Now, besides letting you modify a Windows 11 image to remove unwanted parts, Tiny11 Builder can prevent the OS from sharing with Microsoft what many think is too much user data. That information includes things like Application Compatibility Appraiser, Customer Experience Improvement Program, and more.

The removal of telemetry seems to be the only change in the latest Tiny11 Builder update. However, according to the project's GitHub repository, the developer plans to implement additional capabilities, such as "more ad impression," better language detection, more flexibility in terms of what to keep and what to purge, and potentially a graphic user interface.

Tiny11 Builder is a PowerShell script that only uses Microsoft-made tools to get rid of what the operating system does not allow to remove in its default state. Making a modified ISO with Tiny11 Builder is not as streamlined as downloading one directly from Microsoft, but in the end, you get a clean image that lets you bypass the Microsoft Account requirement and hardware requirements. It can also delete things like Microsoft Edge, Get Started, OneDrive, and other parts many consider unnecessary in Windows 11.

You can find all the details about Tiny11 Builder and how to use it on its GitHub page.

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Clicking the popup prompts Copilot to rephrase the highlighted portion of text and allows you to customize the result with different tones, formats, and lengths. Similar features exist in the Microsoft-owned SwiftKey keyboard on iOS and Android.

Of course, not everyone is happy with Microsoft Edge showing a banner upon text selection. Users are already complaining about the thing and looking for how to turn off the "Rewrite with Copilot" popup in Microsoft Edge. Fortunately, the solution is very simple, and it requires just a few clicks in the Settings app. Here is how to do that:

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and open (three dots) Menu > Settings.
2. Go to the Languages section. Alternatively, type edge://settings/languages in the address bar and press Enter.
3. Scroll down to the "Writing assistance" section.
4. Toggle off the "Use Compose (AI-writing) on the web" feature.

   

    

5. Enjoy the UI free of uncalled banners.

Microsoft invested a lot of money into Copilot and its underlying tech, so its attempts to ensure every user knows about AI-powered features are anything but surprising. Sadly, the way Microsoft pushes these features to end customers is often irritating, to put it mildly. The company could have made the "Rewrite with Copilot" option less intrusive by adding it to the context menu, the go-to place for common actions.

In case you missed it, Microsoft recently released a new update for Edge 124 in the Stable Channel to address the problem with the Copilot app showing up on Windows Server editions. That update also patched several security vulnerabilities.

Do you like the new "Rewrite with Copilot" popup in Microsoft Edge?

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According to the updated support page for KB5036893, some users might experience problems when attempting to change their profile pictures in the Settings app. Clicking Settings > Accounts > Your info > Choose a file results in the app showing an "Account picture error. This picture couldn’t be saved. Error Code: 0x80070502."

Microsoft says the problem affects all users with KB5036893. However, our testing showed that you can still change your profile picture if you signed in with a Microsoft Account. Systems with local profiles, on the other hand, failed to update their profile picture with the error code mentioned above. See, there are actually valid reasons to use a Microsoft Account in Windows 11, after all.

Although Microsoft has not provided a workaround for the bug, you can change your local profile picture without using the Settings app. The method (you can find it on the official support website) is rather crude, but at least it works:

1. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures. Do not forget to replace "Username" with your actual profile name.
2. Grab a pic you want to make your profile picture and copy it to the folder. You can also delete the image in the folder to remove your profile picture.
3. Restart your computer. You should now see your new profile picture on the lock screen, in the Start menu, and elsewhere.

Microsoft is working on resolving the problem in a future update. You can find more information about the bug in the official documentation.

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Version 125.0.3 is now available in the Release channel, bringing fixes for various bugs, such as a blank 0.0.0.1 tab appearing out of nowhere when launching Firefox with another instance already running, text corruption on Linux, incorrect font selection for Japanese users, and more.

Here is the complete changelog for Mozilla Firefox 125.0.3:

Version 125.0.3, first offered to Release channel users on April 29, 2024

 

• Fixed an extra blank tab with an address of 0.0.0.1 sometimes appearing when attempting to launch Firefox when it is already running (bug 1892612).
• Fixed an issue that could cause incorrect font selection in some situations for users with the Japanese locale set (bug 1892363).
• Fixed text corruption when dragging text containing unicode characters on Linux systems (bug 1888202).
• Fixed a correctness error when checking arguments.length (and not using arguments otherwise) inside of a generator or async function (bug 1892699).
• Fixed an issue that could lead to inconsistent focus handling of elements when opened (bug 1893177).

It is worth adding that the recent security improvements for downloads from untrustworthy URLs are still disabled in version 125.0.3. Mozilla rolled them back after users reported "unexpected problems" with file downloads in certain situations. The feature will be back at some point, but it is not part of today's Firefox 125.0.3 release.

