Microsoft is adding a dedicated icon on the Windows 10 taskbar for easy access to the weather, news, and other topics you’re interested in, without having to load up a browser.
The “News and Internet” icon will sit on the right-hand side of the taskbar, next to the notifications area. Microsoft is marketing it as the “fastest way to stay up to date on your Windows 10 PC.”
“It should be easy to catch up on the things we care about. Yet, we’re often stuck juggling devices, jumping between websites and looking across sources before finally getting what we’re looking for: relevant and high-quality content,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post.
As an icon on the taskbar, the button will show you the local weather conditions in your area. Moving your mouse over the icon will then display a larger panel, which can show you headlines for the latest news, sports scores, local traffic conditions, stock prices, and more.
"Click on a story to open a streamlined reading experience so you can save time and stay focused," the company says. "If you see something you’re interested in, but don’t have time to read through it, you can save it for later or share it."
The content on the panel will automatically update as the day goes on. You can also customize how it looks, personalize the topics you’re interested in, and select which news sources Windows 10 should be pulling from.
If you’re not amused by the new icon, don’t worry. Microsoft says you can turn it off. Still, the company is betting the feature will help users save time. In a way, the function brings the easy-access weather and news panels you can find on an Android or iOS smartphone to the Windows 10 interface.
Microsoft plans on first rolling out the “News and Interests” icon over the next several weeks. “We are taking a phased and measured approach and broad availability will occur in the coming months,” the company added.