Microsoft is accelerating the rollout of Windows 11
While there are many people who are happy to stick with Windows 10 -- or even older versions of Windows -- there are plenty more who are eager to upgrade to Windows 11. Assuming your hardware makes the grade, there is some good news in this department.
Microsoft is speeding up the rollout of Windows 11, making it available to more people faster than it expected to do so. There are, of course, steps you can take to force the installation of the OS upgrade, but by increasing the pace of the rollout, the company is making things easier for people, helping to ensure that Windows 11 is on as many systems as possible.
Microsoft is only going to release feature updates for Windows 10 once a year
Feature updates for Windows are the updates which are supposed to be the most interesting. Rather than just improving security and fixing problems, they often include new features (hence the name) and are far more significant than regular monthly updates.
So significant are feature updates that they are considered to be new versions of Windows and for Windows 10, Microsoft has been releasing them twice a year -- in the spring and in the fall. But moving forward, after the release of Windows 10 November 2021 Update (21H2), Windows 10 will be brought in line with Windows 11, meaning feature updates will become annual events.
Audiobooks are coming to Spotify in 2022
For many people, Spotify is the go-to service for streaming music, but the platform is about more than just accessing a massive collection of tracks spanning endless genres. In addition to music, there are also podcasts, and next year there are plans to further extend the audio offerings.
With the acquisition of audiobook platform Findaway, Spotify is continuing on its journey to become "the world’s leading audio platform". Just as with its music and podcast offerings, the company plans to provide opportunities for both creators and consumers alike.
Microsoft releases out-of-band updates to fix Windows Server authentication problems
Microsoft has released a slew of emergency updates for various editions of Windows Server following the discovery of an authentication issue caused by this month's Patch Tuesday updates.
The updates (KB5008601, KB5008602, KB5008603, KB5008604, KB5008605 and KB5008606) are available for Windows Server 2008 SP2 up to Windows Server 2019. Although these are emergency, out-of-band updates, system administrators will still need to manually download and install them on affected domain controllers as Microsoft is not making them available via Windows Update.
Microsoft gives Windows Subsystem for Linux a new icon, fixes issues and updates kernel
Microsoft has just released the latest preview version of Windows Subsystem for Linux, bringing with it a lengthy changelog.
With the launch of Windows Subsystem for Linux Pre-release 0.50.2.0, Microsoft has introduced a new icon (featuring, of course, a penguin), but there's far more to this release than just this visual update. The latest version fixes various WSL issues, updates the Linux kernel, and includes numerous other changes and additions.
Microsoft launches .NET 6 and 64-bit Visual Studio 2022 complete with Hot Reload feature
Microsoft has pushed out two releases that will delight developers. In addition to the performance-boosted .NET 6, there is also Visual Studio 2022 in its first 64-bit iteration.
Entering the 64-bit world means that Visual Studio is now capable of handling more complex projects easily, and the much-anticipated Hot Reload feature makes it possible to edit source code while apps are running and see immediate results. .NET 6 is a Long-Term Support release that introduces native support for Apple Arm64 Silicon in addition to improved Windows Arm64 support.
Microsoft releases KB5007215 update to fix Windows 11 problems and boost security
Patch Tuesday has rolled round again, and Microsoft has released a cumulative update for Windows 11.
The KB5007215 update addresses security issues that have been found in the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, and also fixes other problems. Among the issues patched are a screen rendering problem affecting various apps. Microsoft has also released a video including some Windows 11 tips.
Microsoft announces General Availability of PowerShell 7.2
After a series of a preview builds and a recent release candidate, Microsoft's PowerShell 7.2 has now hit General Availability.
Based on the newly released .NET 6, this is a Long Term Support (LTS) version that will enjoy support from Microsoft for three years. In addition to bug fixes and performance improvements, PowerShell 7.2 boasts numerous new features including new APIs to use in scripts.
How to block Windows 11 if you want to stick with Windows 10
There is a lot to like -- love, even -- about Windows 11, but it is not to everyone's taste. Microsoft would have to pull off an incredible feat to produce an operating system that made everyone happy, and it is little surprise that Windows 11 falls short for many people.
Microsoft is, of course, eager for as many users as possible to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. The company has not gone as far as forcing installations, but it is still offering upgrades that could be installed by another user of your computer. Don't want Windows 11? Here's how to block it.
Microsoft is bringing font syncing and more to Word
Users of Microsoft Office are in line for an interesting font-related upgrade that will make it easier to manage typefaces across multiple devices,
Microsoft is introducing an updated font picker in Word (and, presumably, other Office apps) and there are a number of improvements to look forward to. Key additions include the ability to sync fonts between devices and an easy means of seeing which fonts are used in a document.
Microsoft releases KB5008295 update to all Windows 11 users as an out-of-band patch
It recently came to light that a series of problems with Windows 11 -- including apps such as Snipping Tool not working -- were caused by an expired certificate.
Having determined the cause of the issues, Microsoft released a fix; the bad news being that it was only made available to Windows Insiders. Now the patch has been given a wider release and can be downloaded by all Windows 11 users as an out-of-band update.
Still using Windows 7 or Windows 8? OneDrive will stop working soon
While there are plenty of people who do not feel the need to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, there is still a surprising number of people who decided to stick with even older versions.
There are, of course, many implicated associated with using Windows 7 or Windows 8, most of them security related. But there is also the matter of software support, and Microsoft is now trying to push hangers-on to upgrade to the latest version of its operating system by cutting Windows 7 and 8.x out of using OneDrive.
Windows 11 has a weird bug that 'overcharges' laptop batteries
Everyone likes the idea of squeezing as much life out of their laptop as possible, and every new iteration of Windows has made great promises about prolonging battery life.
But a strange bug in Windows 11 means you might get more than you bargained for. Over on Reddit, one user shared screenshots of their laptop battery charging to beyond 100 percent. So, what's going on?
Instagram previews make a comeback on Twitter
Almost a decade after killing off support for previews of Instagram posts within tweets, Twitter and Instagram have finally made friends, relented and decided to bring the feature back.
The reappearance of Twitter Card previews is something that will be welcomed by people who cross-post between Instagram and Twitter. It comes as great news for anyone who was irritated by Instagram's decision to stop displaying previews of tweeted content back in 2012.
Microsoft releases KB5008295 update for Windows 11 to fix app problems
Just yesterday we wrote about a series of issues with apps in Windows 11. Users found that the Snipping Tools and various Windows settings did not work, something Microsoft has blamed on an expired certificate.
Now the company has released the KB5008295 update to address the problems, but not everyone is going to be able to install it just yet.
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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