As usual, Firefox users update to the latest update by heading to Menu > Help > About Firefox. You can download the browser from its official website or the Microsoft Store if you use Windows 10 or 11.

Full release notes for Firefox 125.0.3 are available on the official Mozilla website. Also, check out other changes in Firefox 125 in this post (125.0 and 125.0.1) and this post (125.0.2).

Source

ExplainingComputers (1.01 million subscribers)

29 April, 2024

Video length: 16m 51s

Chapters

00:35 Noble Numbat (specifications & download)

03:49 Installation

07:55 What’s New?

11:45 Applications

15:32 Wrap

YouTube Source

Microsoft offers several editions of Windows, each designed for specific use cases. One such edition is the LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel), a specialized operating system version. Although the company has launched various Windows 10 long-term servicing channel releases, Windows 11 hasn't had an LTSC edition. However, the first one is expected to be available during the second half of 2024.

What is Windows 11 LTSC?

Windows 11 LTSC is a variant of the operating system designed for long-term stability and reliability, making it suitable for mission-critical systems and devices that require minimal updates and changes. 

The biggest difference between the regular and LTSC editions is that LTSC installations do not receive feature updates as frequently as the regular edition. Instead, it only receives monthly quality updates, and feature updates are offered every several (2-3) years. 

Also, this edition of the operating system doesn't come bundled with apps that may require significant updates, such as Microsoft Store, Microsoft Edge, and other default apps. 

So, out of the box, you can't install apps from the Store or Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

Furthermore, when a new feature update is available, the installation is not mandatory, and you can use the same setup for as long as that LTSC edition is supported—usually five for the Enterprise edition and ten years for the IoT edition. If you want to install a newer version, you have to proceed with an in-place upgrade.

Also, you can upgrade from Windows 10 LTSC to Windows 11 LTSC, but only on devices meeting the minimum system requirements. Furthermore, if you have a mission-critical application already running on LTSC, it's recommended to test the new version of the operating system before upgrading to ensure compatibility and stability.

Can you install Windows 11 LTSC on your computer?

Microsoft doesn't make any release from the Long-Term Servicing Channel available for regular consumers. The company only makes it available to volume licensing customers, typically large organizations and enterprises. This means that individual users cannot purchase or download Windows 11 LTSC from Microsoft's website.

So, unless you have a special hookup, acquiring a legitimate copy is difficult.

Also, even if you are a volume licensing customer, the Windows 11 LTSC is not intended for every device in the organization. Instead, it's only intended for critical devices that must be operational for a long time without much maintenance. 

For example, the LTSC edition of Windows is usually found on medical devices, ATMs, point-of-sale systems, thin clients, and other similar devices.

What else do you need to know about the Windows 11 LTSC edition?

At the time of this writing, Microsoft has only said that Windows 11 LTSC will be available during the second half of 2024, but the company didn't mention a specific release date. However, I assume it'll be available at the same time as the Windows 11 2024 Update.

Currently, the latest edition available is Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, which will continue to be supported until January 12, 2027. On the other hand, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 will be supported until January 13, 2032.

Following the same naming convention, the software giant will refer to this release as "Windows 11 LTSC 2024." However, since this is the enterprise version of the operating system, it'll be officially known as "Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024." Furthermore, there will also be a "Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC" release.

It's important to note that the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) was previously referred to as the Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB). Although Microsoft has updated its documentation, you may still find the LTSB reference, but it's all the same. 

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If you are a fan of the Microsoft Forms service, where you can quickly create surveys and quizzes to be sent out to others, there's a new and predictable feature that's coming to Forms on the web sometime in June. The Microsoft 365 Roadmap listing shows Copilot will soon be included in Forms;

Generating quizzes from provided materials is one of the most commonly requested features in the education industry, and it is now available in Forms. To save time, users can create quizzes from documents, textbooks, or notes using Copilot. Copilot can create draft quizzes based on the provided materials and users' prompts.

Another Copilot feature is being added in May to the Microsoft Loop online collaboration service:

Collaborate with Copilot to go from a blank page to a structured document ready for collaboration as quickly as possible. Start from scratch, or select an existing page or template as the starting point and Copilot can modify it for the task at hand.

One more mention of Copilot is that the ability to use plugins on the Copilot site, which was released in a preview form in March, will officially become generally available sometime in December, according to the newly updated roadmap listing.

If you use Microsoft Teams on the Windows desktop and on your Mac, you will get an additional feature when you enable screen sharing sometime in June. When you do launch that feature, it will automatically set you up in a Do Not Disturb mode:

When this setting is enabled, users will be able to continue to receive call notifications when presenting, without having to manually adjust their presence status.

