Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.55.0 with an incredible three new utilities
Making good on its recent promise to add a new mouse tool to PowerToys, Microsoft has released a new version of the utility collection complete with the addition of Mouse Pointer Crosshairs (previously previewed as Inclusive Mouse). But it doesn't end there -- there are two more new tools to explore as well!
The release of PowerToys v0.55.0 also sees the addition of two new add-ons for Explorer. For developers, there is now support for 150 file type previews, as well as a new tool for generating STL file format thumbnails.
Meta will warn you if someone screengrabs your encrypted Messenger chats
Meta is adding a new warning to encrypted chats in Messenger so that users will know if another participant has taken a screenshot of the conversation.
The company formerly known as Facebook has already implemented this same feature into messages sent when the app's Vanish Mode is activated. While Messenger has not been updated to prevent screenshots from being taken in in E2E encrypted chats or Vanish Mode conversations, the appearance of the warning should serve as a deterrent against secret screen grabbing.
TPM is causing performance issues for Windows 11 on some AMD systems
The controversy surrounding the need for TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module version 2) to run Windows 11 may have largely died down, but it remains an issue for some people. Specifically, it is people with AMD systems for whom TPM (or fTPM as AMD labels it) is proving problematic.
Complaints are popping up online from Windows 11 users who report performance problems with their computers, including stuttering. The common thread linking them together seems to be AMD's fTPM firmware implementation.
Microsoft reveals how long computers need to be online to keep Windows properly updated
While Microsoft may have released more than its fair share of problematic updates, it's still a good idea to keep Windows fully updated to help minimize the risk of security issues. But there are plenty of systems out there which are not up to date. Why is this?
It could be that it is not a matter of user error, or even there being a problem with Windows Update itself. Rather the issue could stem from the simple fact that a computer needs to be connected to the internet for an unexpectedly lengthy period of time in order to guarantee reliable update installation. Microsoft has revealed the surprising data surrounding update delivery.
Joni Mitchell and Neil Young pull their music from Spotify citing concerns over Joe Rogan's COVID vaccine misinformation
Following the lead of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell has asked Spotify to remove all of her music from the streaming platform. Both veteran artists have voiced concerns about Spotify playing host to Joe Rogan who has been using his podcasts to spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations.
Young had said that Spotify had to make a choice: "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both". Now Joni Mitchell has spoken out, saying that "I stand with Neil Young".
Microsoft says the rollout of Windows 11 upgrades is way ahead of schedule
When Chief Product Officer of Windows and Devices at Microsoft, Panos Panay, wrote about "a new era of the PC", he revealed some of what we can expect from Windows 11 in the future. But his blog post also shed light on just how the operating system has been received by users.
Panay reveals the impressive statistic that Windows 11 upgrades have been taken up by users at twice the rate of Windows 10 upgrades. Satisfaction levels are said to be high, and as a result Microsoft is well ahead of its mid-2022 target for the rollout of Windows 11.
Google launches Topics API to replace tracking cookies, and kills off controversial FLoC
Ever since Google first announced Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), it was controversial. So hated was FLoC that the likes of WordPress said the ad-targeting technology should be seen as a security concern, and DuckDuckGo took steps to block it.
Now Google has announced that FLoC is dead. On top of this, the company has a replacement waiting in the wings -- Topics API for Privacy Sandbox. The feedback from the trials of FLoC have proved instrumental in the development of Topics and its delivery of interest-based ads.
Every major Linux distro has a PwnKit flaw that is easily exploited to gain root access
Linux-based operating systems are frequently touted as being far more secure than the likes of Windows or macOS. More secure they may be, but they are not completely infallible.
A great example of this is the recently discovered PwnKit vulnerability in the pkexec component of Polkit. The flaw can be exploited to gain root access to a system and it has been a security hole in pretty much all major Linux distros for over 12 years, including Debian, Fedora and Ubuntu.
Microsoft releases KB5009596 update for Windows 10 with new Sync Your Settings feature to simplify Windows 11 upgrades
Having released a preview of next month's updates for Windows 11, Microsoft has also done the same for Windows 10. With the release of KB5009596, the company has addressed an issue that prevented the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2) localhost relay from starting, as well as fixing a couple of audio problems.
This particular update also sees the addition of a reminder to Internet Explorer 11 users about the browser’s upcoming retirement. One of the more interesting additions that comes with the KB5009596 update is the new feature called Sync Your Settings which has been designed to make it easier to migrate to Windows 11.
Pathetic and predatory? Has Microsoft tried to use Windows 11 updates to sneakily switch people to Edge and Bing?
Microsoft is not exactly a stranger to -- how can we put this gently? -- slightly underhand tactics. And if complaints about recent updates for Windows 11 are anything to go by, this is not something that's changing any time soon.
According to reports, automatic updates for Windows 11 have been used to not only deliver security fixes, but also to change people's default web browser to Microsoft Edge. Some are also complaining that Bing.com loads every time Windows starts up. The behavior has led some to accuse Microsoft of being "very sneaky".
Microsoft releases KB5008353 update to fix audio and taskbar problems in Windows 11
We are coming to the end of the month and that means it is time for Microsoft to unleash the preview versions of the Windows updates that will be released on Patch Tuesday. As such, the company has released the KB5008353 update preview for Windows 11, addressing dozens of issues.
The list of changes, fixes and improvements included in this optional, non-security update is fairly lengthy, but there are some definite highlights. Among the most significant changes are fixes for problems with Bluetooth audio, as well as fixes for issues with Windows 11's taskbar that caused app icons to appear unnecessarily.
How to unlock the updated Task Manager Microsoft has hidden in Windows 11
Task Manager may not be the most exciting component of Windows 11, but it is something that proves very useful from time to time. If you have ever looked at the tool and thought that it could do with a visual revamp, you are not alone -- Microsoft agrees.
So much so that the company has gone ahead and created an updated version of app and locked it away in Windows 11. Here's how you can activate it.
Microsoft could launch its new One Outlook app as early as spring
Outlook is currently available in various versions, and Microsoft is looking to consolidate them into the aptly named One Outlook. Previously referred to as Project Monarch, the app includes not only an email component, but also a calendar.
Originally due for release last year, it is now looking as though One Outlook is going to be available for limited testing some time in the spring. Wider scale beta testing is expected to start in the summer, but the timetable remains flexible.
Microsoft is forcibly upgrading some Windows 10 computers
It is, of course, no secret that Microsoft would like as many people as possible to use Windows 11. While it may not be realistic for the company to expect all computer users -- or even all Windows users, for that matter -- to install the latest version of the operating system, it can at the very least ensure that it minimizes the number of systems out there running unsupported versions of Windows.
And this is precisely what is happening with machines that currently have Windows 10 2004 installed. Microsoft is automatically (or forcibly, depending on your perspective) upgrading such computers to Windows 10 21H2. And next in the company's sights are people still running Windows 10 20H2.
Microsoft seems to have changed its mind about killing off the Control Panel in Windows 11
Microsoft has been wielding its axe at the Control Panel in Windows for a while now, gradually migrating options to the Settings app. This is not something that has been universally welcomed by Windows 11 users, so a (slight) change of heart will come as welcome news for fans of the Control Panel.
While there are numerous settings that now have to be accessed through Settings, one Control Panel option has been given something of a reprieve. The applet in question is Network Connections (ncpa.cpl).
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 Facebook, Twitter and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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