Here is the changelog:

Microsoft has released the latest Microsoft Edge Stable Channel (Version 127.0.2651.98) which incorporates the latest Security Updates of the Chromium project. For more information, see the Security Update Guide.

 

This update contains the following Microsoft Edge-specific updates:

 

• CVE-2024-38219
• CVE-2024-38218

Chromium-specific patches include five fixes for high-severity and one for critical security vulnerability:

• CVE-2024-7550: Type Confusion in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 127.0.6533.99 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

• CVE-2024-7536: Use after free in WebAudio in Google Chrome prior to 127.0.6533.99 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

• CVE-2024-7535: Inappropriate implementation in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 127.0.6533.99 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

• CVE-2024-7534: Heap buffer overflow in Layout in Google Chrome prior to 127.0.6533.99 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

• CVE-2024-7533: Use after free in Sharing in Google Chrome on iOS prior to 127.0.6533.99 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

• CVE-2024-7532: Out-of-bounds memory access in ANGLE in Google Chrome prior to 127.0.6533.99 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: Critical)

   

Microsoft Edge downloads and installs updates automatically in the background and applies them on the next restart. Alternatively, you can get the latest update by heading to edge://settings/help or Menu > Help and Feedback > About Microsoft Edge.

Source

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Windows 11 version 21H2 is already discontinued for regular customers. Only the Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise SKUs are still receiving regular updates. As for Windows 11 version 22H2, October 8 will mark the end of life for the Home and Pro SKUs.

Here is the message Microsoft posted on the official Windows Health Dashboard website:

On October 8, 2024, Windows 11, version 21H2 (Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions) and Windows 11, version 22H2 (Home and Pro editions) will reach end of servicing. The upcoming October 2024 security update, to be released on October 8, 2024, will be the last update available for these editions. After this date, devices running these editions will no longer receive monthly security and preview updates containing protections from the latest security threats.

Regular customers probably should not worry about the end of versions 21H2 and 22H2 support. Their systems most likely have already been updated to Windows 11 version 23H2 (unless something happened to their Windows Update mechanisms). If you do not know what Windows 11 version your computer is running, go to Settings > System > About and check out Windows Specifications > Version.

Both Windows 11 versions 21H2 and 22H2 received two years of active support (Home and Pro Editions). Enterprise and Education SKUs are usually supported for one more year. Windows 11 version 23H2 will be next on the way out after the end of previous releases. According to the official documentation, it will reach its end of life on November 11, 2025.

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Hold off on updates from both companies until they are fully vetted.

With so much activity around forthcoming Windows updates, continued caution is recommended. That’s why I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level to 2.

I realize that the window between today and last week’s Alert has been brief. It’s just a matter of the calendar — more testing time was needed last month, and Patch Tuesday is next week.

I consider Apple’s updates more impactful. iOS 18 will be out next month with new customization options, AI features, SIRI improvements, and more. Don’t be the first to jump into those updates; give them time to settle and let others take the slings and arrows.

Microsoft still appears to be on track to release Windows 11 24H2 in September or October. As I’ve said before, I don’t see many compelling changes for consumers. The 24H2 release will have a new Long-Term Servicing Channel edition, allowing businesses to have a version with fewer changes and disruptions.

The upcoming Windows 11 update will include fixes for the following issues:

The upcoming Windows 10 release will include a fix for the following problem:

I am still seeing individuals having issues installing Office 2019 updates on some (but not all) machines. If you need to manually update Office, do not uninstall and reinstall. Instead, follow this procedure.

Microsoft has refreshed KB5001716 for Windows 11 to get ready for the 24H2 release. The main goal is to ensure that you get the proper notification when a feature release is coming to its end of life. If you are up to date on 23H2 and use tools to defer or hide the updates, you can safely hide this update. If you are a Windows patcher who merely defers, I have no indication that this update is a problem and recommend leaving it installed if it’s already there.

If you are an Android phone or tablet user, don’t forget to hop over and ensure that updates are installed. This month’s Android security releases include a fix for a zero day. However, there are no details on how the attack may occur. Reports so far imply that this is a targeted attack from a highly motivated attacker, such as some overseas government going after specific targets. CVE-2024-36971 has no clear explanation of how the attackers are getting onto the devices. Although Google Pixel devices will receive the updates quite soon (if they haven’t already), other devices take longer because carriers test and approve the fixes before pushing them to their customers.

Las Vegas is hot in the summer. That’s the perfect time of year to spend hours in air-conditioned event venues soaking up the latest security information at the annual Black Hat USA 2024 security conference. I won’t be there in person, but I will be availing myself of A/C while I watch remotely to review the research that is released. I sometimes think these events are more hype than substance, but the agendas always look interesting.

One talk, Windows Downdate, made me chuckle a bit. The idea is that attackers can wiggle into your system, download older binaries, and thus make your box vulnerable to security issues that have been addressed in more recent releases. As a byproduct, the “downdate” damages the Windows update components to prevent newer updates from being installed. The chuckle comes from realizing that Microsoft itself does that quite well on its own. It will be interesting to see the research and the tool released.

Reminder: The enforcement indicated in KB5025885 regarding Boot Manager revocations for secure boot changes has been kicked down the road. The July 9 security updates ushered in the “deployment phase,” but the enforcement phase will be six months (or more) from now. Microsoft will let us know when the last phase goes into effect, but meanwhile I’m working on an article on how best to handle this in both standalone and business settings.

Resources

Source

One of the new features is background removal. Microsoft says Clipchamp users can simply right-click on any image in the editor and then select the Remove Background option in the menu to remove that background. It added:

You can layer any video or image of your choice behind your image to create a whole new look, by adding another track row below. You can also apply image background removal to images with objects in the foreground to create your own stickers.

The other new feature that's rolling out now for Clipchamp is noise suppression. Sometimes, you may record a video that has noise in the background that you don't want in the final product, like kids playing or cars driving by. In this case, you can go into Clipchamp's Audio tab and then click on the Noise suppression selection. The editor should automatically get rid of that annoying background noise.

While these two new features are now rolling out for Clipchamp work and personal accounts, there's no word on when they will be added to the educational accounts. Microsoft first announced that Clipchamp was being included for Microsoft 365 Educational subscribers back in July.