Also in June, Teams users on PC, Mac, and the web will get some new feedback changes:

We are updating the Settings menu for “Help & Feedback” and the in-app “Give Feedback/Suggest a Feature” experience for Teams Desktop & Web clients. Teams Desktop and Web clients will no longer use Microsoft Teams feedback policies for the in-app “Give Feedback/Suggest a Feature” experience, and instead use the Cloud Policy service for Microsoft 365.

That's our look at the highlights this week on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap. We will be back next Sunday for another look at what's coming down the pike for Microsoft 365 users.

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For starters, the latest Edge 124 update revokes the "mistakenly" released 8KB Copilot app on Windows Server and other editions. Installing Edge 124.0.2478.67 will remove "Microsoft chat provider for Copilot in Windows" from the list of installed apps:

Removes "Microsoft chat provider for Copilot in Windows" from Windows Server devices. The component was incorrectly installed on some devices in a previous Microsoft Edge update.

The change appears to be only affecting Windows Server, and in another document, which recently confirmed the hiccup, Microsoft says a future update will mitigate the problem on consumer editions of Windows:

An upcoming  version of Microsoft Edge is expected to remove or adjust the installation of this component on specific client devices.

Besides removing the uncalled intruder, Microsoft Edge 124.0.2478.67 adds security warnings for download over HTTP (Microsoft plans to turn it on in Edge 127) and email notifications with extension requests from users for IT Admins:

Announcement: Insecure downloads over HTTP

 

Users that download potentially dangerous content on HTTP sites will receive a UI warning, (for example, "sample.exe can't be downloaded securely"). The user can still choose to proceed by selecting "Keep" on the downloaded item's "..." menu. Admins can also use the InsecureContentAllowedForUrls policy to specify HTTP sites where the warning will be suppressed. The warning's enablement in Edge 124 was accidental. We have reverted the warning in this Stable Release. Admins can use the InsecureDownloadWarnings feature flag to test the impact of this upcoming feature.

 

Email notifications for extension requests in the Microsoft Edge management service.

 

The Microsoft Edge management service now provides admins with the ability to receive email notifications for extensions that their users have requested. Once enabled, this will help inform them promptly of any new pending requests that they may have.

Finally, the latest Microsoft Edge update fixed three security vulnerabilities in Chromium:

• CVE-2024-4058 Type Confusion in ANGLE
• CVE-2024-4059 Out of bounds read in V8 API
• CVE-2024-4060 Use after free in Dawn

You can update Microsoft Edge to version 124.0.2478.67 by going to edge://settings/help. If the user does not take action, the browser will update itself automatically upon the next restart.

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Newly discovered improvements (not announced yet) focus on tabs, an area that can surely benefit from some feature and performance enhancements. Windows 11 build 22635.3566, which was released in the Beta Channel earlier this week, contains a feature ID that, after enabling, allows you to duplicate a File Explorer tag. By no means groundbreaking stuff, but it is welcome nonetheless.

Right-clicking a File Explorer tab in the current stable release reveals three options: close the tab, close all tabs to the right, and close other tabs. In build 22635.3566, there is a fourth option responsible for duplicating your current tab. Neat.

Those wanting to try tab duplication in File Explorer should do the following:

1. Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder.
2. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin).
3. Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile with the Ctrl + Shift + 2 shortcut or by clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window.

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:45262221,48433719 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.

The current implementation is a bit jarring and lacks some smooth animations, but at least it is now much easier to have two identical File Explorer tabs. Hopefully, Microsoft will make more improvements to the area before officially unveiling tab duplication to the public.

Source: PhantomOfEarth on X

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Users recently discovered that Windows 11 Beta builds contain a hidden "All Apps" layout that swaps the current—and less than optimized space-wise—option with a mix of grid and list. It was first spotted in quite a raw state, and after some more good tweaks, build 22635.3566 brought more much-needed improvements.

Now, besides having properly working context menus and alphabetical sorting, the new layout displays shortcut folders for apps that register in the Start menu with additional links, such as uninstall, help, and more. Also, Microsoft removed the lines next to each sorting letter, making the new layout slightly more subtle.

However, just like in previous builds, the new "All Apps" layout in 22635.3566 is half-baked and not ready for prime time. Yes, it displays folders, but clicking one results in the Start menu crashing hopelessly. That is why Microsoft is not shipping the thing yet, so expect more changes and improvements in future builds.

As a reminder, you can turn on the new "All Apps" view for the Start menu in recent Beta builds by executing a command using the ViVeTool app:

1. Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder.
2. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin).
3. Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile with the Ctrl + Shift + 2 shortcut or by clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window.

