Microsoft is bringing integrated MFA to mobile Outlook and widening the availability of the new Outlook for Windows app
A couple of recent entries on the Microsoft 365 roadmap shed light on what is in store for Outlook. Over the coming weeks, Microsoft has big plans for both the mobile and desktop versions of its email client.
Starting this month, Outlook security is being boosted thanks to the arrival of built-in multi-factor authentication (MFA). And next month, a larger number of Windows users will have access to a preview version of a completely new Outlook app.
Microsoft is rolling out video filters to Microsoft Teams
Microsoft has announced the general availability of video filters in its meeting software, Teams.
The arrival of filters complements the existing AI-powered options to change backgrounds and improve the appearance of videos. To deliver the new filters, Microsoft has created a dedicated app called Custom Filters which can be used to add animated frames to video, tweak appearance, and more.
Sorry, but it looks as though Microsoft is keeping the Windows 11 taskbar fixed at the bottom of the screen
A few days ago, news started to spread that Microsoft appeared to be working on a much-requested feature for Windows 11 -- the ability to move the taskbar to somewhere other than the bottom of the screen.
But it seems that this is not actually the case. The very same source that served as a catalyst for excitement has now poured water on the flames of anticipation. What appears to have happened is that Microsoft accidentally left code in place in a recent build of Windows 11 that made the taskbar movable; there remains no evidence that the option to reposition the taskbar will ever arrive.
Microsoft releases new Canary build of Windows 11... and it might be the most boring yet!
A few days ago, Microsoft announced sweeping changes to the Windows Insider program, introducing the new Canary channel for those wanting to live right on the cutting edge.
Now the company has pushed a new build to this channel in the form of Cumulative Update Build 25314.1010. Also known at the KB5025135 update, this build is possibly the least exciting Windows 11 release yet -- but that does not mean that it isn't important.
Microsoft is about to launch multi-modal GPT-4 complete with video
Microsoft has revealed that the company is about to launch GPT-4 and this time it is about more than just text and chat. The next iteration of the AI technology is described as multi-modal, meaning there is support for much more -- including video.
The news came at an event in Germany called KI im Fokus (AI in Focus) on Thursday. Here, Microsoft Germany's CTO and Lead Data & AI STU, Andreas Braun, said: "We will introduce GPT-4 next week, there we will have multimodal models that will offer completely different possibilities -- for example videos".
New pricing for Twitter API access is astonishingly expensive
When Twitter announced that it was ending free access to its API, it said nothing about what the new pricing structure would look like. But now the company has finally revealed the price tags for different tiers of access -- and it is worse than anyone predicted.
In all, there are now three tiers to choose from, each allowing for different numbers of tweets and giving varying levels of access. The cheapest, the Small Package tier, costs a staggering $42,000 per month (or just over $0.5 million per year), while the Large Package costs an eye-watering $210,000 per month (or a shade over $2.5 million per year).
Google kills off the Chrome Cleanup Tool for Windows
With the release of Chrome 111, Google is waving goodbye to the Chrome Cleanup Tool that has been available for a number of years.
After 8 years of service, Google has decided the Chrome Cleanup Tool -- which, the company explains, helps users to "recover from unexpected settings changes, and to detect and remove unwanted software" -- is simply no longer needed.
Microsoft may soon let you move the Window 11 taskbar
With Windows 11, Microsoft made lots of questionable design, UI and UX choices, but one of the most baffling was the decision to make the taskbar immovable.
If you're one of the many people who would like to untether the taskbar from the bottom of the screen, there could be some good news. In recent preview builds of Windows 11, the taskbar can be moved to the top of the screen in a sign that the company may be ready to back-peddle on its stance that the taskbar has a fixed location.
GitHub is introducing mandatory 2FA for all developers in new security drive
Starting next week, GitHub is going to require active developers on the site to enable at least one form of two-factor authentication (2FA). The security initiative will start with specially selected groups of developers and administrators on March 13.
Until the end of the year, GitHub will begin notifying those who have been selected of the 2FA requirement. As the year progresses, more and more users will be obliged to enable two-factor authentication.
Microsoft is adding a new keyboard shortcut to paste unformatted text in Word
Having very recently introduced a new Paste As Plain Text module to PowerToys, Microsoft is now bringing the same option to Word.
Following the lead of many other applications, Microsoft's word processor is gaining a new keyboard shortcut that can be used to paste text and strip it of any formatting. Microsoft is calling the feature Paste Text Only, and it is available in both Word for Windows and Word for Mac.
NVIDIA releases hotfix driver for high CPU usage in Windows 11 and 10
Following reports of problems with BSoDs and high CPU issues in Windows 10 and Windows 11, NVIDIA has released a new GeForce Hotfix driver.
As this is a Hotfix driver rather than a normal release, it has not undergone full Game Ready testing process and is not WHQL-certified. A Game Ready Driver will be released soon complete with these fixes and more, but for anyone affected by the problems, the hotfix offers a solution immediately.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.68.1 with fixes for new Paste As Plain Text module
Just last week, Microsoft released PowerToys v0.68.0 complete with not one but two new utilities -- Mouse Jump and Paste As Plain Text.
Now a few days have passed, the company has released a small but important update, taking the collection of utilities up to version v0.68.1. Among the changes are a new default shortcut for Paste As Plain Text to avoid a conflict with Windows 11's new volume mixer.
Forget Notepad! The far superior Notepad++ now integrates with Windows 11
It may be old and it may be simple, but Notepad remains a firm favorite for many Windows users, particularly when it comes to coding. And while Microsoft has taken steps to improve the app with the addition of tabs, there are better options out there -- such as Notepad++.
With the release of Notepad++ 8.5, there is an important update that that will make life much easier for Windows 11 users: a context menu entry.
Microsoft is launching a new Canary Channel for exceptionally experimental builds of Windows 11 (and Windows 12?) in a major Windows Insider Program overhaul
Microsoft has detailed some of what it has planned for Windows 11 over the coming year, including big changes to the Windows Insider Program. As well as "rebooting the Dev Channel from the ground up", the company is also launching a new Canary Channel where we could see the first signs of Windows 12.
The idea of Canary builds will be familiar to many web browser users who like to be on the cutting edge. The likes of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge have Beta, Dev and Canary builds offering varying degrees of stability and experimentation. Now Microsoft is updating the Windows Insider Program so it will have four channels -- Release Preview, Beta (22000 series), Dev (23000 series), and Canary (25000 series).
Twitter to roll out direct message updates including encryption and 'any emoji reactions'
Things have been undeniably chaotic at Twitter since the arrival of Elon Musk, but the social network is still rolling out new features. Next in line for an update are direct messages.
DMs are due to receive a batch of new features and functionality, not least of which is a much-requested security feature -- encryption. But there is much more to look forward to. And if all goes according to plan, the new features will roll out later this month.
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!
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.