Clipchamp is scheduled to get a much bigger feature in the near future. A recent entry in the Microsoft 365 roadmap website stated that in September, Clipchamp will add Copilot generative AI support. The entry claims that Copilot in Clipchamp will "write a bespoke script, source high quality stock footage, and assemble a video project with music, voiceover, text overlays and transitions" with just some text prompts when the new feature is added.

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• update to the latest Nightly,
• go to Settings > Firefox Labs,
• activate Sidebar and Vertical tabs experiments,
• click Customize toolbar in the toolbar right-click menu, and drag the sidebar icon to your toolbar. Clicking on the sidebar icon will allow you to expand vertical tabs.

We have designed the new sidebar and vertical tabs experience to make two core browsing workflows more seamless – context-switching and multitasking.

• The new sidebar allows you to quickly cross-reference all of your favorite tools – be it tabs on your mobile phone, your favorite extension, or bookmarks with your main task at hand.
• Vertical tabs make it easier to scan information and switch between tasks.

This work is still very much in progress. You’ll see us refine things in the coming months, and we appreciate your feedback to help bring these features to life.

We will also be sharing our backlog of improvements on Mozilla Connect, so you can get a sense for where we ultimately want these features to be.

What’s Next?

We’re calling on our community to test the new sidebar and vertical tabs experience and your constructive feedback is crucial as we refine these features. Please share your thoughts on Mozilla Connect – we take your input into account and it helps us create a browsing experience that meets your needs 🦊.

If you’re a web extension developer and your extension uses sidebar APIs or works with tabs, we’d love you to test it with the new sidebar and vertical tabs enabled. While there are no changes to Web Extension APIs tied to these features, this is a good opportunity to anticipate unforeseen issues resulting from the updated UI.

Source

Here is the official changelog:

The following update is available for Surface Pro X (SQ2) devices running Windows 11 September 2022 Update, Version 22H2, or greater.

 

Improvements and fixes:

 

• Enables a seamless experience with the new Pro Flex Keyboard and Slim Pen on the latest Surface Pro devices.
• Addresses data collection regulatory requirements and updates the consent experience for data transmission.

Here is the list of new drivers:

Here is extra information about the release:

The SQ2-based Surface Pro X is supported until August 10, 2025.

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System76 has released an alpha version of its Cosmic desktop environment for Linux and Unix-like systems. The Linux hardware firm isn't targeting only its customers with its GNOME replacement; it also hopes to get distro maintainers and app makers on board with its Rust-built, UX-focused desktop.

While the Cosmic desktop will be built into the Linux vendor's Pop!_OS (which is also in the alpha ISO), it's also available to other systems, as you might expect. System76 provides drop-in instructions for Fedora and Arch Linux installs, among others.

System76 says it is "excited to see COSMIC integration elevate Linux as a whole," along with what results "from making UX-building more accessible." By building Cosmic natively in the Rust language, System76 also intends to provide a more stable and memory-safe environment for apps.

Cosmic shows deep attention to tiling, keyboard shortcuts, and panel and dock customization, as has been present on its Pop!_OS. I'm a bit of a boring side-by-side, single-workspace type; Gardiner Bryant on YouTube went deeper into the Cosmic alpha's tiling, panels, and GTK app acceptance. I found that getting Cosmic into a reasonable shape I could work from, and picking up its keyboard window shortcuts, was easier than with either KDE or GNOME.

One thing System76 made clear in its push for Cosmic is its readiness for more deeply integrated themes. System76 offered a few examples in its press materials, and I must admit a fondness for its over-the-top examples.

System76 probably can't officially offer this theme, what with Internet Explorer logo and other recognizable icons, but it does illustrate the theme potentials.

Promising, but definitely not production

I've been using the Cosmic-topped desktop alpha since last week on an also alpha-ish Pop!_OS 24.04 long-term support distribution with Wayland windowing. It's running on my desktop-ified Framework laptop, since System76 noted that virtual machines would require some hardware acceleration trickery to function properly. It's definitely an alpha, with lots of things you'd expect to see in the settings and around the system missing or non-interactive.

What I can say about Cosmic, even at this early alpha stage, is that it's relatively snappy and cohesive compared to other systems I've used. The settings app only has six main categories, and one of them is "Desktop," with robust settings for changing your dock, windows, workspaces, and appearance. I keep a webcam on top of my monitor, with a clamp big enough to hide the time/date combo sometimes perched there by GNOME desktops. Cosmic's panel controls made it easy to move this to the right and similarly position and style my dock however I like.

Most of what is on display here is not for end users, though, as much as it is for adventurous users, or maybe community distro packagers, looking for a desktop environment carrying far less technical debt than GNOME and KDE. At the same time, that means there will be some tension and scraping between certain apps and this new environment. Slack's main window on my system is constantly disappearing, and clicking its persistent notification in the tray won't bring it back. And I'm the type who always remaps his Caps Lock key to Escape, but there's no place to do that yet, and the Gnome-Tweaks app won't work, either. Some of this is probably the distribution itself, some of it is Cosmic, and some of it is between the two. (Yes, I'm certain there's a way to get that keyboard fix with a command or config file, but this is just a test run.)

The Cosmic team says it will next work on settings pages, the Files app, variable refresh rate, and software rendering, among other bugs and refinements. After that comes the hard part of gaining acceptance and installs across the wider open source community.

Source

YouTube introduced the live midroll ad format back in 2023. It gave creators the option to insert ad breaks into their live streams (ads can be placed manually or automatically by YouTube). These are full-screen ads that stop the stream and play their own video and audio content, while the stream continues in real time. They’re tolerable on regular videos because the video picks up right where you left off before the ad break, but the midroll ad format interrupts the immersion in a live stream. Some creators don’t allow viewers to rewind live streams, so you might just miss the stream while the ad plays.

To address the problem, YouTube announced that it’s testing a Picture-in-Picture (PiP) format for midroll ad breaks during live streams.

Google says, “some viewers on select devices will begin to see the new ad format in the coming months, allowing creators to run ads without disrupting the live stream!”