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:48433719 and press Enter.
6. Type vivetool /enable /id:47205210 /variant:2 and press Enter.
7. Restart your computer.

Credit for the discovery and IDs goes to @PhantomOfEarth on X.

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PhantomOfEarth noticed that the latest Windows 11 Beta build contains a feature ID that lets you enable TAR and 7Z compression in File Explorer. Once enabled, you can right-click a selection of files, click "Compress to," and select the format you want. Alternatively, you can click "More options" to open a wizard with additional features, such as compression method or level.

Microsoft has not announced the archive support improvements for the Beta Channel yet, not to mention Stable. However, recent updates showed that new features do not stay long in the Beta Channel, and they quickly move to Stable releases. That was the case with the Start menu ads and new lock screen widgets.

If you have a PC with Windows 11 build 22635.3566, you can turn on new archive features with the ViVeTool app:

1. Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder.
2. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin).
3. Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile with the Ctrl + Shift + 2 shortcut or by clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window.

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:49256040 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.

Other changes in the recent Beta builds include improvements to the File Explorer address bar, the return of the "Show desktop" button in the notification area, and new Start menu ads.

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I've been running Noble Numbat on my 2020 vintage Dell Precision 3451. This PC originally came with Ubuntu 20.04 and is powered by an Intel 8-core 3GHz i7-9700 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. 

You don't need anywhere near that much hardware to run the latest Ubuntu. You can install and run Ubuntu 24.04 on any system with a 2GHz, 2-core 64-bit processor, 4GB RAM, and 25GB storage. Any Windows 7 PC can run it. Heck, it will run just fine on a Raspberry Pi 5. 

Like installing any modern Linux, installing Ubuntu 24.04 is simple. The short version: Download Ubuntu 24.04, burn it to a USB stick, boot it from the stick, run it to see if it likes your hardware, and -- if it does -- press the install button. That's it.

Oh, it's a little fancier than that. The installer now has an accessibility page where you can customize Ubuntu to meet your particular needs. You can also choose between a Default or Full installation. The Default installation includes only the bare essentials, while the Full installation includes all the usual programs you expect from a desktop Linux distribution.

Technically, behind the scenes, the new installer is using the Subiquity back-end. The brand-new front end was written with Flutter. Not a developer or a system administrator? Don't worry about it. You'll never need to know.

If you are an IT professional, you'll be glad to know that you can now build customized Ubuntu Linux installations. With autoinstall, you can create a repeatable, automated installation flow using an autoinstall YAML file with Subiquity to set up specialized desktops over your network.  

Both versions use GNOME 46 for their default desktop and Firefox 125.0.1 for the web browser. If GNOME isn't to your taste, you can also get Ubuntu 24.04 with Budgie, Ubuntu Budgie, KDE, Kubuntu, MATE, Ubuntu MATE, Cinnamon, Ubuntu Cinnamon -- and on and on. If there's a Linux desktop environment, there's a customized Ubuntu release for it.

In the Full version, you'll also find desktop applications such as LibreOffice 24.4.2 for the office suite, Thunderbird 115 for e-mail, Rhythmbox 3.4.7 to play music, and Snapshot for your webcam.

Programmers will find that Ubuntu 24.04 LTS now comes with Python 3.12, Ruby 3.2, PHP 8.3, and Go 1.22. It also includes .NET, Java, and Rust. Looking ahead, .NET 8 will be fully supported on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and 22.04 LTS for the entire lifecycle of both releases. That means developers can upgrade their applications to newer .NET versions without upgrading their Ubuntu release.

When Canonical says the "entire" lifecycle, that's longer than any other company supports their operating systems. Canonical will support Ubuntu 24.04 until 2036. Yes, that's right. Unlike some operating systems I could name -- cough, Windows 10, cough -- Ubuntu Long-Term Support (LTS) releases now come with 12 years of support.  

If you need more programs, the new Ubuntu App Center offers a wide variety. While it defaults to Snap-based applications, it still offers traditional DEB installs.

The heart of this release is performance, bolstered by the inclusion of the Linux 6.8 kernel. Oliver Smith, Ubuntu product manager, says this isn't just an incremental update. The kernel brings with it numerous performance enhancements that are optimized further by Canonical's low-latency tweaks. This commitment to speed and efficiency signals that Ubuntu is built for those who need a robust, high-performance operating system. While I didn't benchmark this edition, it did feel faster than its predecessor, Ubuntu 22.04, on the same PC.

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS isn't just fast; it's also a fortress. Canonical has layered this release with a slate of security upgrades that harden the system against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. The operating system now employs more stringent controls on unprivileged user namespaces -- a common attack vector -- significantly reducing vulnerabilities.

