Articles about Microsoft

Following a complaint from Slack, Microsoft may have decided to stop bundling its Teams video conferencing software with Office.

A report says that the move comes as the Windows maker looks to avoid an antitrust investigation by the EU. The company has indicated its willingness to cooperate with the European Commission as it seeks to avoid further legal wranglings with the bloc.

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With the taskbar in Windows 11 Microsoft not only made a lot of changes, but also a lot of mistakes. But some of the issues that irritate users could soon be a thing of the past.

In preview builds of Windows 11, there is evidence that Microsoft is working to improve the taskbar by returning features that were removed in the upgrade from Windows 10. The upcoming changes may not make Windows 11 flavor of the month overnight, but could go some way to improving the image of the operating system, improving workflow and making things easier to use.

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Microsoft today rolled out a new Windows 11 build to Insiders in the Canary Channel that brings Content Adaptive Brightness Control (CABC) to plugged in devices.

Insiders on the Dev Channel aren’t missing out though, as Windows 11 Build 23440 arrives today, with a decent amount of new features and fixes for testers in that channel.

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Two weeks ago, Microsoft released a Windows 11 build to the Dev Channel which came with 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. It was supposed to be something that would benefit all, including desktop users.

Shortly afterwards, Microsoft backtracked, and said the feature wouldn’t be available to desktops after all. From today, Canary Channel Build 25346 introduces CABC support for laptops and 2-in-1’s that are plugged into a charger.

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Enterprise browser specialist Talon Cyber Security has announced that it has integrated its secure enterprise browser with the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to provide enterprise-grade ChatGPT access to customers.

This allows organizations to maintain data protection, keeping data put into ChatGPT within their perimeter and preventing it from transferring to third-party services. When using ChatGPT in Azure OpenAI Service, the organization uses its own Azure resources, so sensitive data is not delivered to other locations, improving data security and reducing risk.

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Linux live disks provide a convenient and versatile solution for trying out various distributions without the need for installation. These bootable USB drives or CD/DVDs allow users to run a fully functional operating system directly from the removable media before committing to a full installation.

If you prefer Microsoft's operating system, it is now possible to create a live disk for Windows 11 -- fantastic news for anyone uncertain about whether the new OS will suit their needs and would like to try it first.

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There's probably no one who hasn't heard of ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot that can generate human-like responses to text prompts. While it's not without its flaws, ChatGPT is scarily good at being a jack-of-all-trades: it can write software, a film script and everything in between. ChatGPT was built on top of GPT-3.5, OpenAI’s large language model, which was the most advanced at the time of the chatbot's release last November.

Fast forward to March, and OpenAI unveiled GPT-4, an upgrade to GPT-3.5. The new language model is larger and more versatile than its predecessor. Although its capabilities have yet to be fully explored, it is already showing great promise. For example, GPT-4 can suggest new compounds, potentially aiding drug discovery, and create a working website from just a notebook sketch.

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Microsoft has issued a warning about compatibility issues that can interfere with the new Windows LAPS and Legacy LAPS.

A few days ago, the company released the KB5025239 update for Windows 11 which, among other things, saw the arrival of the new Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS). The introduction of a new LAPS means that the previous system is now referred to as legacy LAPS.

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In the latest Windows 11 Dev build, there is a new Gallery in File Explorer for browsing your photos. This is something that is likely to prove popular, but the same build also include some rather more controversial changes.

 In Windows 11 build 23435, Microsoft is tinkering further with the Start menu bringing ads to the heart of the operating system. The company likes to refer to this advertising as "badging", but the latest attempt to promote Windows 365 and Microsoft accounts is more likely to be seen as badgering.

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Arriving just in time for the weekend, the latest Windows 11 flight for Insiders in the Dev Channel comes with a new feature which will be appreciated by a lot of users.

Build 23435 introduces Gallery, a new addition to File Explorer, which is designed to make it easier to browse your photo collection.

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In 2012, Microsoft introduced Windows 8, an operating system conceived as a response to the rise of mobile computing and the increasing popularity of tablets and smartphones. The aim was to provide a unified operating system that would offer a seamless experience across devices, with a focus on touch-based interactions.

It flopped badly, and will forever be remembered as an ambitious but flawed attempt to redefine the user experience in the age of portable computing. But what if it was simply ahead of its time? If you’ve wondered what the tiled OS might look like if it was released today, Windows 8 2023 Edition is the answer.

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Microsoft has issued a new patch release for PowerToys to fix a range of bugs in the suite of utilities.

The release of PowerToys v0.69.1 comes mere days after the last update which was rather more significant. Just a week ago we were treated to the arrival of a new module in the shape of Registry Preview, and this latest release fixes problems with this and other utilities.

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For anyone looking to run Android apps and game within Windows 11, Windows Subsystem for Android is a fabulous, and free, alternative to the various emulators that are available. In a new update to the compatibility layer, Microsoft has added support for picture-in-picture mode.

P-in-P is only available in apps that explicitly support it -- the update to Windows Subsystem for Android does not add it to other apps -- and it is something that will serve as an aid to multi-tasking.

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Having just added a registry editing tool to PowerToys, Microsoft is now working on the practically inevitable -- adding ChatGPT support to the utility collection.

This will not take the form of a dedicated new module, rather it will be a plugin. Specifically PowerToys' AI-driven ChatGPT functionality will come courtesy of a PowerToys Run plugin that is currently in development. It is a move that neatly integrates the power of ChatGPT into Windows 10 and Windows 11.

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Microsoft has released the cumulative KB5025239 update for Windows 11 22H2, bringing with it not only security and bug fixes, but also general improvements and new features.

Among the highlights are the addition of the new Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) as a Windows inbox feature. This update also adds new notifications about Microsoft account to the Start menu, improves Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and provides easy access to the Bing chat experience in Microsoft Edge via the taskbar.

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