Picture-in-Picture is the most reasonable format to present any ads during a live stream. But YouTube hasn’t shared any technical details for this experiment. Presumably, with a Picture-in-Picture ad, the viewers will only see a small floating pop-up ad while the stream continues in the background. We can also assume it won’t play its own audio on top of the stream, meaning YouTube will mute these ads by default.

YouTube experimental features are rolled out to a small group of viewers to gather feedback. The feedback will decide if this PiP live midroll ad format sees a public release.

Source

If you’ve been keeping up with tech news for the last few months, you’ve almost certainly heard about the flaws affecting Intel 13th- and 14th-gen desktop CPUs. You might’ve also heard that Intel’s fixing them — or at least trying to mitigate future CPU failures.

Today, the first motherboard BIOS updates with fixes for Intel’s crashing CPUs are rolling out, from both Asus and MSI.

Intel’s fix is actually a microcode patch applied to the Raptor Lake-series processors to fix voltage errors. The patch is applied using motherboard UEFI-BIOS as a delivery method.

MSI’s various high-end Z790 motherboards in the MAG, MEG, and MPG series are getting the patch right now (spotted by PCGamer), with other 700-series and 600-series motherboards being patched “in the coming weeks by the end of August.”

Asus is following suit, but doing so in its typical way of posting Google Drive file links for beta updates on its official ROG forums. So far, the updates are coming to Z790 boards in the Strix and Maximus categories, plus the Z790-AYW OC WIFI and ProArt Z790-Creator WiFi. Presumably, the BIOS files will be available as standard downloads after the forum posters get some time beta testing it.

Note that these BIOS files include the “official” fix for the problem straight from Intel, and shouldn’t be confused with earlier attempts by PC manufacturers to mitigate damage by resetting factory overclocks on “gaming” motherboards to default settings.

The hope is that the voltage adjustment in the microcode will prevent currently operating processors from future damage, but the fix is unlikely to reverse any damage already inflicted to crashing CPUs. As such, other OEMs are likely scrambling to get the Intel fix applied to their own motherboards as quickly as possible to save their customers a lot of headaches (not to mention time and money in support and RMAs).

If you’ve already been affected by a crashing CPU, you might want to look into Intel’s newly-expanded warranties that should cover all the Raptor Lake processors currently in user machines.

Source

We all know that some perfectly good Windows 10 PCs can't be upgraded to Windows 11. But did you know that Canalys Insights estimated that 240 million Windows 10 PCs are doomed to the trash heap because they can't be upgraded to Windows 11 after Microsoft dumps Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025? Wow. That's a lot of trashed PCs.

And it may be worse than that. According to IT asset management firm Lansweeper, 40% of all enterprise workstations can't make the upgrade, which would put the number of Windows 10 PCs counting the day to their demise at about 400 million.

Why? Many older Windows 10 machines lack the CPU or the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) needed for Windows 11. The TPM isn't usually a problem, but if you have a PC from 2019 or earlier, the CPU will likely be unsupported.

Or, say you've looked at Windows 11 and said, "No, just no!" (That's been my reaction.) Or you've considered forthcoming Windows 11 features such as Microsoft Recall and did not like it. What's a user to do when their Windows machine can't make the grade -- or they simply don't want to upgrade?

Well, here's one choice you shouldn't make: Do not keep running Windows 10 come the fall of 2025. Your machine will be hacked. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Microsoft and its hardware friends want you to buy a new PC.  But, suppose you don't want to buy a new computer. They're not cheap, after all. In 2024, while you can buy a budget laptop for as little as $300, Windows 11 doesn't work that well on cheap hardware. To enjoy running Windows 11, you need a higher-end laptop or PC. These offer better performance, more storage, and higher-quality displays, but they also cost north of $1,000.

1. Force Windows 11 on your Windows 10 PC

You could gird your loins and hack your way to installing Windows 11 on your PC even though, officially, Microsoft won't support you if you try this trick. It's a bit complicated upgrading an unsupported Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, as ZDNET's resident Windows expert Ed Bott explains, but it's not that hard either.

There's also an open-source program, Rufus, that makes it easy to bypass the Windows 11 system check. This bootable USB drive creation program allows you to skip Windows 11 system requirements when you try to do an in-place upgrade.

Keep in mind, though, that Windows 11 might not work well or at all on your older PC. You risk bricking your PC, and no one wants that. On the other hand, if you're going to junk it away, what do you have to lose? Nothing.

2. Install Linux

Then, there's my default suggestion: Move from your soon-to-be-outdated Windows 10 to Linux. Yes, I know you've been told that Linux is hard to use and install. It's not.

Sure, back in the 2000s, you needed to be a Linux shell command wizard to install it and run its software. That was a long time ago. Today, anyone can run Linux. Heck, more than a decade ago, I taught a 79-year-old how to run Ubuntu Linux, and we didn't even share a common language!

Another advantage of running Linux is that your PC will never be left behind. I have computers more than a decade old that came with Windows XP, and they're still running up-to-date Linux.

3. Switch to ChromeOS

You can use a web browser, right? If you really can't see yourself learning Linux, try ChromeOS.

Thanks to ChromeOS Flex, you can take pretty much any PC from the last decade or so and get it running ChromeOS. I upgraded a Dell Inspiron One 2320 with Windows 7 to ChromeOS Flex. This all-in-one (AIO) Dell 2012 computer has a 2.4Ghz Intel Pentium Dual Core i5 processor, 6GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT525M, and a 320GB hard drive, and it's a great ChromeOS machine, which I use as my Zoom workstation every day.

You can install and run ChromeOS Flex on any PC with a 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and can be booted from a USB drive. It's easy to move any Windows machine to ChromeOS Flex.

Oh, is there a Windows application you can't live without? Leaving aside that software companies are dumping standalone applications in favor of software-as-a-service such as Microsoft 365, you now can run essentially any Windows app on a Chromebook. Cameyo and Google's new Virtual App Delivery (VAD service) enables you to run "legacy apps" on any Chromebook. There, they will appear as Progressive Web Apps (PWA). Microsoft uses this cloud-based approach itself to deliver applications.

For that matter, if you still have an Intel-powered Apple Mac and you're beginning to get nervous about when Apple will cut its support lifeline -- unlike Microsoft, Apple doesn't tell you when it will end hardware support -- you can move your Mac to ChromeOS Flex. There's nothing remotely complicated about it.

