Microsoft has rolled out a new, free Windows 10 ($144 at Amazon) app directed toward anyone who uses its Office suite, either the paid or free version.

Known simply as Office, the new app is an update over the previous My Office app. The intent is the same, but the new version has a cleaner design and easier access to your Office programs and files. The new app displays icons for every program in the Office suite, so you can quickly launch Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, OneDrive and the rest. The app shows you recent files and documents, so you can open any of them to resume your work. It also shows you documents that you’ve pinned as well as those that others have shared with you.

Microsoft Office has become more complex over the years simply because of the many different ways you can access it. Office is available as an annual subscription, as a one-time purchase, as a free online suite, and as a lineup of mobile apps for your phone and tablet. As such, Office users may not always know how or where to find or launch their applications and files. The Office app provides a single place where you can view, use and manage Office 365, Office 2019, Office 2016 ($225 at Walmart) or the free Office Online.

The Office app is similar to Microsoft’s Office.com website, which also helps you access your Office programs and documents. But with the app, you can see files stored on your local computer or device, open files from OneDrive or SharePoint, and work with files offline. The app also lets you upload documents from your computer or device, install Office and manage your online Office account.

The new app will roll out to people over the next few weeks and then automatically install as an update to the old My Office app, Microsoft said in a blog post. Anyone who wants to try it right away can download and install it from the Microsoft Store.

But beware, as an installation glitch is currently affecting some users. Even though the store page points to the new app, downloading the app installs the old My Office version rather than the new version. As usual, the glitch seems to vary by machine. I was able to install the new version on one of my Windows 10 computers. But the old version keeps getting installed on two of my other computers. Other people who commented in Microsoft’s blog post have reported a similar problem. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company is aware of the bug and is working to resolve it.

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Editors’ note, Nov. 3, 2017: This story was updated to specify that the free upgrade for those seeking assistive technologies will expire Dec. 31. After that, all users will need to pay for the Windows 10 upgrade, which starts at $119. 

Microsoft hasn’t yet closed the door all the way for those in search of a Windows 10 freebie.

Until Dec. 31, you can get your hands on a no-cost upgrade to Windows 10 through an exception made for those who seek assistive technologies.

You qualify for the free upgrade if you use assistive technologies, which include such features as a magnifier to better see the screen, a narrator to read text aloud, keyboard shortcuts and an on-screen keyboard. Such tech is “designed to provide additional accessibility to individuals who have physical or cognitive difficulties, impairments, and disabilities,” according to Microsoft.

Following the trials and tribulations of Windows 8, Microsoft has been working hard to coax people to jump to Windows 10. The free upgrade offer for users of Windows 7 and 8.1 was a huge part of the company’s strategy to push Windows 10. That freebie has since expired and people must now pay $119 for the Home edition or $199 for the Pro edition — with the exception of assistive tech users.

Here’s how to get the upgrade at no charge:

From a Windows 7 or 8.1 device, go to the webpage entitled “Windows 10 free upgrade for customers who use assistive technologies.” Click on the Upgrade now button. Run the executable file to install the upgrade.

Microsoft then displays a series of screens that take you step by step through the setup process. Follow the screens until Windows 10 is comfortably nestled into your device.

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At no point during the upgrade does Microsoft ask for proof that you actually use any of the assistive technologies. So the upgrade could be accessible to any Windows 7 or 8.1 user who still wants to get Windows 10 for free. 

“As we shared earlier, we’ve extended the free upgrade offer for those who use assistive technology,” a Microsoft spokeswoman told CNET. “That said, it is not intended to be a workaround for people who don’t use assistive technology and who missed the deadline for the free offer.”

The deadline for the free offer for users of assistive technologies, is Dec. 31, 2017.

Update, 9:15 a.m. PT: Adds comment from Microsoft.

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Apple may adopt a key feature from smartphones manufactured by its biggest rival.

Next year’s lineup of iPhones could include three different and distinct variants: a “4.7-inch model, another that will be 5.5-inches and a premium handset that will be either 5.5-inches or larger equipped with a screen bent on the two sides,” the Nikkei Asian Review reported Tuesday, citing a source familiar with Apple’s plans.

The first two phones would sport the traditional flat screen, while the third handset would adopt a curved display similar to the one used by Samsung for its premium phones, such as the Galaxy S7 Edge and the Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung’s goal behind its curved phones is to offer wraparound real estate devoted to icons, apps and other content. The S7 Edge has been a hot seller since its introduction in March. With iPhone sales hit by two quarterly declines, Apple needs to jazz up its lineup with more enticing features, which could include a curved display.

The first two phones would come with LCD (liquid crystal display) screens, which Apple has been using for its smartphones. The third would reportedly be the first iPhone to use an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, which manufacturers such as Samsung select for premium handsets. OLED displays offer several advantages over LCD screens. They are thinner, lighter and more flexible than LCDs. They’re more power efficient, giving you more bang out of a single battery charge. Their colors are more vivid; especially noticeable are blacker blacks.

In a touch of irony, Samsung will be the only supplier of OLED screens to Apple in 2017, according to IHS DisplaySearch, the Nikkei Asian Review reported.

