Latest Windows 10 Redstone Preview Sweet Talks Cortana With New Languages And Simple Reminders

Microsoft is serving up a fresh Windows 10 Insider Preview build and thankfully, this one actually has a bit of extra meat on the bones instead of the skimpy releases we’ve received in the past. Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14279 is a Redstone release and brings with it additional language and regional support for Cortana in addition to new functionality for the digital assistant.

For starters, Microsoft Cortana now supports Spanish (Mexico), Portuguese (Brazil) and French (Canada) languages. And to make Windows 10 users feel right at home when selecting their language, Microsoft has buoyed Cortana by adding local flourishes. “For instance, in Brazil – Cortana is fond of pasteis which is a common food found in many regions across Brazil.” writes Gabe Aul. Corporate VP of Engineering Systems. “And in Mexico, we added local flavor to reflect the accent and language of the country.”

Cortana has also been infused with the ability to help you recall small tidbits of information without having to first setup a full reminder. For example, you can have Cortana remember “information like the name of a book you want to read (ex: “remind me to read [insert book name]”), or a to-do item without a due date (ex: “remind me to wash the car”).” If you’d like to later go back and set a specific date or time to your random musings, you can do so.

Microsoft has also simplified the logon experience with Build 14279. Prior to today’s build, Windows 10 users maintained two separate backgrounds for the Lock screen and the Logon screen. That has now been condensed to a single background that is used for both. It’s a small change, but one that Microsoft feels will give customers a better experience.

While the Cortana updates and Lock screen enhancements are welcome, we’d also like to point out that Microsoft had fixed four notable issues with previous Insider builds, including:

• An issue where Microsoft Edge and Cortana were crashing for users with roaming profiles.
• An issue where Cortana would continue to show reminders that have been completed.
• An issue where items copied/moved to the desktop would not display until the desktop is manually refreshed by right-clicking on the desktop and choosing “Refresh” or pressing F5.
• An issue where downloading certain drivers from Windows Update was causing some PCs to bluescreen.

However, customers that were planning on using Build 14279 with a Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book should steer clear. Microsoft has identified an issue where the device “experiences a freeze or hang and all input such as keyboard/trackpad and touch do not work.” The only cure for the ailment is to perform a hard-reboot by holding down the power button.