By the way, neither Linux nor ChromeOS Flex will cost you a single dime. They're free now and forever.

If you want to replace your Windows machines in a business, Google can help you. For organizations using ChromeOS Flex under Chrome Enterprise Upgrade or Chrome Education Upgrade, Google offers dedicated support. You can access support via the Google Admin console. There, you'll find help with device enrollment, connectivity issues, and software-related problems. The price starts at $50 per machine per year.

4. Pay for Windows 10 Extended Support

Of course, you could buy support for your Windows 10 machine. Microsoft recently announced pricing for its Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows 10, particularly for businesses and educational institutions. Consumer pricing remains undisclosed.

For Businesses:

•     Year 1: $61 per device

•     Year 2: $122 per device (doubles from Year 1)

•     Year 3: $244 per device (doubles from Year 2)

The pricing is based on the traditional "5-by-5" activation key method. Microsoft is offering a 25% discount for organizations using Microsoft's cloud-based update management solutions like Intune or Windows Autopatch, bringing the Year 1 cost down to $45 per user for up to five devices.

For Education Customers:

•     Year 1: $1 per license

•     Year 2: $2 per license

•     Year 3: $4 per license

For Windows 365 Customers:

Extended Security Updates will be included at no additional cost for Windows 10 devices accessing Windows 365 Cloud PCs.

Keep in mind that the price for the Windows 10 ESU program doubles every year for a maximum of three years. Microsoft really, really doesn't want you to stay on Windows 10. As the company says, "Extended Security Updates are not intended to be a long-term solution but rather a temporary bridge."

In addition, the ESUs provide only security updates. There will be no new features or non-security patches. If you run into trouble, technical support will be limited and require an active support plan.

In summary, commercial organizations will pay $61-$244 per device over three years, while education gets heavily discounted pricing of $1-$4 per license. Consumer pricing is still to be determined.

I'd only go with an ESU, myself, if I really had no other choice.

5. Try alternative security patching

Finally, a company called 0Patch offers customized patches for out-of-service operating systems. For example, 0Patch supported Windows Server 2012 until 2026. Now, it supports Windows 10 for about $25 a year.

Ignore it and keep running Windows 10

Do you have a death wish!? No, just no! Unless your Windows 10 PC is never, ever connected to the Internet, this is just asking for trouble.

Conclusion

Don't trash your old Windows 10 PCs! There are many ways to give them a long, useful life after Microsoft retires them. With ChromeOS Flex and Linux, I've got former Windows PCs more over 10 years old that remain productive machines. Old doesn't mean useless. You just need to be a bit creative.

Source

One of the myths surrounding the Linux operating system is that you have to run all sorts of complicated commands to get anything done. Although that may have been the case some time ago, it's no longer a reality.

You could go your entire life with Linux and never run a single command. That's how far the Linux desktop has come over the years.

Also: The first 5 Linux commands every new user should learn

However, for some users, the power offered by the Linux CLI (Command Line Interface) can be enticing. And, as someone who's used Linux for decades, I still revert back to the command line for certain things.

That's because the CLI can be really efficient. Case in point, there are two features you should know about that make using the Linux command line even easier: Tab completion and history. Let me explain each of these.

How to use tab completion

What you'll need: The only thing you'll need for this is a running instance of Linux. It doesn't matter what distribution you use because both of these features are found in all flavors of the open-source operating system.

Let's say you know there's a command you need to run but can't remember its name. You know it starts with sys, but that's all you can remember.

1. Open your terminal window

Once your terminal window is open, type sys and hit Tab on your keyboard. You should then see all commands on your system that start with sys.

Look through the list until you find the command you need.

Trying to remember the systemctl command is easier with tab completion.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

2. Type some more

Even better, you don't have to type out the entire command. Say, for example, the command you were looking for was systemctl. You could type systemc, hit Tab, and the remainder of the command will be automatically filled out.

This little trick works better if there aren't as many commands that start with system (because to get it to work for systemctl you have to type all but the final two letters. For example, if you use Samba (for folder shares across your network), you could type smbc and hit Tab to have the entire smbcontrol command completed for you.

How to use command history

1. Scroll through your command history

Do you remember the last command you typed? If it was a complicated command, you might not want to have to type it again. To avoid that, open your terminal window and hit the up arrow on your keyboard. What you should see is the last command you ran. Hit the up arrow again and you'll see the command before that. Keep hitting the up arrow on your keyboard and you'll go through the entire saved history of the commands you've issued.

2. Run a command from your history

When you find the command you want to run, stop on it and hit Enter on your keyboard. That command will run as though you just typed it. This trick comes in very handy when you either don't feel like typing complicated commands or you can't remember the exact command you'd previously run.

To this day, I use both of these tricks with Linux and they never fail to make using the command line a bit easier. Once you start using these handy helpers, you'll be less fearful of using the Linux CLI.

Source

A few days back, Neowin noticed that Microsoft was also pushing another update to both Windows 10 and 11 PCs under KB5001716, which triggered the forced installation of newer Windows feature updates.

That's not all. Today, we also noted that the tech giant released Dynamic Update for Windows 11 24H2 regarding Setup EXE binaries alongside the Safe OS WinRE update under KB5041979 that we already covered.

The update is available under KB5041178, and Microsoft writes:

KB5041178: Setup Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 24H2: July 30 2024

 

Summary

 

This update makes improvements to Windows setup binaries or any files that setup uses for feature updates in Windows 11, version 24H2.

In a Techcommunity blog post about Windows 10 Dynamic Updates, Microsoft explained Dynamic Updates in more detail regarding its various components and uses. These packages include fixes to Setup.exe binaries, SafeOS updates for Windows Recovery Environment, and more:

As soon as a Windows 10 feature update initiates, whether from media or a Windows Update service-connected environment, Dynamic Update is one of the first steps invoked. Windows 10 Setup reaches out to an Internet-facing URL hosted by Microsoft to fetch Dynamic Update content, then applies those updates to your OS installation media.