As always, reports such as these must be taken with a grain of salt. In May, though, tech blog site Mobipicker said Apple will unveil three variants of the iPhone, citing information from an anonymous source. However, the source pinned 2016 as the launch year. In July, leaked photos allegedly of new iPhone models pointed to three varieties set for this year: a regular version, a Plus edition and a new Pro option.

Apple did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

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Microsoft Office, OneDrive and Skype are wending their way to Lenovo’s Android smartphones.

Microsoft and Lenovo announced on Monday a deal in which Lenovo will preload Microsoft’s three productivity applications onto certain Lenovo devices powered by Android. Microsoft Office typically includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and other programs. OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud-based storage service through which people can save and sync files online. And Skype offers voice calls and video chats.

In the past, Microsoft kept a tight grip on its software applications, limiting them to its own Windows devices and the Mac. But in recent years under the direction of CEO Satya Nadella, the company has begun offering its software for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android devices. Microsoft’s goal has been to expose its core software to owners of the world’s most dominant mobile devices. The failure of Microsoft’s own Lumia phones to catch on is another reason why the software giant has turned to other mobile platforms to push its software.

The deal between Microsoft and Lenovo includes a patent cross-licensing agreement that covers Lenovo and Motorola devices. That means Lenovo can install Microsoft’s software on its smartphones without having to cough up a licensing fee. Lenovo acquired the Motorola smartphone business from Google in October 2014. But in a market dominated by Apple and Android, Motorola phones haven’t sold as well as the company had hoped. Regardless, millions of Lenovo’s Android-based devices are expected to ship over the next several years, the company said.

Neither Microsoft nor Lenovo immediately responded to CNET’s request for comment.

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Apple may be overhauling its retail store staff positions, a move that could benefit both shoppers and product owners.

The iPhone maker is adding three new job titles to its retail staff, the MacRumors blog reported Sunday, citing multiple retail sources. New so-called Pro positions will focus on explaining Apple products to customers. Creative Pros will aim more for teaching customers than trying to sell them stuff. And Technical Experts will take on some of the tasks previously handled by the folks behind the Genius Bar.

Employees who become Technical Experts will be able to repair mobile products, a mission previously confined to Geniuses. Technical Experts will also be able to tackle the troubleshooting of hardware and software, the objective being to reduce the amount of work given to Geniuses.

Apple relies on its retail stores for both hawking products and offering technical support. But the stores are popular and can get crowded with people looking for help. According to MacRumors, the goal behind the new positions is to eliminate some of the heavy traffic, reducing the time customers must wait.

Apple did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

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Samsung’s mobile chief is singing the praises of the iris-scanning technology built into the upcoming Galaxy Note 7.

“Iris-scanning is the safest security technology at the current level,” Koh Dong-jin said, according to a story in the Korea Herald on Thursday. That’s because within 18 to 20 months of birth, your iris becomes fixed and cannot be reproduced, Koh said.

The iris scanner is the marquee feature of the Galaxy Note 7, a hybrid between a smartphone and a tablet. Samsung hopes its vow of a more secure phone will win over power users. Iris scanning is the latest form of biometric security, following the use of fingerprint sensors as a verification method as the industry moves away from traditional passwords and passcodes.

The Note 7’s iris recognition has already been adopted by several banks in South Korea, including Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank and KEB Hana Bank, Koh said. Starting August 19 when the Note 7 goes on sale, Korean users will be able to use their eyes to unlock websites and mobile banking services from supported banks.

Samsung has also been chatting with American banks such as Citibank, Bank of America and US Bank about supporting the iris-scanning feature.

The Note 7 will come with 64GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM. Samsung’s mobile chief dangled the possibility of a Note 7 with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, though only in China.

The Note 7 will retail in the US for $834 to $880 depending on the carrier. The phone will sell in the UK for £578 to £631 and in Australia for AU$1,199.

Samsung did not respond to CNET’s request for comment.

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A Snapchat filter depicting the facial features of an Asian person has stirred up controversy yet again for the photo and video sharing service.

Rolled out on Tuesday, the filter portrayed exaggerated characteristics of an Asian person with slanted eyes and upturned eyebrows. That caused one Twitter user who posted a photo of someone using the filter to tell Snapchat that it’s “yellowface” and should be taken down.

Yellowface is a term used to describe the practice of representing Asians with yellow skin and slanted eyes.

Snapchat has since taken down the offending filter. The company didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

On Wednesday, Snapchat told The Guardian that the filter was an “anime-inspired Lens” that has “expired” and “won’t be put back into circulation.”

Snapchat offers filters that you can digitally apply to photos of your face. The idea is to give yourself a different look by adding certain facial features and other effects. The filters are meant to be fun and playful.

The so-called “yellowface” incidence is the latest in which Snapchat has drawn flak for its filters. Critics have accused it of favoring filters that lighten skin tones, while its Bob Marley filter, with dreadlocks and a cap, drew outrage as a “blackface” filter.

Twitter user John Clarke called the yellowface filter “the most overly racist filter ever.” Others on Twitter shared their outrage.

