The 7 best features coming in the big free Windows 10 update on August 2nd (MSFT)

By: Business Insider

June 29, 2016 at 13:40 PM EDT

It's official: On August 2nd, 2016, Microsoft says that Windows 10 is getting the Anniversary Update — a huge, free upgrade to mark the one-year anniversary of its latest operating system.

This upgrade improves everything from the Windows Store to new stylus features and the Cortana virtual digital assistant.

Microsoft also announced that 350 million devices, mainly PCs and tablets, are now running Windows 10, which is an important milestone in the company's drive to hit one billion users within the next two years or so.

Just know that Microsoft's one-year grace period for free upgrades from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10 expires on July 29th, and it's at least $119 thereafter. So if you want to take advantage of these new features for free, time is running out.

In the meantime, here are the best of the new features coming to Windows 10 on August 2nd:

Windows 10 is getting Windows Ink, a set of new features for using a stylus with the touchscreen. Better handwriting recognition means that Windows can recognize when you're jotting a date, and offer to remind you about it.

That also includes the "Ink Workspace," a new set of tools to quickly help you take notes or annotate what you see on your screen.

Windows Hello, which lets you log in to Windows 10 with your face, is also coming to the Microsoft Edge browser...so you can log in to certain supported websites just by looking at your camera.Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

You can now also access the Cortana digital assistant from the Windows 10 lock screen, opening the door for, say, shouting across the room to play music.Microsoft

Cortana is also getting better integration with her smartphone apps. The Cortana app for Android will hook up with Windows 10 so you can answer your texts from your tablet or PC.YouTube/Microsoft

See the rest of the story at Business Insider