 

Content acquired includes:

 

• Setup Updates: Fixes to Setup binaries or any files that Setup uses for feature updates.
• Safe OS Updates: Fixes for the "safe OS" that are used to update Windows recovery environment (WinRE).
• Servicing Stack Updates: Fixes that are necessary to address the Windows 10 servicing stack issue and thus required to complete the feature update.
• Latest Cumulative Update: Installs the latest cumulative quality update.
• Driver Updates: Latest version of applicable drivers that have already been published by manufacturers into Windows Update and specifically targeted for Dynamic Update.

 

In addition to these updates, Dynamic Update will preserve Language Pack (LP) and Features on Demand (FODs) content during the upgrade process. These are not updates to LPs and FODs, but reacquisition to ensure the user has these elements present with the update completes.

These dynamic updates are not pushed through Windows Update and are only available for manual downloading from the Windows Update Catalog website. You can find it here. The update is applicable for both Arm64 and AMD64 Copilot+ PCs.

Source

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What you need to know

• Reports indicate Microsoft is using the Bing Wallpaper app to get Windows 11 users to switch to Bing as the "recommended browser settings" for fast and secure search results.
• Users who accepted the changes indicated that Microsoft's Bing extension was sideloaded to Google Chrome.
• Windows Central can't independently verify these claims but has reached out for a comment from Google.

Microsoft's Bing and Edge might not dominate their respective spaces, but Windows dominates the desktop operating system market share with 72.08%. Earlier this year, Mozilla placed Microsoft under fire for using 'harmful designs' and deceptive tactics to give Edge a competitive advantage over other browsers on Windows. The tech firm's latest attempt featured a 3D banner recommending Windows 11 users to make Edge their default browser because of its built-in security features

And as it now seems, Microsoft still has one or two more tricks up its sleeves. While Windows Central can't independently verify the claims, the tech giant allegedly leverages its Bing Wallpaper app to "recommend different browser settings." The pop-up notification recommends setting Bing as the default search engine on Windows 11 for fast and secure search results.

Why is my wallpaper application recommending browser settings? from r/Windows11

I attempted to replicate the scenario on my PC but failed. However, I'll point out that the Bing Wallpaper app ships with optional offers checked by default, including Bing as my homepage and Bing as the default search engine. You might want to uncheck these boxes if this isn't your preferred setup before installing the application.

For starters, the app is still marked as a preview, begging the question of why Microsoft is shipping pre-release software to all users in the Stable Channel (there is the Microsoft 365 Insider program, after all). Next, it is still part of OneNote, so you are getting the new app regardless of whether you want it or not or if you have the old Sticky Notes app installed. That also means that the only way to remove the new Sticky Notes app from your computer is to uninstall OneNote or the entire Office suite—not ideal.

Finally, the worst part is that despite having some interesting new features and fancy UI, the reworked Sticky Notes app is much slower than the old variant, which kills the purpose of Sticky Notes, a small, fast, and lightweight application for quick note taking. There are also some scattered reports about users losing their notes after upgrading, but they do not appear to be widespread.

Luckily, you can still use the old Sticky Notes app from the Microsoft Store. It works much better and faster, plus it can still sync your stickies to OneNote across devices. Moreover, it is even possible to restore the "old old Sticky Notes app," which is a bare-bones desktop widget-like app with no Microsoft Account sync, text formatting, and other features.

Are you happy with the revamped Sticky Notes app on Windows 10 and 11? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Here is what is new in Files 3.6:

Dual Pane Improvements. You can now switch from vertical to horizontal orientation and adjust the arrangement when using Dual Pane Mode.

Actions menu. Similar to Microsoft Edge and its "Tab actions," Files now features a special button in the upper-left corner of the UI. It provides quick access to common actions, such as opening a new window, Compact Overlay, Dual Pane customization, and more.

Custom backgrounds for different folders. Files 3.6 now lets you set custom backgrounds for different folders so that you can quickly differentiate between various directories and have special backgrounds for work, personal projects, media, etc. You can also specify background opacity and alignment per folder.

New localization. Files now speaks Malay.

Performance optimizations. The app is now, according to developers, 167% faster when loading large folders with thousands of items. Just keep in mind that specific performance improvements depend on your hardware, running apps, and other aspects.

If you are curious, here is the rest of the changelog with all its minor improvements and adjustments:

• Moved the sidebar toggle button to the address toolbar
• Added a keyboard shortcut to toggle the toolbar visibility Ctrl+Shift+B
• Added a keyboard shortcut to move focus between panes in Dual Pane mode Ctrl+Shift+Right
• Added support for clicking links when previewing markdown files
• Added an action to toggle the dot files setting
• Fixed an issue where the tab title was empty when opening a folder in a new tab
• Fixed an issue where dragging or opening multiple items would use the wrong sort mode
• Fixed an issue where Run with PowerShell didn’t display a window
• Fixed an issue where the Home Page was opened when Files was launched with custom args
• Fixed an issue where changing the layout size didn’t work when adaptive layout was enabled
• Fixed an issue where quick search filtering wasn’t cleared when navigating to another folder
• Fixed an issue where non-cached windows sometimes had the wrong theme
• Fixed an issue where settings weren’t exported in the correct format
• Fixed an issue where double tap to rename was too sensitive
• Fixed an issue where hover to open was too sensitive
• Fixed an issue where the cursor wasn’t inline when resizing columns in the Details View
• Fixed an issue where online files were downloaded when loading tooltips
• Fixed an issue where navigation button had the wrong foreground in the disabled state
• Fixed an issue where arguments weren’t passed when running shortcuts as admin
• Fixed an issue with compressing and extracting archives on ARM64 devices
• Fixed an issue where a warning about WSL would display on startup
• Fixed the position of the “New item” flyout
• Fixed a crash that would sometimes occur when updating Files
• Fixed a crash that would occur when entering invalid parameters via command line
• Fixed crash that would sometimes occur when adding items to the jumplist
• Fixed ArgumentNullException in DefaultSettingsSerializer.ReadFromFile
• Fixed ArgumentNullException in SortingHelper.OrderFileList
• Fixed ArgumentException in PinnedFoldersManager
• Fixed ArgumentException in PathNormalization.NormalizePath
• Fixed TypeInitializationException in UIHelpers
• Fixed DirectoryNotFoundException when pinning items to the start menu
• Fixed FileNotFoundException in Recycle Bin watcher
• Fixed NullReferenceException in DriveItem.LoadThumbnailAsync
• Fixed NullReferenceException in SystemTrayIcon.OnQuitClicked
• Fixed NullReferenceException in RecycleBinLocationItem.RefreshSpaceUsed
• Fixed NullReferenceException in DrivesWidgetViewModel.NavigateToPath
• Fixed InvalidOperationException in SideloadUpdateService.CheckForUpdatesAsync
• Fixed COMException in MainWindow.EnsureWindowIsInitialized
• Fixed COMException in SidebarItem.ItemGrid_Drop

You can download Files from the Microsoft Store for $7.99. Alternatively, the app is available for free from its official website. If you want to support developers and their ever-going flow of updates with new features, support the project in the Store or on GitHub.

