client software has included Outlook Express (OK), Windows Live Mail (v2012 was pretty good), and now Windows 10 Mail (pants!). 

If you are after a free email client application, try Mozilla Thunderbird which is pretty good. If you want a really good email client - Outlook is best (though sadly not free!), & part of Microsoft Office. However, if your email provider is Google - use Gmail in Chrome for the best, fastest & safest experience.

www.venturebeat.com

Using the Win10 Yahoo Mail App? Time for a "Plan B"

Users of the Windows 10 Yahoo Mail app have begun receiving notifications within the app, informing them that the app will cease to work on May 22nd, just a few days from now.

The Windows Store listing for the Yahoo Mail app is still online but the ability to download it has been removed. In addition to this, a large number of users have begun reporting on Twitter that the app has already stopped working for them ahead of the cut-off which suggests that support for it has already begun to cease at least partially.

Generally using the words "email" and "Yahoo" in the same sentence is a bad idea. Do yourself a favour and move to Gmail.

www.onmsft.com