Microsoft announces indefinite postponement of multi-account search in Outlook
With few people having just one email address nowadays, the problem of searching for email across two or more accounts is one that affects many users. Just last month, Microsoft announced an upcoming feature for its Outlook email client -- the ability to search across multiple email accounts simultaneously.
Now the company has had a change of heart, updating its plans to indicate that the handy option is now "postponed indefinitely".
Microsoft drops support for dozens of Intel processors in latest Windows 11 system requirements update
It is not unknown for Microsoft to change the system requirements for its software, and this is something that applies to Windows 11.
Back in June, the company updated the list of processors from AMD, Intel and Qualcomm. Now another update to Windows 11 system requirements means that large numbers of Intel CPUs are no longer supported -- 44 models in total.
Microsoft is finally killing off Cortana in Windows 11 as Windows Copilot heralds an AI future
Cortana may have been Microsoft's response to Siri, but while Apple's digital assistant prevails, the Windows maker's offering has slipped into insignificance. Never much-loved by users, Microsoft's Cortana has been in its death throes for a while and now the company is finally moving on.
With the release of Windows 11 Build 25921 a few days ago, Microsoft has introduced the option to uninstall the Cortana app, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The company had already announced plans to stop supporting Cortana in Windows as a standalone app, and that time has now come. A Microsoft Store update is also being used to forcibly deprecate the tool.
OpenAI is bringing some exciting new features to ChatGPT this week
Artificial intelligence is not a technology that stands still, and the same is true of its users. As people have become increasingly familiar with AI tool, and used to working with the likes of ChatGPT, they are becoming more demanding.
In response to this, OpenAI has announced a number of significant updates that will be rolling out to ChatGPT over the course of the next few days. Among the changes are suggestions for initial queries to put to the AI, as well as recommended replies so you can delve deeper into your research.
Microsoft hides secret 'Fix problems using Windows Update' in latest Windows 11 dev build
When Microsoft released Windows 11 build 23516 a few days ago, the biggest change was billed as being improvements to screen casting. There were other changes, fixes and additions that Microsoft shouted about, but there was also a hidden feature that the company kept quiet about.
Cast your mind back a few months and you may recall that we learned of Microsoft plans to introduce the option to fix problems with Windows 11 using Windows Update. This handy feature is now available in the latest Dev build of Windows 11, but it is hidden and disabled by default. With the help of ViVeTool -- or Microsoft's own StagingTool -- however, it can be enabled.
Microsoft is disabling TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 in Windows 11... and it will break some apps
Starting next month, Microsoft is making some significant changes relating to Transport Layer Security (TLS) in Windows 11.
This security protocol has been one of the more controversial system requirements for the operating system, and the company has revealed plans to disable older versions -- specifically TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 -- by default from September. Microsoft has already determined that this will cause problems for a fairly lengthy list of apps, including some of its own.
Google rolls out privacy tools to make it easier to remove personal information and explicit images from searches
Google has announced the rollout of a series of new and updated privacy tools designed to give users greater control over the removal of information about themselves from search results. A new privacy dashboard will alert users if search results start to include their contact information.
As well as making it easier to request the removal of such personal data, Google is expanding its privacy protections to give people a way to remove personal, explicit images from search results. There are also expanded controls for limiting the appearance of other explicit images in searches.
Google has moved downloads to the toolbar in Chrome -- but you can resist change if you want
As users of Google's web browser will be aware, Chrome has long featured a download bar at the bottom of the app window. While keeping download progress tucked out of the way made sense in some ways, it represented somewhat of a frustrating design inconsistency in moving download-related information away from the main browser controls in the toolbar.
This is something that Google had addressed in the latest update to Chrome, ditching the downloads bar with a new button in the main toolbar. While this is likely to be welcomed by most users, there will be some who prefer things how they used to be. Let's take a look at the new download button and also show you how to revert to the old approach if this is your preference.
Leaked: Microsoft's secret StagingTool utility for unlocking hidden features of Windows 11
If you've been following news about the Insider builds of Windows 11 over the last couple of years, you're probably aware of the incredibly useful utility ViVeTool; we've referred to it many times here on BetaNews. This handy piece of software makes it possible to unlock Windows 11 features that Microsoft is testing with select groups of users.
It turns out that Microsoft has its own internal tool which works in very much the same way as the likes of ViVeTool. Called StagingTool, it provides access to features and options of Windows 11 that would otherwise be unavailable, and Microsoft has just leaked details of its existence.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.72.0 with new plugins and a massively reduced footprint
A PowerToys release cycle focused on stability and improvements may not sound terribly exciting, but with the newly hatched PowerToys v0.72.0 Microsoft has delivered significant updates that you won't want to miss out on.
Although there are no brand-new modules to explore, PowerToys Run has new plugins to work with. There are also a huge number of bug fixes and improvements across pretty much all areas of the utility, and a great new feature for Mouse Highlighter. On top of this, Microsoft has managed to dramatically slash the installation footprint of the PowerToys collections.
Elon Musk makes history as Apple permits single-letter X app into App Store following Twitter rebrand
Having previously rejected the X app from its App Store for having too short a name, Apple has had a change of heart, changing the rules for the renamed Twitter.
It used to be the case that app names had to be at least two characters in length, and this led to delay in getting the X app listed. But with Apple having relaxed for rules after Musk's latest example of spontaneity, X is the first -- and currently only -- app to be listed with a name comprising a single character.
Microsoft has some important changes for Windows 11 users with multiple monitors
When you've spent any amount of time using Windows 11 with two or more monitors, it's hard to go back to a single display setup.
But while working with multiple screens is a great productivity boost, it is far from being a perfect experience. Thankfully, Microsoft feels the pain of Windows 11 users and is bringing some helpful changes to settings that will make the experience far more pleasant.
Apple confirms Screen Time bug that means parental restrictions may not stick
Apple has acknowledged a flaw in its Screen Time software that means children may be able to access their iPhones and iPads longer than their parents would like.
A bug in the Downtime feature can cause Screen Time settings to reset so unlimited access is possible. Apple has confirmed that it is aware of the issue and it working to "improve the situation". But users may have doubts about the importance the company is placing on developing a fix; the bug has existed for months, and has persisted through a patch that was supposed to address the flaw back in May.
Microsoft could cause a ding-dong with the latest notification changes in Windows 11
With so many apps and websites vying for our attention, notifications and alerts have become part and parcel of being a technology user. For some time, Microsoft has used the Windows 11 system tray to indicate that there are notifications that should be looked at -- but this notification indicator is about to become less useful.
In the latest build of the operating system, the company has made an unusual change that means the system tray no longer shows how many notifications are there, just the fact that there are notifications. It is not clear what prompted the decision to remove notification counts, but is likely to be a polarizing change.
Instant video messages arrive in WhatsApp
There are many ways to use Meta's WhatsApp. From typing text-based messages through sending photos, to full-on video chats, there are options to suit just about every eventuality.
With voice messaging having proved incredibly popular, WhatsApp is now expanding its instant messaging options to include video. Just like its audio-based cousin, instant video message let you quickly record and share messages -- this time with video.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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