“Racism…isn’t anything new,” tweeted user Sarah Emerson. “It’s just been formalized in a Snapchat filter. You just made racism easier.”

Another, Amanda Rosenberg, tweeted: ” Hi @Snapchat I’d like to apply for your open “Is This Racist?” Manager role.”

And user grace said: “@Snapchat wanna tell me why u thought this yellowface was ok?”

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Hang on, MacBook fans. You may yet see a significant upgrade after all these years, though sadly not in 2016, according to Bloomberg.

Apple is planning to revamp its MacBook Pro laptops, a series that hasn’t seen a hefty overhaul in several years, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing “people familiar with the matter.” The new laptops would be thinner, adopt more powerful graphics, include a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and add a touch-screen strip that would replace the function keys, Bloomberg reported.

The changes would mark the first major revamp of the MacBook Pro line in four years, which has hung around with only modest component improvements. MacBook sales had been on the decline earlier in the year but staged a recovery last quarter. Still, Apple needs to shake things up to further revive interest.

The last major enhancement to the MacBook Pro was in 2012 when Apple added a Retina display. So yes, the MacBook Pro is in need of a hefty upgrade, but that doesn’t mean it will happen right away. The new models aren’t likely to surface at this year’s iPhone launch event, reportedly set for September 7, one of Bloomberg’s sources said. No indication was given for when the new units might hit the market.

The most intriguing new feature purportedly destined for the machines is the touch-screen strip. Positioned above the keyboard as a replacement for the traditional physical function keys, the strip would come with OLED-based icons, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted. The icons would also change their behavior based on what application or feature you’re using.

Open iTunes, as one example offered by Bloomberg, and the strip’s icons would transform into playback buttons to let you control your music. Open your favorite word processor, and the icons would change into editing buttons for copying and pasting text along with other commands for working with your document.

The new MacBook would also include USB-C ports, through which you can charge a compatible accessory much faster than with the older style USB technology. Apple may even offer the new MacBook Pros in different colors, including gray, gold and silver, one of the sources added.

Apple did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

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Wondering how fast your internet performance is on your smartphone or tablet? Netflix has launched a mobile speed test app to answer that question.

Rolled out on Tuesday for both Apple iOS and Android users, Netflix’s Fast Speed Test estimates your present internet download speed. To determine your speed, the app runs a series of downloads from Netflix’s servers and then displays the overall result.

As it’s designed by Netflix, the real aim of Fast Speed Test is to make sure your Netflix connection is fast enough so your content is streaming smoothly. A slow connection can decrease the quality of your video or even disrupt your online viewing altogether.

People increasingly use their phones and tablets to listen to streaming music, watch TV shows and movies and perform other bandwidth-intensive tasks. So obtaining a fast internet speed on a mobile device has become more critical.

Fast Speed Test is designed with a simple, minimalist approach. As soon as you launch the app, it runs its test and then shows you your internet speed. You can refresh the app to run another test. You can also scroll down the screen to read an FAQ with information on the app.

If your mobile speed is consistently slow at home, it may indicate trouble with your modem, router or other equipment. It could also point to a problem with your internet service provider.

The Fast Speed Test has its origins in Fast.com, a website launched by Netflix this past May to measure the internet speed on your computer and other devices. In a blog posted Tuesday, the company explained in technical detail how its speed testing works. Netflix declined to provide more information beyond its blog post.

Netflix generated controversy in March when it admitted it had been slowing down video speeds for AT&T and Verizon subscribers. The company said it started the practice to “protect consumers from exceeding mobile data caps.”

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Consumers looking for the highest display quality in a smartphone will find it in Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, according to a new report.

Set for release on August 19, the Note 7 is Samsung’s latest phablet, equipped with a 5.7-inch, 2,560×1,440 pixel Quad-HD Super AMOLED screen. The device features a curved screen that bends around the corners of both sides. The curved edges can be both viewed and controlled from the front or the sides.

The screen quality has caught the eye of DisplayMate President Raymond Soneira, who tested and ranked it for a Technology Shoot-Out released Tuesday.

Smartphone buyers typically look at a variety of features when choosing a phone, but screen quality should arguably be at the top of the list. It is critical because it determines text readability, photo and graphics appearance, and the ability to function well in bright sunlight and other less-than-favorable conditions.

Putting the Note 7’s display through its paces, Soneira found a host of stand-out features.

Most smartphones and tablets offer just a single color mode with no way to change it, for example. But the Note 7 offers four color modes that the user can control. Via the AMOLED Cinema mode, for instance, the Note 7 can display the latest high-end 4K video content found on 4K Ultra HD televisions.

The Galaxy Note 7 meets or surpasses display performance for widest color gamut, meaning the range of colors that can be reproduced. The device also achieves high marks for peak brightness, highest contrast ratio and lowest screen “reflectance,” among other attributes.

“Almost every display lab test and measurement shows some improvements compared to the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S7,” Soneira noted.

The final verdict?

“The Galaxy Note 7 provides many major and important state-of-the-art display enhancements, with mobile OLED display technology now advancing faster than ever,” Soneira said. “The Galaxy Note 7 is the most innovative and high-performance smartphone display that we have ever tested.”

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