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A few days back, Neowin noticed that Microsoft was also pushing another update to both Windows 10 and 11 PCs under KB5001716, which triggered the forced installation of newer Windows feature updates.

That's not all. Today, we also noted that the tech giant released Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11 24H2 regarding recovery. WinRE, or Windows Recovery Environment, helps users troubleshoot booting issues.

The update is available under KB5041979, and Microsoft writes:

KB5041979: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 24H2: July 30, 2024

 

Summary

 

This update makes improvements to the Windows recovery environment in Windows 11, version 24H2.

In a Techcommunity blog post about Windows 10 Dynamic Updates, Microsoft explained Dynamic Updates in more detail regarding its various components and uses. These packages include fixes to Setup.exe binaries, SafeOS updates for Windows Recovery Environment, and more:

As soon as a Windows 10 feature update initiates, whether from media or a Windows Update service-connected environment, Dynamic Update is one of the first steps invoked. Windows 10 Setup reaches out to an Internet-facing URL hosted by Microsoft to fetch Dynamic Update content, then applies those updates to your OS installation media.

 

Content acquired includes:

 

• Setup Updates: Fixes to Setup binaries or any files that Setup uses for feature updates.
• Safe OS Updates: Fixes for the "safe OS" that are used to update Windows recovery environment (WinRE).
• Servicing Stack Updates: Fixes that are necessary to address the Windows 10 servicing stack issue and thus required to complete the feature update.
• Latest Cumulative Update: Installs the latest cumulative quality update.
• Driver Updates: Latest version of applicable drivers that have already been published by manufacturers into Windows Update and specifically targeted for Dynamic Update.

 

In addition to these updates, Dynamic Update will preserve Language Pack (LP) and Features on Demand (FODs) content during the upgrade process. These are not updates to LPs and FODs, but reacquisition to ensure the user has these elements present with the update completes.

These dynamic updates are not pushed through Windows Update and are only available for manual downloading from the Windows Update Catalog website. You can find it here. The update is applicable for both Arm64 and AMD64 Copilot+ PCs.

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When I'm using Linux, I know that all the information I need is only a few commands away. If you want to know it, Linux can give it to you -- from security, network, disk space, users, and everything in between.

But what about your hardware? How do you gather information about the actual machine you are using? This can come in handy when you need to know what CPU you're dealing with, what drives are connected, or what company made the machine (and even the version number). Fortunately, those details are at your fingertips and I'm going to show you five commands to help you gather it. So, stretch out those fingers and get ready to type.

1. uname

I often need to know the version of the kernel that is running on my machine. Maybe I want to check and see if it's the latest version. Or maybe VirtualBox is having problems and I need to know which kernel is currently loaded. Although this isn't a hardware issue, it is certainly a very important one. For example, you might hear about a vulnerability that has been discovered in a particular kernel and you want to know if that affects your system. If so, you'd obviously want to upgrade immediately.

To find out what kernel is running on your Linux computer, you'll use the uname command with the -r option (for kernel release). That command is:

uname -r

It should print out something like this:

6.8.0-76060800daily20240311-generic

I'm running kernel 6.8.0 on Pop!_OS.

2. lscpu

Need to know the details about the CPU on your machine? If so, the lscpu command has you covered. This gem of a tool lists out information like architecture, number of cores, vendor ID, model name, CPU family, threads per core, cores per socket, sockets, stepping CPU min/max MHz, flags, caches, vulnerabilities, and more.

To find out the details of your CPU, issue the command:

lscpu

That's it. Make sure to check the Vulnerabilities section because it will list if mitigations have been applied to issues like Spectre V1 and V2.

3. lsblk

This is my go-to command when I need to know where a drive is mounted. When you have multiple drives on a single system, it can get a bit confusing as to which is mounted to what directory. Fortunately, lsblk simplifies that. When you run this command, you'll see the disk name (such as sda1) and where it's mounted, such as /media/jack/music. The command will also inform you how big a disk is (which is also helpful when you know the size of a disk but not the name of the disk).

To view this information, simply issue the command:

lsblk

You could also view the information of a specific drive, like so:

lsblk /dev/sda1

4. dmidecode

This is the king of commands for gathering system information. The dmidecode command is a tool for dumping the DMI table contents into a human-readable form. This not only describes what the system is made of but also things like the fastest CPU supported or max memory supported.

You can run the sudo dmidecode command alone, which prints out a lengthy list of information (most of which you probably won't need). You can also limit that to only system information with the command:

sudo dmidecode -t system

You'll probably find much of the information from the above command is similar to that from the lscpu command. That's fine because if you run the sudo dmidecode command with no options, you'll receive considerably more details.

5. lsusb

I have, on several occasions over the years, found myself with USB issues. Either that or I've had so many USB peripherals connected to a machine that I wasn't quite certain what was what. At other times, I needed to know the official name of a device that was plugged in (because often the make/model of a device isn't the same as what the USB system detects). When that's the case, there's one command I turn to and that's lsusb. Run that command without any arguments and it will display a listing of every USB device attached to your computer. I cannot tell you how many times this command has helped me troubleshoot a USB connection.

You can also view the information as a tree (which includes the port number), with the command:

lsusb -t

And those are the five commands I always turn to when I need to gather information about a system. Whether you're troubleshooting or just needing details for a computer, these tools are a great place to start.

And remember, to find out more about each command, read its man page (such as man uname, man lscpu, man lsblk, man dmidecde, and man lsusb).