Are you running both Linux and Windows? Ubuntu's Active Directory (AD) Group Policy client, available via Ubuntu Pro, now supports enterprise proxy configuration, privilege management, and remote script execution. It also continues to support AD Group Policy Objects. Ubuntu 24.04 is also available on Windows via Windows Subsystem for Linux.

While I'm sticking with Linux Mint 21.3 for my default desktop, there's a lot to like about Ubuntu 24.04. If you're looking for a solid, secure, and fast Linux desktop, the newest Ubuntu is well worth your time. 

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Right off the bat, the new AI Explorer reportedly will not work on "traditional" PCs with Intel and AMD chips. It will require a next-generation chip with a Neural Processing Unit, such as a Snapdragon X Elite or Plus. This rumor was seemingly confirmed by a recent code discovery in Windows 11 version 24H2 builds.

AI Explorer should run in the background and keep track of everything you do on your computer, regardless of what app is running. This behavior would let the feature create "memories" and get back to them at the moment's notice. For example, AI Explorer should remember your specific conversation in WhatsApp, summarize emails or web pages, etc.

To mitigate potential privacy concerns and make things work faster, Microsoft wants to make all that processing happen on-device. That is why you will need next-gen hardware to run AI Explorer. Also worth noting is that Microsoft will let you specify what apps AI Explorer should not track.

Interestingly, Microsoft is reportedly working on a new search UI that would sit at the top of your screen, allowing you to type anything using natural language. For example, you would be able to ask Windows to show you web pages about a certain topic you viewed days ago. Here is a mockup based on the latest report about AI Explorer:

In addition, AI Explorer can analyze what is happening on the screen right now and provide contextual suggestions, such as removing a picture background, comparing two documents, helping you draft emails, and more. While additional optimization from third-paryt developers will certainly help, plenty of features should work "as is."

Sources describe the new AI Explorer as "a truly useful AI experience," and soon, we will be able to judge ourselves.

Source: Windows Central

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In this updated blog post, Microsoft says:

We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 26100.268 (KB5036908) to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. This update is designed to test our servicing pipeline and is the same as the April 2024 security update released earlier this month for Windows 11, version 23H2.

In other words, there are no new features, improvements, or bug fixes in the build.

While Microsoft has not confirmed it, it's looking like it is skipping a week to update the members of the Canary Channel in the Insider Program. Microsoft released a Canary Channel update last week that brought back the build watermark on the desktop. It also included some improvements to the Widgets button on the taskbar. Developers also got the ability to "send notifications to the taskbar button with their custom dashboards for the Widgets board."

In addition to today's Beta Channel update and the Dev Channel servicing update, Microsoft released new non-security preview updates for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The big and controversial new feature in the Windows 11 update is the "Recommended" part of the Start menu, which will begin to show apps that Microsoft believes users may want to check out. Many users are not liking this new feature, which are basically ads inside the Start menu for apps. We have already shown how these "ads" can be turned off in the Start menu.

The Windows 10 non-security preview update includes new Microsoft Account notifications, Widgets lock screen improvements, and more. It also is the first Windows 10 update that will use technology from Windows 11 to reduce its overall download size.

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It's an open secret that Microsoft is gearing up to supercharge Windows 11 this summer with next-gen AI capabilities that will enable the OS to be context aware across any apps and interfaces, as well as remember everything you do on your PC to enhance user productivity and search.

These new capabilities are set to ship as part of a new app internally called "AI Explorer," which I'm told will be unveiled during Microsoft's special Windows event on May 20. AI Explorer will utilize next-gen neural processing unit (NPU) hardware to process these machine learning and generative AI experiences locally on the device with low latency. 

The feature is also said to be exclusive to devices powered by Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X series chips, at least at first, as Intel and AMD play catchup in the NPU race. It will also require PCs with at least 16GB RAM. But what exactly is AI Explorer, and what can it do? Here's everything I know about it so far.

AI that remembers everything you do

AI Explorer is an app that will run in the background on NPU capable PCs. (Image credit: Windows Central)

According to my sources, AI Explorer will run in the background and capture everything you do on your computer. It will document and triage everything it sees, no matter what apps or interfaces you're looking at, and turn them into memories that you can recall at a later point. 

For example, you can have a conversation with a friend in the WhatsApp app for Windows, and AI Explorer will record and remember the content that was on-screen and process it with AI for you to recall later. AI Explorer can also summarize conversations, emails, web pages, and general UI surfaces just by asking for it during or after the fact. 

