Microsoft is updating Windows 11’s Snipping Tool with option to add text to screenshots
Over the last few years, Microsoft has gradually evolved the Snipping Tool from a simple screen-grabbing tool into something which is much more advanced and sophisticated than anyone could have first imagined.
Having added features such as the ability to create video, grab text from images using OCR, the company is now adding new text options to the app. While not officially available – or even announced – new capabilities have been spotted in the app that show how Microsoft is developing this increasingly essential tool.
Microsoft makes shared audio Bluetooth feature available to more Windows 11 users
After a period of testing with a limited number of users, Microsoft is finally making a key component of Bluetooth LE Audio available to more people. What does this mean? That you can send audio from your Windows 11 computer to two audio devices at the same time.
This can be used to transmit music or other audio to two sets of speakers, or it could be used to allow to people to listen to the same thing on individual pairs of earphones. While the rollout of this feature remains a little limited in availability, it marks an important step towards general release.
Microsoft trials new Copy & Search feature in latest Windows 11 builds
In the most recent Windows Insider builds of Windows 11, Microsoft is testing a new feature that will make it quicker and easier to perform search based on text copied from other documents. The new Copy & Search feature is currently available in the new Dev and Beta channels, and it could be a real time-saver.
While it may not seem like much, Copy & Search reduced a three-step process to a two-step process. In the big scheme of things, it is not much, but it is something that feel significantly faster, even if the difference is quite small in reality. But this is not just a change that is about speed.
Windows 11 installation no longer lets you skip creating a Microsoft Account
With just a week to go until Windows 10 reaches the end of mainstream support, attention is increasingly turning to Windows 11. And with the release of the latest Dev build of the operating system, Microsoft is making changes to the OOBE.
The Out Of Box Experience is what Microsoft calls what most people refer to as the installation and setup process. With the latest changes, Microsoft is closing loopholes used to create local accounts, thereby forcing the use of a Microsoft Account.
Windows 11 will let you use video wallpapers – here’s how to do it now
Microsoft is taking a step back in time with Windows 11, introducing a feature not seen since the days of Vista. If you are sick of a static desktop background, you will be pleased to learn that you will soon be able to use a video as your backdrop instead.
This is something Microsoft was first playing with nearly two decades ago, before scrapping it as a bad idea. Now – for reasons unknown – the company feels the time is right to revive the DreamScene feature of Windows Vista in Windows 11.
Microsoft makes it easier for Windows 11 users to type em and en dashes with keyboard shortcuts
Depending on where you are typing, entering an em dash or an en dash can be simple, or a nightmare. In the latest Insider builds of Windows 11, however, it is getting a whole lot easier thanks to keyboard shortcuts being added.
Microsoft has quietly added a couple of new keyboard shortcuts that can be used to type these handy punctuation marks. For now, they are hidden away in the Dev and Beta builds; here is how to access them.
Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 25H2
Microsoft is of the opinion that Windows 11 25H2 – the next big update for Windows 11 – is ready for public consumption. Although the update has not yet been given a full, formal release, it is now available as a public preview.
This means that Windows Insiders signed up to the Release Preview channel. However, Microsoft is yet to confirm just when the update will be made available to everyone. At the moment the company is not being any more specific than referring to “general availability later this calendar year”.
Snipping Tool gets a handy window recording mode
What started off as a simple screen-grabbing tool has evolved into something powerful and impressive. The Snipping Tool goes from strength to strength, and for Windows Insiders Microsoft has a new option to play with.
The feature is an expansion of Snipping Tool’s screen recording capabilities, this time making it possible to limit recording to a specific window.
Windows 11’s dark mode remains a work in progress for Microsoft
Microsoft’s approach to Windows 11 means that the operating system is never complete. This is evident in many areas, including dark mode.
Like so many companies, Microsoft jumped on the dark mode bandwagon quite some time ago – almost a decade ago, in fact. Work started on the eye-saving option back in Windows 10 but it is still not complete. However there are signs that Microsoft has not given up, and there are still more changes to come.
Microsoft ‘rationalizes’ Windows Search settings in latest Windows 11 build
Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27919 to Windows Insiders signed up for the Canary channel. While not a release that is jam-packed with new treats, it does include important changes to Windows Search.
Describing the changes, Microsoft uses very curious language saying that it has taken steps to “rationalize and organize Windows Search settings”. What this means in practice is that things are being made more logical, with the company apparently taking time to focus on user experience a little more.
Microsoft revamps Link to Windows to give Android users a better UX
Microsoft is improving the experience for anyone using their Android phone with Windows. By updating the Link to Windows app, the company has done more than just tweak things a little, or bolt things on; this is a full reimagining of the app.
There is a lot to dig into with this refresh, but it is important to note that it is not yet something that is available to everyone. Let’s dive in and take a look at what the new version of Link to Windows has to offer.
Microsoft will use snooping telemetry to help speed up Windows 11
Windows 11 users have something of a strained relationship with telemetry, with many people viewing Microsoft’s collection of data as invasive. This has not stopped the company from gathering more and more information from users, and in the most recent Insider builds of the operating system, things are being taken up a notch.
This time around, telemetry is not only optional, but its collection is for a good cause, one that just about everyone can get onside with – improving performance. In short, Microsoft is looking to speed up Windows 11.
Windows 11 Build 27898 introduces taskbar icon scaling and system recovery improvements
Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27898 to the Canary Channel.
This update introduces features aimed at improving usability and recovery, including taskbar icon scaling, quick machine recovery, and enhancements to accessibility tools like voice access and Narrator.
Microsoft is ruining Notepad with pointless formatting in Windows 11
Sigh. Microsoft just can’t leave well enough alone. The company is now injecting formatting features into Notepad, a program that has long been appreciated for one thing -- its simplicity. You see, starting with version 11.2504.50.0, this update is rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, and it adds bold text, italics, hyperlinks, lists, and even headers.
Sadly, this isn’t a joke. Notepad is actually being turned into a watered-down word processor, complete with a formatting toolbar and Markdown support. Users can even toggle between styled content and raw Markdown syntax. And while Microsoft is giving you the option to disable formatting or strip it all out, it’s clear the direction of the app is changing.
Microsoft has finally relented and is giving Windows 11 users the new Start menu they want
The Start menu in Windows 11 has proved to be one of many divisive components of the operating system, with many users unhappy about the appearance and lack of customization options. This is now changing.
Early last month, signs that Microsoft was planning to give the Windows 11 Start menu an overhaul were uncovered. Now these changes have been confirmed by Microsoft; the company says that “Start is getting personal”. But what does this mean?
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