Microsoft bows to feedback and reverses Quick Access Toolbar changes in Office
Microsoft has acknowledged that changes to the Quick Access Toolbar in Office were "disruptive and slowed […] workflow. Having used the Microsoft 365 Visual Refresh to hide the QAT toolbar by default and move various commonly used button, the company has listened to user feedback ad reversed its changes.
Among the complaints that ultimately forced Microsoft to perform the U-turn were criticism of the decision to relocate the Undo and Redo buttons. In announcing the about-face, the company does not really admit to making a misstep, merely that the previous change "wasn't quite right".
Microsoft adds Bing Chat AI to SwiftKey Beta for Android
Microsoft, Google and just about every other tech firm in existence is busy embracing artificial intelligence. In the latest example of bandwagon-jumping, the Windows-maker's new beta version of the SwiftKey keyboard for Android has gained AI functionality.
New capabilities come courtesy of Bing Chat AI, with Android users "slowly" gaining access to the power of Microsoft's chatbot; it is not yet clear quite when iOS users might also get the same treatment. But just what does the arrival of Bing Chat integration mean for SwiftKey?
Outlook users face email issues as Microsoft starts using OneDrive cloud storage space for email attachments
If you are having trouble sending and receiving email via your Outlook.com account, you are not alone. Problems have started to surface following a recent policy change by Microsoft that means email attachments now eat into OneDrive storage limits -- as we reported previously.
Microsoft started to roll out the change at the beginning of February, but it seems that the pace of the rollout has increased as more and more users are hitting their storage limits and experiencing problems with their emails.
MSI urges caution when downloading BIOS and firmware updates following cyberattack and rumors of $4 million ransom demand
Computer maker MSI has confirmed that it fell victim to a security breach, confirming rumors that sprang up in recent days. The Taiwanese company says that it "suffered a cyberattack on part of its information systems", and has warned customers to exercise caution when downloading BIOS and firmware updates for its products.
Although MSI has shared little in the way of detail about the incident, the confirmation comes after the ransomware group Money Message was said to have breached the company's defenses. The group has made demands for $4 million with the threats of leaking stolen files.
Microsoft advises some Windows 10 users of impending automatic update ahead of end of service
Microsoft has issued a reminder to users of certain versions of Windows 10 that their operating system will reach end of serving in mid-June.
The announcement applies to the Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations editions of Windows 10 21H2, and when June 13 rolls around no more monthly security updates will be issued. Microsoft says that in order to ensure protection, users will be automatically updated to a supported version of Windows.
HP could take up to three months to patch a critical vulnerability in HP Enterprise LaserJet and HP LaserJet Managed printers
HP has issued a security warning about a vulnerability which affects numerous HP Enterprise LaserJet and HP LaserJet Managed printers. The flaw is tracked as CVE-2023-1707 is described as "critical" having been assigned a CVSS rating of 9.1.
Despite the severity of the bug -- which HP says could lead to "information disclosure when IPsec is enabled with FutureSmart version 5.6" -- it could take up to 90 days to issue a fix. However, the company has provided a temporary firmware mitigation.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.69.0 with new registry editing tool
It is a month since Microsoft added Mouse Jump and Paste As Plain Text utilities to PowerToys, and now there is yet another new toy to play with -- Registry Preview.
We first heard about this new registry editing and visualization module last week, and now it has been officially released as part of PowerToys v0.69.0. Microsoft says that the v0.69 release cycle focuses on new features, stability and improvements, and the company gives early notice for v0.70 which is due for release next month.
Microsoft brings Gmail support to the new Outlook for Windows preview
Having announced its plans to do so last year, Microsoft has added support for Gmail accounts to the new Outlook for Windows preview for Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Gmail support is something that has been available to Office Insiders for a little while, but now the company is opening it up to anyone who is running the preview of the new Outlook for Windows. Microsoft says that it also plans to add IMAP support as well as support for Yahoo and iCloud, but for now it is Gmail users the company is treating -- but there is something you need to do first.
Amazon is closing Book Depository after 18 years of free worldwide delivery
Book lovers around the world are mourning the loss of Book Depository following the announcement that the Amazon-owned online bookstore is to close.
Based in the UK, Book Depository has been offering free worldwide delivery of books, including many titles that are hard to get hold of from other sources, since 2007. The shutdown date is imminent -- April 26 -- but as orders are being accepted until that day, there is still time to grab a bargain.
Microsoft is about to make a crazy change to Windows 11 that will draw the ire of users
Change is often good, but not when it comes to changing the way Windows works -- particularly the fundamental features that people have become used to. But this is precisely what Microsoft is looking to do by introducing a controversial new limitation on Alt-Tab in Windows 11.
As anyone who has used Windows for any length of time will know, the Alt-Tab keyboard shortcut provides an easy way to switch between open apps and windows. In recent years, Microsoft has added functionality by making it possible to Alt-Tab through Edge tabs, but now the company is testing a new implementation that reduces its usefulness.
Microsoft backtracks on new Content Adaptive Brightness Control feature in Windows 11 -- desktop users to miss out
When Microsoft released the latest Dev build of Windows 11, one of the new additions was Content Adaptive Brightness Control (CABC) -- an energy-saving feature that works by dimming areas of the screen depending on the content that is being viewed. Much was made of the fact that CABC was something that would benefit everyone, including desktop users. But it turns out that this is not actually the case.
Microsoft has now backtracked on its announcement, revealing that CABC is rather more underwhelming than we were first led to believe -- and far fewer Windows 11 users will be able to take advantage of it than first suggested.
See also:
[UPDATED] Content Adaptive Brightness Control will make Windows 11 more energy-efficient
Adaptive screen brightness is a familiar function of smartphones, with both iOS and Android boosting brightness in lighter conditions to improve screen visibility, and dimming it when it is darker so you're not blinded during nocturnal social media sessions. Now Microsoft is bringing a similar -- but better -- feature to Windows 11.
Microsoft's take on the feature is called Content Adaptive Brightness Control (CABC). There is a clue in the name about how it works, and it is about more than just ambient lighting conditions. [UPDATE: Microsoft has had something of a change of heart, as detailed here.]
Microsoft brings green screen feature to Teams meetings
Users of Microsoft Teams have a new option to experiment with that can make meetings both more interesting and more private -- green screen.
The ability to change backgrounds in video chats is something that has been available in numerous apps for quite some time, but the results are patchy at best. With the arrival of support for cinema-style green screen though, Microsoft is upping the ante.
Google launches Nearby Share for Windows in beta to simplify sharing files between Android and PC
As any owner of an Android device will tell you, while there is a lot to love about Google’s mobile operating system, there remains a lot of room for improvement. A good example is the sharing of files between a smartphone running Android and a PC running Windows -- something that has proved bewilderingly and unnecessarily cumbersome in the past.
To make file sharing easier, Google has launched a beta version of Nearby Sharing for Windows, expanding the availability of what was previously a mobile-only app.
Microsoft is testing a new way for Windows 11 users to install free apps and games
New Insider builds of Windows 11 are usually about Microsoft testing out new features of the operating system, but sometimes the company tries something a little different. This is something that is true of the latest Canary release, build 25330, and Dev release, build 23424.
In both of these new releases, there are important changes to the Microsoft Store. The latest version of the app gives Insiders a new way to install free apps and games faster than ever.
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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