I'm told that much of this experience is rendered on-device and does not reach out to the cloud to process information. This is important for privacy reasons, but also for performance reasons. To reduce latency, AI Explorer will rely on NPU silicon to process content that has been recorded. I also understand that users will be able to filter out specific apps from being recorded by the AI Explorer process, or disable AI Explorer entirely.

Search for anything with natural language

A mock-up of what the search bar in AI Explorer may look like.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

Sources say AI Explorer features a UI that runs along the top of the screen, and lets users recall memories based on the user's inputted search criteria. Because AI Explorer is recording and triaging everything you do on your computer, anything and everything becomes something you can search for.

Looked at some webpages about dinosaurs a few days ago but can't remember the name of the websites? Just type "show me webpages about dinosaurs I viewed a few days ago" and AI Explorer will be able to pull it up. How about a chat with a friend about the Fallout TV show, but you can't remember who it was or what app you used? Type "find me conversations I've had about the Fallout TV show" and AI Explorer will pull up those chats and the points in time where you had them. 

Notably, AI Explorer enables the ability to search for things using natural language. No longer will users be confined to strict search terms that must be accurate for results. If you're looking for a document that your colleague Bob sent you on Slack, just typing "find me that file Bob sent me on Slack a few weeks ago" should yield results based on memories that AI Explorer has captured. 

You can also use basic search terms such as "FY24 earnings," and every instance where FY24 earnings (and related queries) appeared on-screen will be brought up and shown in AI Explorer for you to look back at. 

Contextually aware across any app

The AI will be able to help across apps. (Image credit: Windows Central)

AI Explorer is able to do more than just remember the things you do on your computer, it's also able to analyze what's currently on-screen and provide contextual suggestions and tasks based on what it can see. For example, if you're looking at an image in an app or webpage, AI Explorer can present suggested tasks such as "remove the background of this image using Paint," which can be initiated with a single click.

You can also ask AI Explorer to compare two documents that are on-screen, which will lean on Microsoft Copilot to create a comparison. It can also read, understand, and help craft responses to emails or conversations, no matter the app. This capability is called Screen Understanding, and I'm told one of the big selling points of AI Explorer is that it's supposed to work across any app, with no developer input required.

There will likely be things developers can do to enhance their apps for AI Explorer, but out of the box it should be to analyze, triage, and provide contextual suggestions for content within apps without any developer input.

A new era of AI experiences on Windows

Microsoft has teased AI Explorer in the past. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Sources familiar with AI Explorer describe it as a truly useful AI experience that works for you in the background to enhance your workflow while using a Windows PC. With that in mind, it's not an entirely new concept. There's already a third-party app available on Mac called Rewind.ai that does pretty much everything AI Explorer is attempting to achieve.

The existence of Rewind.ai proves that this is a concept that can be done, and Microsoft is essentially building its own version into Windows 11 that offloads the resources required for such a feature onto NPUs to keep the load away from the CPU. AI Explorer will be the defining difference between upcoming AI PCs and a non-AI PCs, my sources say. 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella himself has teased that personal computing is about to enter a new era thanks to AI, and that this year will be where we really see how AI can aid and improve people's digital workflows on Windows. New Windows lead Pavan Davuluri has also previously teased what's coming this year:

"The AI is going to be able to orchestrate across multiple apps, services, and devices, functioning as an agent in your life that can connect and keep context across entire workflows."

AI Explorer isn't the only new AI experience Microsoft is working on for Windows 11 in 2024 either. I understand that Microsoft also has more advanced Windows Studio Effects in the works, a new Live Captions feature that can translate languages in real-time, and more on-device generative AI experiences such as local Copilot capabilities, background removal in Photos, image generation in Paint, and more.

We will have hands-on with AI Explorer, and all the new AI features, once they are announced, likely on May 20.

Source

Here is the changelog:

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

 

[Taskbar & System Tray]

 

• In response to feedback, we are now showing the “show desktop” button by default and users can still manage this by right-clicking on the taskbar and choosing “Taskbar settings” (which opens Settings > Personalization > Taskbar directly).

 

[File Explorer]

 

• Dragging-and-dropping files with your mouse between breadcrumbs in the File Explorer Address Bar that began rolling out with Build 22635.3420 is now available to all Insiders in the Beta Channel.