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In addition, release 560.81 resolved high CPU utilization by Nvidia Container, game stutters, 0% GPU utilization, and more. Here is the complete changelog:

Fixed Gaming Bugs

 

• [Farming Simulator 22] Game may crash when loading on GeForce RTX 30/40 series with 560.70 driver.

 

Fixed General Bugs

 

• [GeForce Experience/NVIDIA App] If GPU utilization gets stuck at 0% within Performance overlay, games may display stutter
• Full range of refresh rates not available on same monitors
• NVIDIA Container showing high CPU utilization

Known bugs in version 560.81 include the following:

• [GeForce Experience] Performance Monitoring overlay may stop refreshing GPU information

It is also worth noting that owners of still-supported Nvidia graphics cards and some very old processors should stay away from Nvidia's recent updates. The company recently stopped supporting chips without certain instructions, so installing R555+ drivers on systems, say, with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and the RTX 750 Ti, will result in the entire system crashing to the blue screen of death. You can find more information about that issue here.

If you have something less ancient than a Core 2 Duo-based computer, you can safely update to the Nvidia 560.81 WHQL driver. You can get it from the official website or the GeForce app. As usual, here is the list of supported Nvidia graphics cards:

Full release notes are available here.

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With the latest release, the System tab features a dedicated display section where you can adjust the refresh rate, display orientation, and resolution. Not every feature from the old Nvidia Control Panel is there, though. Nvidia says it is still working on the missing features, such as G-SYNC control, surround, custom resolutions, multi-monitor support, and more.

The app also lets you customize various RTX Video improvements and sliders for RTX Video HDR, a feature that automatically converts SDR videos into HDR. Supported sliders include peak brightness, middle gray, contrast, and saturation. If you want to learn more about using those sliders, check out the official knowledge base article from Nvidia.

Finally, the Nvidia app now has a bunch of improvements based on customer feedback. Those include app sorting and filtering and additional localizations for customers living in non-English-speaking countries. Also, the Statistics Overlay can now show FPS 1% low.

The Nvidia app beta is available on Windows 10 or 11 PCs with graphics cards starting from the GTX 800 Series graphics cards. It also requires the Nvidia GeForce 551.52 driver or newer. If you have a compatible computer, go to the official website to download the Nvidia app.

Keep in mind that the program is in beta, so it cannot fully replace the other Nvidia apps for Windows. However, Nvidia wants to finish the migration process by the end of the current year, plus the company is working on multi-monitor support for RTX HDR. You can learn more about the latest Nvidia app update here.

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The 2024 Microsoft Store App Awards kicks off with developers and users nominating their projects. Starting today and until September 15, 2024, everyone can suggest a Windows app to participate in the contest. Winners of the awards will be announced in October 2024.

If you know a great Windows app or you are a maker of a great Windows app, submit your entry using this form. Microsoft encourages sending programs that offer great user experience, software innovation, uniqueness, and the best integration with the latest hardware and technologies. All apps that are available in the Microsoft Store are eligible, except for those made and listed by Microsoft employees.

In addition to now-traditional categories, Microsoft is introducing a new "Rising Star" recognition. This award is here to honor new developers who will publish their projects during the nomination period (August 6 through September 15).

This year, Microsoft is honoring winners not just by general recognition. Winners will receive exclusive badges on their Microsoft Store listings, free promotion on the Microsoft Store home page, and even exclusive hardware, such as the Surface Pro Limited Edition Copilot+ PC. And let's be honest; this computer looks absolutely stunning with its exclusive gradient finish.

You can find more information about the 2024 Microsoft Store App Awards in a post on the official blog post. Contest rules are available here. If you are curious, the 2023 Microsoft Store App Awards are available here, and the 2022 winners are here.

What apps would you like to nominate for the awards? Let us know in the comments.

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Somewhere out there could be an alternate universe where Microsoft exists without Windows, but probably not. Microsoft without Windows is almost unimaginable, given how globally popular the operating system has become over the decades.

But back in 2008, it became known that Microsoft was working on an alternative to Windows. Nicknamed “Midori,” this operating system was rewritten from the ground up to disregard all existing Windows code and start over from scratch.

Midori could’ve heralded a new era for Microsoft, but development of the Windows alternative was abandoned in 2015. Now, a series of videos on X/Twitter provide new insights into the discontinued project.

Why Midori was so exciting

The most exciting thing about Midori wasn’t the fact that Microsoft was willing to leave behind the massive heap of legacy spaghetti in Windows that continues to cause issues today.

On top of that, it was the promise of new features, tools, and even a new web browser that would all be freshly modern while remaining backwards-compatible with Windows. Ambitious, to say the least.

During a presentation made back in 2013, Microsoft was still speaking hopefully about Midori’s new ideas and approaches.

In the videos shared on X/Twitter, you can see Joe Duffy—who was heavily involved in the Midori project—talking about the development of the new operating system. (Duffy no longer works at Microsoft.)

What happened to Midori?

Just two years later, Microsoft officially abandoned Midori. There were likely internal crises that led up to the decision, as it wouldn’t have made sense to throw all of that research and development away on a whim, but no one knows for sure.

Earlier reports that date back to Midori’s active development period reveal a great deal of skepticism towards the project. Why abandon the old kernel to start something completely new if the old one still works well enough and can still be improved? After all, Microsoft had always prioritized the longevity of Windows and its ability to evolve over many, many decades in far-reaching ways.

After Midori was cancelled, Microsoft took some of its ideas and incorporated them into Windows. But even as they did so, Microsoft strangely tried to maintain a cloak of secrecy over Midori. Maybe it would’ve been too much egg on Microsoft’s face.

Or maybe Microsoft didn’t want the world at large to believe that there could be a true alternative to Windows. After all, Windows remains the bedrock for almost all things Microsoft to this day, a central building block of the company despite all its weaknesses and drawbacks.

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Another similar M365 message center post later revealed that the New Outlook for Windows would be generally available (GA) from August 1st. As such, the rollout began at the start of this month.

Earlier today, on its Tech Community blog, Microsoft published a new post intended for M365 Delegates and Administrators. It writes:

The new Outlook for Windows brings a new, powerful email experience that can help executive administrators and delegates become more productive in their everyday work. This blog captures some tips to help delegates get started in the new Outlook.

