Forget Winamp -- the ass-kicking Plexamp music player from Plex is now free
For those of a nostalgic bent, the recent revival of Winamp caused flutters of excitement. But for anyone who is uninterested in whippin' that llama' ass, Plex has just announced that its own music player, Plexamp, is now available free of charge.
Previously only available to paying Plex subscribers, the Winamp-inspired Plexamp was the fruit of Plex Labs -- the company's experimental playground for its developers. The standalone music player app has now been unshackled, and is free for all Plex users on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and even Linux.
Microsoft rolls out updated dark mode toting Paint app to more Windows 11 users
It is several weeks since Microsoft finally gave Windows Insiders on the Canary and Dev channels access to an updated version of its Paint app. Now the company is making the new edition of the beloved graphics tool available to more people.
The big news in this latest release is that, at long last, Paint supports dark mode. But there are other additions and improvements includes new keyboard shortcuts and a wider adoption of the Windows 11 look.
Microsoft is working on a new reinstall feature to let you fix Windows 11 without losing files, apps or settings
Windows 11 is getting a new recovery feature lets you repair with losing files, apps or settings. Microsoft is currently testing the "Fix problems using Windows Update" option in preview builds of Windows 11.
The feature is an alternative to completely reinstalling Windows 11 from scratch and having to reconfigure all of your software and settings. It is also more advanced than a typical in-place reinstallation of the operating system and is -- in theory, at least -- more likely to fix issues. Here's everything we know about the upcoming "Fix problems using Windows Update" recovery feature.
Microsoft reveals everything you need to know about Windows 11 23H2
The rollout of Windows 11's Moment 3 update may only just have made its way to most users, but Microsoft already has other updates in the pipeline. Coming up later this year is Windows 11 23H2. We've come to expect that this will not be an update that's packed with new features, but that's not to say that it is not significant -- expect to see the update enabling Windows Copilot as Windows 11 enters the AI era.
Microsoft has now revealed more information about the upcoming release, including the fact that it is scheduled to rollout to users in the fourth quarter of the year -- effectively making it Windows 11 23Q4. What's important, though, is that users have to prepare for the launch.
Apple releases the first public beta of macOS Sonoma -- grab it now!
It is a little over a month since Apple made a developer beta version of macOS Sonoma available for download. Now the company has released the first public beta of the operating system, making a more stable -- but still early -- build available to a wider audience.
With the recent release of the developer beta, Apple had already dropped the requirement to have a paid-for developer account, but the fact that there were still a few hoops to jump through was off-putting to some. Now anyone with a compatible Mac is free to install the macOS Sonoma beta; here's what you need to do.
Microsoft announces the general availability of its dev-focused, cloud-based Microsoft Dev Box
First detailed last year, Microsoft Dev Box is now finally generally available. This is Microsoft's "ready-to-code, cloud-based workstation optimized for developer use cases and productivity" and it comes from years of development building on Visual Studio Codespaces.
These preconfigured, container- and Linux-based dev environments served their purposes in 2019, but the demands of developers forced Microsoft to push things further. The result is Microsoft Dev Box, combining developer-optimized capabilities with the enterprise-ready management of Windows 365 and Microsoft Intune.
Unlock the new features of Windows 11 Moment 3 with the newly released KB5028185 update
As part of its software updates for July, Microsoft has released the KB5028185 update for Windows 11. The update not only addresses a large number of problems and security issues, it is also being used to give users access to the new features of the Moment 3 update.
The scores of security fixes to be found in the KB5028185 update are reason enough to install it as soon as possible, but the raft of new features and options serves as an added incentive.
Microsoft warns that some versions of Windows 11 are approaching end of servicing
Microsoft is always eager for as many people as possible to be using the very latest versions of Windows. This not only means encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11, but also ensuring that the majority are running the most recent version of Windows 11.
To promote this idea, Microsoft gives each edition of Windows a product lifecycle during which it will be fully supported. One such period is coming to an end, and the company has issued a reminder to users of Windows 11 21H2 that they need to update very soon.
Keep your old version of Windows updated for free with Windows Update Restored
Not everyone is running Windows 11 on their PC -- there are many who are not even running Windows 10. If you are one of a surprisingly large number of people still rocking an old version of Windows, you will be well aware that Windows Update no longer works.
The Windows Update Restored project can help though. This is an unofficial, community-led operation that makes it possible for Windows 95, NT 4.0, 98, Me, 2000 and XP users "to obtain updates like they used to".
Avoid Threads if you value your privacy
The arrival of Threads this week saw Meta taking another step into the social arena with its Twitter clone. There have been lots of entirely understandable concerns voiced about Twitter recently, particularly in light of the chaotic impact of Elon Musk, and this has led to swathes of disgruntled and worried users switching allegiances and joining the likes of Bluesky, Mastodon and, now, Threads.
Whether jumping ship, leaving Twitter and signing up for Threads makes sense very much depends on your reason for doing so. If privacy is your main concern, for instance, there is little -- if anything -- to be gained. Coming from the same stables as Facebook, the fact that Threads sucks up personal data should surprise no one, but the sheer volume and range of what it collects is slightly breath-taking.
Microsoft Edge now blocks spam notifications on the sites you visit
Notifications can be useful, but all too often they are used by websites to spam people. To help protect users against such irritations, Microsoft has announced new notification blocking for its Edge browser.
The company says it is aware that website notifications may not only be annoying, but can be misleading or even dangerous. The aim in block spammy notifications is to not only offer protection to users of Microsoft Edge, but also to help them to get the most out of notifications.
Jump on the Threads beta program to get access to new features faster
It can hardly have escaped your notice that Meta officially launched what it is hoping will be its Twitter killer, Threads, this week. The new social platform has already proved astonishingly popular, with millions upon millions of users signing up in a matter of hours.
But while there is a great deal of excitement about what Threads has to offers and how it could disrupt social media, there has also been disappointment at the limitations of the mobile apps. If you're one of the many users who wishes that Threads had more in the way of features, options and settings, Meta has just launched a beta program which anyone is free to join.
Meta faces criticism for poor accessibility features in Threads
Social platform Threads may only be a couple of days old, but it has already amassed millions of users. While Meta might be celebrating the popularity of its new Twitter rival, the company is also facing criticism from various quarters.
Huge privacy concerns mean that Threads not available in the European Union -- not officially, at least. But there are also complaints that the app has been rushed and feels unfinished. Released in Disability Pride month, one of the biggest complaints leveled at Threads is that it lacks basic accessibility options and features.
Meta publishes Threads Dictionary to help newcomers decipher the jargon
For many people the release of Threads, Instagram's text-based conversation app, represents an alternative to Twitter -- a platform which is widely considered to have become more toxic and problematic under Elon Musk. But for an even larger number of people, Threads will be their first step into this type of social media.
Switching from Twitter, Mastodon or Bluesky to Threads -- or using them in conjunction with each other -- is painless, but for anyone who has never used such a platform, the language surrounding it can be slightly mystifying. And this is why Meta has released a Threads Dictionary to bring users up to speed.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.71.0 with visual refresh, archive file preview and much more
It feels as though it has been a while since the last update for PowerToys, but Microsoft has now rectified this. The company has released PowerToys v0.71.0 which sees not only a large number of bug fixes, but also numerous tweaks, improvements and additions.
This is a hugely significant update that adds support for the previewing of archives in the Peek utility, as well as making it possible to use Registry Preview as the default tool for opening .reg files. PowerToys developers have really gone to town with this release; just about every module has been updated and there is an improved look that is more in line with the Windows 11 aesthetic.
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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