 

Fixes and Improvements for everyone in the Beta Channel

 

• New! This update improves the Widgets icons on the taskbar. They are no longer pixelated or fuzzy. This update also starts the rollout of a larger set of animated icons.
• New! This update affects Widgets on the lock screen. They are more reliable and have improved quality. This update also supports more visuals and a more customized experience for you.
• This update fixes an issue which was causing Settings to crash when copying out text in the last few flights.
• This update addresses an issue that affects universal printers. The system creates duplicate print queues for them.
• This update adds support for Arm64 .msi files using a Group Policy Object (GPO). You can now use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to add Arm64 .msi files. You can also use a GPO to install these files on Arm64 machines.
• This update affects hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI). It accepts drivers that are now compatible.
• This update addresses an issue that occurs when you elevate from a normal user to an Administrator to run an application. When you use a PIN to sign in, the app will not run.
• This update affects Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2). Intermittent name resolution fails in a split DNS setup.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the netstat -c It fails to perform effective port exhaustion troubleshooting.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a low latency network. The speed of data on the network degrades significantly. This occurs when you turn on timestamps for a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC). A memory leak occurs when it retrieves mappings.
• This update includes quarterly changes to the Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file, p7b. It adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
• This update affects the touch keyboard. It makes the Japanese 106 keyboard layout appear as expected when you sign in.
• This update adds a new mobile device management (MDM) policy called “AllowScreenRecorder.” It affects the Snipping Tool. IT admins can use this policy to turn off screen recording in the app.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) hardware offload. A stop error occurs on PCs that support it.
• This update addresses a memory allocation issue in the Host Networking Service (HNS). The issue causes high memory consumption. It also affects service and pod deployment and scaling.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the container networking Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). It returns the wrong Virtual Subnet ID (VSID) for external ports.
• This update affects media allocations. It improves their memory granularity for some hardware setups. This lowers overcommitment. Also, performance is more efficient.
• This update addresses an issue that affects an accelerator backing store management path. A memory leak occurs that affects some devices.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS). Its Post Authentication Actions (PAA) do not occur at the end of the grace period. Instead, they occur at restart.
• This update addresses a race condition that might stop a machine from starting up. This occurs when you set up a bootloader to start up multiple OSes.
• This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for some mobile operators.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Resilient File System (ReFS). A high load might make the system unresponsive. Also, signing in might be slow.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Settings. It stops responding when you dismiss a flyout menu.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Protected Process Light (PPL) protections. You can bypass them.

 

Known issues

 

[General]

 

• We are investigating an issue where Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work after installing this update.

 

[Copilot in Windows]

 

• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who have the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window may see the following known issues:
• We are aware of reports by Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels that Copilot is auto-launching unexpectedly after restarting their PCs. We hope to have a fix for this issue soon and is unrelated to the auto-launching experience we tried out with Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels in early Februarywhich we stopped rolling out in March.
• Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application.
• Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience.

 

[Widgets]

 

• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who have the new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars may see the following known issues:
• Swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
• Unpinning Widgets from the taskbar may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
• The Widgets board is incorrectly positioned when Copilot is in side-by-side mode.
• Turning on/off Widgets in taskbar settings may refresh the taskbar.

You can check out the full blog post here.

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In early March, we reported on an interesting experiment which demonstrated the excellent backward compatibility of Windows 11 with the help of Office. A similar experiment was done by a YouTuber but on a much grander scale, where he ported “thousands of apps” to Windows 95. We also covered the interesting tale of the engineer who added Zip support to Windows but nearly got fired for it too.

If you are a fan of the bygone era of Windows, you are likely to be delighted about the latest announcement. Microsoft, in collaboration with IBM, has announced that it is open-sourcing MS-DOS 4.00 as the two worked together on the underlying code.

MS-DOS or Microsoft Disk Operating System was first released in 1981, which was 43 years ago. Later, in 1986, MS-DOS 4.00 was announced and it was designed with preemptive multi-tasking in mind such that specially written programs were able to run in the background.

Interestingly though, this initial release, referred to as "Multitasking DOS," was not released widely as a result of the lack of interest shown by OEMs of that time, including IBM itself.

Thus the final MS-DOS 4.00 release version from 1988 was not the multi-tasking OS it was once originally intended to be.

Microsoft says it successfully ran MS-DOS 4.00 on an IBM PC XT inside PCem (a Windows 95/98 emulator) as well as an 86Box emulator (an IBM PC emulator).

Internet archivist and enthusiast, Jeff Sponaugle, who, among others, helped image the original disks (photo above), published a YouTube video today of DOS 4.00 Multi-tasking running on an IBM PC XT:

The source code is available on GitHub for those who wish to try it. You can learn more about the story on the source links below.

Source: Microsoft via Scott Hanselman

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Making additions to the Settings Page, the My Profile section lets you view your Telegram profile as other users see it and you can quickly make changes to it. If you have saved your birth date, people who visit your profile on your birthday will be greeted with animated confetti and balloons.

On the other hand, Telegram will remind you about other people's birthdays by displaying a banner in the chat list. Note that, your birthday is only visible to your contacts by default, but you can change that in your privacy settings.

