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Live from Microsoft's Windows 10 event (pictures)

At Microsoft's 'Windows 10: The Next Chapter' presser in Washington, the tech giant showcased its new Windows 10 OS, Surface Hub and Windows Holographic.

Lynn La
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
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1 of 42 Nate Ralph/CNET

Microsoft reveals its next chapter with Windows 10

REDMOND, Wash. -- At its "Windows 10: Next Chapter" event, Microsoft demoed its Windows 10 operating system across numerous devices. The company also introduced its Surface Hub service and its augmented reality platform, Windows Holographic with HoloLens.

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What lies ahead

Inside Microsoft's Redmond campus. The company also showcased Continuum and the new Project Spartan Web browser.

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Windows 10 is officially here

Settling down into the keynote room.

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Myerson takes the stage

Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive VP of operating systems, takes the stage.

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Free upgrades for the first year

Myerson laying out how Windows 7, 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 can update to Windows 10, with free upgrades for the first year.

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Belfiore begins the demo

Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's corporate VP of its operating systems, comes onstage for a deeper dive of Windows 10 across several devices.

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Windows 10 on a tablet

Windows 10 displayed on an 8-inch tablet. The device is running a full version of the OS and can be docked to a keyboard and connected to a mouse.

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Cortana on the desktop

Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant, lands on the PC. Here, she calls up the weekly weather forecast.

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Keeping tabs in her notebook

Cortana keeps a notebook of a user's interest and information in order to keep ahead on relevant information, such as favorite sport teams and stocks.

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Drafting an email by voice

Belfiore drafts up an email via voice with Cortana.

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Windows 10 on a smartphone

Belfiore moves on to Windows 10 on mobile.

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Lumia 1520 and the Windows Tiles

Here, Windows 10 and its familiar tile interface are displayed on a Lumia 1520 handset.

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Cortana's new features

A quick overview of Cortana's new features on the PC.

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Microsoft Office on mobile

Microsoft Office, the company's popular productivity suite, also gets a facelift. Here, Word is displayed on a smartphone.

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PowerPoint on mobile

PowerPoint on mobile, which features new animations and can support MirrorCast.

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Your inbox on desktop and mobile

To show the continuity of the OS across devices, Belfiore calls up the email app for Windows 10 on desktop (left) and mobile.

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The calendar app on desktop and mobile

The calendar app on desktop (left) and mobile.

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Photos on desktop and mobile

Stored photos on desktop (left) and mobile.

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Skype on mobile and desktop

Skype on mobile (left) and desktop.

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Maps on mobile and desktop

Maps on mobile (left) and desktop.

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Microsoft's new Web browser, Project Spartan

Belfiore wraps up his app demo with (codename) Project Spartan. As predicted, it is Microsoft's entirely new Web browser for Windows 10.

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Annotation on Spartan

Spartan integrates a real-time annotation feature that can work with touch and non-touch devices.

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Offline reading mode

The new browser also has a reading mode, similar to Apple's Safari, that formats articles in a way that's easier to read. It also has a reading list, another favorite of other modern browsers.

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Cortana integrated with Spartan

Cortana is also baked into Spartan. For example, Cortana autofills a search for the airline Delta with Belfiore's wife's flight information pulled from his other apps.

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Overview of Project Spartan

An overview of Project Spartan, which will arrive first on desktop for Insider users, and then mobile.

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Spencer discusses Xbox

Next up is head of Xbox Phil Spencer to discuss entertainment on Xbox and PC.

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Xbox app on Windows 10

Spencer unveils the Xbox app for Windows 10. Sporting a similar to Steam, the app is accessible for Xbox Live subscribers.

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Your activity feed

The app lets you share videos from your Xbox, and keeps track of what's happening in your gaming circles with its Activity Feed, which is a Facebook-style recap from your friends' list.

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Cross-device gameplay

Lauren Carter from Lionhead Studios comes onstage to demo cross-device play. Here, Carter is on an Xbox One playing Fable Legends with  Spencer, who in turn is playing on a PC.

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Stream games on any device

Spencer also explains that with Windows 10, users can stream games with any device running the OS later this year. For example, if you establish a link between your Surface Pro 3 tablet and your Xbox One, you can stream  console-exclusive games like Forza Horizon 2.

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Overview of Windows 10

Myerson returns with a quick overview of Windows 10. Microsoft will release a new build of the OS to its Insiders next week, after the Super Bowl. Windows 10 will then launch on mobile phones.

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Gallot introduces Surface Hub

Switching gears, Hayete Gallot, senior director of security business, unveils its Surface Hub service on an 84-inch 4K display with built-in cameras, speakers, mics, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC.

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Collaborate and display large-screen apps

The Hub is a platform that facilitates workplace meetings and collaboration, as well as display large-screen apps. For example, it can run OneNote, where people can annotate presentations in real-time with a stylus. Here, a Siemens application showcases a 3D model.

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A summary of Surface Hub

A quick overview of the new Surface Hub platform.

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Kipman unveils Windows Holographic

Microsoft's Alex Kipman comes onstage to introduce Windows Holographic.

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A new reality to experience

Windows Holographic is an augmented reality (not virtual reality) platform, which is Microsoft's take on Google's now-defunct Glass project.

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Microsoft debuts HoloLens

The Microsoft HoloLens is an untethered holographic computer with see-through high-def lenses, spatial sound, motion sensors and a built-in CPU and GPU.

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HoloLens and its third processing unit

The HoloLens also has a third processor: a holographic processor unit. The HPU takes in a user's view, gesture and voice to spatially map out his or her environment.

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Design holograms with HoloStudio

With HoloStudio, users can create holograms of themselves and objects and interact with them. Here, the user is designing a quadcopter.

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Print holograms with a 3D printer

Because holograms behave like real-world objects, they can be printed in real life. Here, Microsoft 3D-printed the same quadcopter seen before, which was designed entirely in HoloStudio.

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Nadella takes the stage

CEO Satya Nadella comes onstage. "Windows 10 is the home for the very best Microsoft experiences," Nadella says. "We're going to have services everywhere. When it comes to Windows, we're not building apps, but harmonizing experiences."

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Final words from Myerson

Myerson closes the presentation prior to the Q&A session. He notes that Windows 10 will be on phones, tablets, PCs and Xbox, but does not disclose exact release dates. Click here to read everything you need to know about Windows 10..

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