Microsoft releases two free Camo theme packs for Windows 10

Artic Camo Special Edition theme pack

If you've been looking for a way to customize the look of your computer, Microsoft has just released two free Theme Packs for Windows 10.

The Forest Camo and Arctic Camo theme packs have been designed to match special editions of the Microsoft Bluetooth mouse, but they can be downloaded for free regardless of whether you own this device. It's not all that often that you get something for free, so when it happens, grab whatever's on offer!

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Surprisingly unproblematic KB5001391 update brings speed boost to Windows 10

Surprised faces

File under "color us surprised": the KB5001391 update that Microsoft released for Windows 10 recently has been well-received by users.

Feedback about the update shows that people who have installed KB5001391 are happy not only with the fact that it adds News and Interests to the taskbar, but also that it seems to be stable and problem free. Some users are even finding that their system is performing better after installing this particular update.

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Microsoft is dramatically improving Bluetooth audio in Windows 10

Woman wearing wireless headphones

With the release of Windows 10 Build 21370 yesterday, Microsoft gave us a glimpse of the direction in which it is taking the operating system in the coming months. As ever, the Insider build includes a number of enhancements, and chief among the improvements this time are changes to Bluetooth audio.

Perhaps the most exciting change is the arrival of support for Bluetooth AAC, delivering higher quality wireless audio streaming. There's also an important fix for an issue that has plagued people using wireless phones.

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Best Windows 10 apps this week

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Four-hundred-thirty-six in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.

The next feature update for Windows 10 is almost here. Microsoft picked a build for the update this week, which is already available for testing.

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Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.37.0 -- and it's still missing a key feature

PowerToys

The development of PowerToys continues, and this widely appreciated labor of love is gradually gaining more and more utilities. The latest instalment in the tool's story sees Microsoft releasing PowerToys v.0.37.0.

For now, this is primarily a bug fixing and improvement-introducing release, and some important changes have been made to some of the individual utilities. As of this release, PowerToys now requires at least Windows 10 version 1903 (because of future adoption of WinUI 3). While this requirement will not represent much of an issue for many people, the fact that the eagerly anticipated Video Conference Mute is missing is a disappointment.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 21370

Yesterday, Microsoft announced that the Windows 10 May 2021 Update (21H1) was being prepared for release, with Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring the first to be offered it.

Today, the software giant rolls out a new build to Insiders in the Dev Channel.

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Microsoft is fixing multiple monitor support in Windows 10 so it remembers window positions

Multiple monitors

Working with multiple monitors is great -- in theory. The extra space is obviously useful, as is the ability to use different screens to group together related apps, documents and windows.

Sadly, Windows 10's implementation of multi-monitor support is a little flawed, particularly when using DisplayPort. Many people with two or more screens will have experienced a problem that sees app windows being randomly rearranged, particularly after a system wakes from sleep. But this should be coming to an end as Microsoft is finally addressing the issue.

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Microsoft brings taskbar improvements and more to Windows 10 with KB5001391 update

Windows 10 laptop

Microsoft has released a new "C" preview update for Windows 10 ahead of May's Patch Tuesday. With the optional KB5001391 update, anyone running Windows 10 2004 and Windows 10 20H2 can get the new News and Interests feature in the taskbar.

While there are no security fixes in this update, it is still well worth installing -- not just because of the new taskbar feature, but also because of the number of performance, stability and other non-security issues it addresses.

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Microsoft preparing the Windows 10 May 2021 Update (21H1) for release

21H1-optional-RP-2

Windows 10 Insiders have been testing out the May 2021 Update for a while now, but it won’t be long before the update gets made available to non-Insiders.

Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc says that Build 19043.928 is the final build for the May 2021 Update. It will be firstly offered to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel although they will need to request it.

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Samsung launches Galaxy Book Pro Windows 10 laptops with OLED screens and Wi-Fi 6E

Galaxy_Book_Pro_

Long gone are the days where Apple was the sole manufacturer of elegant laptops. Quite frankly, Apple has become a bit stagnant with its designs. Truth be told, makers of Windows laptops (such as Samsung, HP, and Huawei) have met or exceeded Apple's MacBook looks. Best of all, these Windows notebooks are often much more affordable than Apple's offerings too. Not to mention, they typically have touch screens!

Today, Samsung unveils its newest Windows 10 laptops and not only are they thin and beautiful, but quite powerful too. You see, they are powered by 11th-generation Intel Core processors. There is the Galaxy Book Pro and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 -- the former is a traditional laptop, while the latter is a convertible.

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Winget: Microsoft updates Windows 10's Linux-style package manager to enable software removal

Microsoft building logo

Microsoft has launched a new preview version of Winget Windows 10. Taking inspiration from AppGet, Winget is a Linux-style package manager that allows for command line control of software.

With the latest release, Winget 0.3, Microsoft has added a number of new features to the tool, including the ability to use it to uninstall software. While this is unlikely to tempt the majority of people away from using Settings or the Control Panel, it is extremely handy for anyone looking to uninstall software using scripts.

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Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Windows 10 PC now available as Surface Pro alternative

Latitude-7320-1

The modern detachable PC form factor was made popular by Microsoft's Surface Pro. The iconic kickstand looks cool and allows you to position the screen at many angles. While these computers make for both good tablets and notebooks, they aren't exactly good laptops. Wait. Aren't notebooks and laptops the same thing? Typically yes, but these kickstand-based detachable computers are hard to balance on a lap; it is a bit of a misnomer to call them "laptop."

The Surface Pro is a pretty good computer overall -- as long as you don't need to use it on your lap -- but they can be very buggy. Microsoft's firmware releases often introduce problems -- even as other issues are fixed. Thankfully, if you like that form factor, you aren't limited to Surface. Today, for instance, Dell officially begins selling the Latitude 7320 Windows 10 detachable PC. And yes, it is a real Surface Pro alternative.

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Hidden settings in Windows 10 unlock new Sun Valley floating menus

Windows 10 floating menu

Microsoft has big plans in store for Windows 10 with its upcoming Sun Valley overhaul. There are many interesting visual changes on the horizon in Windows 10 21H2, including the introduction of rounded corners and floating menus -- and, possibly, a floating Start menu too.

So far, however, the new aesthetic that the arrival of Sun Valley will bring has been limited to design mockups. But now this changes. Experimental flags in the latest builds of Windows 10 gives us our first exciting glimpse of what's to come -- and you can (with a little effort) enable the floating menus for yourself.

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How to view Wi-Fi passwords in Windows 10

Laptop with red Wi-Fi logos

Looking to find the password for a Wi-Fi connection? There are various reasons you might want to retrieve the password for a wireless network you have already connected to, but it may not be obviously how to go about it in Windows 10.

Your router may have its security details helpfully printed on a sticker on the back, but this is not necessarily very accessible when you need to get the password for a new laptop or other device. Thankfully, there is a way to view saved Wi-Fi passwords in Windows 10, helping to make life a little easier.

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Microsoft issues emergency update to fix game performance problems caused by KB5000842 and KB5001330

Colorful Microsoft logo

Microsoft has acknowledged that "a small subset of users have reported lower than expected performance in games" after installing one of two recent Windows 10 updates, and issued a rare type of fix.

Gamers complained about dropped framerates and poor performance after installing the KB5001330 update, and the same report came from those who installed the preview version of the same update, KB5000842. Now the company is using a fairly uncommon Known Issue Rollback (KIR) to resolve the problems, just after NVIDIA issued advice of its own to affected gamers.

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