The post is essentially a guide that has been outlined under several points, starting from toggling the New Outlook to customizing ribbons, managing the Settings, and more. For example, when enabling the New Outlook with the ‘Try the new Outlook’ toggle, Microsoft has recommended using the ‘Import Settings’ option from classic Outlook for a "more familiar experience."

The guide explains the following aspects of the new Outlook app:

1. Toggling into new Outlook

 

2. Customize the Outlook ribbon

 

3. Manage your settings

 

4. View shared calendars

 

5. Add new shared/ delegate calendars

 

6. Add and view shared/ delegate mailboxes and folders

At the end of the article, Microsoft has also asked for feedback as it writes:

We encourage you to try the new Outlook and share your feedback. You can submit feedback on the new Outlook experience from Help > Feedback
Please mention – “I am an EA” Or “I am a delegate” when adding comments.

You can check out what's ahead on the Outlook roadmap here.

Source: Microsoft

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Microsoft revealed that Adobe PostScript Type1 fonts are now deprecated, and a future Windows release would remove those fonts from the operating system. That is because a year and a half ago, Adobe ended support for PostScript Type 1, which means Adobe users can no longer utilize those fonts in Photoshop 23.0, Illustrator 27.3, InDesign 18.2 and newer.

Microsoft recommends removing Adobe PostScript Type1 fonts and their dependencies right now by heading to Settings > Personalization > Fonts. Also, developers are encouraged to test if their apps can work without Adobe Type1 fonts.

Here is the full announcement published on the official Microsoft Learn documentation website:

Adobe PostScript Type1 fonts are deprecated and support will be removed in a future release of Windows.

In January 2023, Adobe announced the end of support for PostScript Type1 fonts for their latest software offerings. Remove any dependencies on this font type by selecting a supported font type. To display currently installed fonts, go to Settings > Personalization > Fonts. Application developers and content owners should test their apps and data files with the Adobe Type1 fonts removed. For more information, contact the application vendor or Adobe.

You can read more about the end of support for Adobe PostScript Type 1 fonts on the official Adobe Support website.

For those unfamiliar, feature deprecation means developers are no longer working on a certain thing in the product. It might stick around for a little and then disappear in future releases. Recently deprecated features in Windows Client operating systems include Driver Verifier GUI, Windows Mixed Reality, Windows Subsystem for Android, Steps Recorder, MDAG for Office and Edge, and more.

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Here is the change log:

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

 

[Input]

 

We are updating Settings > Bluetooth & Device > Mouse to now include the option to turn off enhanced mouse pointer precision for those that would prefer to not use it and have added a new option for changing mouse scrolling direction.

 

[Voice Access]

 

We are making improvements for the spelling and corrections experience in voice access. You can now use the experience for the entire voice access session. The spelling experience will now enable you to dictate the characters at a faster speed and offer more editing flexibility inside the experience with dictation commands, namely selection, deletion and text navigation commands.

 

[Energy Saver]

 

For laptops on battery, a notification will pop up asking you to plug in your laptop if the battery level reaches 20% while Energy Saver is set to “Always On”.

 

[Settings]

 

We are beginning to roll out a new energy recommendation for turning off HDR to conserve energy on PCs with HDR displays under Settings > Power & battery > Energy recommendations.

 

 

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

 

[Settings]

 

Fixed an issue where the items under “Let desktop apps access your location” section in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location might visibly flicker although there were no changes displayed.

 

Known issues

 

[General]

 

[IMPORTANT] Windows Insiders joining the Dev Channel on PCs running Windows 11, version 24H2 Build 26100.xxxx will see “(repair version)” noted next to the latest Dev Channel build from Windows Update. This is nothing to worry about as all it means is that an in-place upgrade will happen to update your PC to the latest build in the Dev Channel.

 

• Adding additional languages or optional features may fail with error 0x800f081f.

 

[Windows Sandbox]

 

Windows Sandbox will fail to launch with error 0x80370106.

 

[Task Manager]

 

• Navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash Task Manager.
• We’re working on the fix for an issue causing graphs on the Performance page in Task Manager to not show the correct colors when using dark mode again.

[Input]

 

We’re working on the fix for an issue causing text suggestions for the hardware keyboard to not work properly (selecting one unexpectedly concatenates).

You can check out the full blog post here.

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A month after the previous 128 release, Mozilla released a new version of its widely used open-source browser, Firefox v129, now available for download.

A standout feature in Firefox 129 is the added support for multiple languages within the same document when using macOS VoiceOver.

This update will benefit users interacting with multilingual content, providing a more seamless and inclusive browsing experience.

Firefox’s Reader View also received considerable attention in this update. The new Text and Layout menu offers options for adjusting character spacing, word spacing, and text alignment, allowing users to enjoy a more customizable reading environment.

Furthermore, Reader View has introduced a Theme menu that includes additional Contrast and Gray options, allowing users to adjust the visual presentation of text to suit their preferences.

Firefox 129 enhances the Reader View mode.

In addition, the Custom tab within this menu goes a step further by letting users choose their own colors for text, background, and links.

On the localization side, Firefox 129 extends its Address Autofill feature to users in France and Germany, streamlining form filling and enhancing user convenience on supported websites.

It must also be mentioned that the browser now defaults to HTTPS as the protocol of choice in the address bar for non-local sites. This change promotes safer browsing by encrypting data sent between the browser and web servers. Should a site be unavailable over HTTPS, Firefox will revert to HTTP.

For developers, Firefox 129 introduces several tools and API updates. These include support for querying the encryption key system configuration in the mediaCapabilities.decodingInfo() API, and the addition of Float16Array typed arrays.

This new type, along with Math.f16round() and new DataView methods, enhance interactions with GPUs by allowing a trade-off between precision and memory consumption.

Also noteworthy is the addition of the @starting-style at-rule, which applies styles to elements when they are first rendered, and the new transition-behavior CSS property that facilitates transitions on discrete animated properties.

While Firefox has replaced the non-standard textInput event with the standardized beforeinput event, it acknowledges the legacy use in some web applications, advising continued use of beforeinput for new web developments.

Those eager to get it can download the latest version directly from Mozilla’s server. Windows and macOS users can expect an over-the-air update within the next day. Users on rolling release Linux distros should look for the new Firefox 129 as an update in their repos over the next few days.

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