Microsoft Build's biggest reveals: building the future

MICROSOFT’S ANNUAL BUILD conference is ostensibly aimed at developers, but it’s always the stage for a slew of consumer-focused product announcements as well—and Build 2017 was no exception.

From the future of Windows to Cortana everywhere to an app that uses machine learning and mixed realities to make your movies awesome, these are the biggest reveals from Build 2017 that everyday users should care about.

500 million Windows 10 devices

Let’s get the flashy numbers out of the way first. Microsoft says there are half a billion Windows 10 devices in the wild—far off the adoption pace Microsoft originally envisioned for the operating system, but still a staggering number.

Of those, 141 million devices use the Cortana digital assistant monthly. That’s a big number too, but with Cortana being the tip of Microsoft’s AI push, the fact that only 28 percent of Windows 10 users