There is a new Channels tab in the search interface where the app will show recommended channels with similar topics. If you're an admin, you can showcase your channel on your profile page above your bio with a detailed preview of the latest post.

Channel admins can manage reactions by choosing the maximum number of reaction types a post can have. Telegram now allows you to link your collectible username to your account or channel. The username gets features on your profile page with additional details such as its cost and when it was acquired.

When sharing live locations with friends or group chats, you can now add more time to an existing shared location and even extend it to an indefinite amount of time. You can now get notifications about reactions to Telegram Stories and a new toggle button lets you control who can react to your stories. Telegram's Instant View for websites is now available on its desktop app so you can open a web page and "all its media directly in your app with zero load times," it said.

For premium users, Telegram has added a toggle button to unhide ads in the app. According to the company, the feature can be useful for businesses and users who want to check how their own ads appear in the app.

Furthermore, Premium users can include animated and custom emojis in polls. They can watch Stories anonymously without getting noticed. The feature lets them "hide their recent views and continue hiding views for the next 25 minutes." To activate it, press and hold a Story in your feed and select 'View Anonymous' from the list.

You can check out Telegram's official blog post to read about the features in detail.

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This new version includes the latest Linux 6.8 kernel. Canonical says it includes "improved syscall performance, nested KVM support on ppc64el, and access to the newly landed bcachefs filesystem."

Among its new features, Ubuntu 24.04 is set up so that frame pointers are enabled as the default for 64-bit architectures. Canonical quoted Brendan Gregg, Computer Performance Expert and Fellow at Intel, about what this means for users in its blog post:

Frame pointers allow more complete CPU profiling and off-CPU profiling. The performance wins that these can provide far outweigh the comparatively tiny loss in performance. Ubuntu enabling frame pointers by default will be a huge win for performance engineering and the default developer experience.

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS also fully supports .NET 8, Microsoft's latest version of its open-source development platform that officially launched in November 2023. Jeremy Winter, the Corporate Vice President for Microsoft's Azure Cloud Native, is quoted as saying:

Ubuntu is an endorsed Linux distro on Microsoft Azure, and an important component for many of Microsoft’s technologies, including .NET, Windows Subsystem for Linux, Azure Kubernetes Service, and Azure confidential computing. Microsoft and Canonical have a close engineering relationship spanning everything from update infrastructure in Azure to developer tooling, notably .NET 8 which is part of the Noble Numbat release from day one.

Also, the new version comes with Rust 1.75 along with a "simpler Rust toolchain snap framework" which Canonical says will allow future versions of Rust to be released as part of Ubuntu 24.04.

The release of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is also notable because it is the first such LTS release where the Ubuntu Desktop installer technology is the same that's available for Ubuntu Server. The blog post explains:

This means that desktop administrators can now use image customisation tools like autoinstall and cloud-init to create tailored experiences for their developers. The user interface has also received a makeover, with a modern design built in Flutter.

Canonical says that Ubuntu the first, and at the moment, only Linux-based OS to support confidential computing for GPUs like the Nvidia H100 Tensor Core on the public cloud. It offers more security for those servers, and its now available via a preview on Microsoft Azure.

Starting with this new version, Ubuntu Pro subscribers who purchase the Legacy Support add-on will be able to get a total of 12 years of updates and support for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. The Noble Numbat release will still get five years of free support via the main Ubuntu repository.

You can download the new version from the official Ubuntu website. You can also download the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Noble Numbat wallpapers as well.

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Having the privilege to work in technology journalism gives me regular access to the latest laptops and PC components, which can be a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, I have hands-on insights with an incredible range of devices, from the ultra-budget to the ridiculously expensive. Plus, not everything on the high-end guarantees satisfaction, as it's easy to become bored with excess once your personal budget isn't involved. My colleagues with significantly more brand-specific insight and knowledge have covered Microsoft's most extravagant and secretive Surface devices, and I'm starting to understand why they're so exciting.

After all, taking advantage of everything Windows 11 offers practically requires a laptop, and who should know better how to build the perfect Windows laptop than Microsoft? Besides Xbox consoles and a Lumia Windows Phone, I'd never tried first-party hardware from the company, and the lofty costs were the primary reason I passed. However, although I've had the pleasure of going hands-on with stellar laptops like Lenovo's Slim Pro 9i, rating it as being as close to perfect as possible, I'd never tried any computer with an ARM processor. Rather than settle for an ultra-budget option from the modern era, I set my sights on a second-hand Surface Pro X featuring Microsoft's four-year-old SQ1 ARM chip.

Microsoft's first Windows on ARM offering

It might be a few years behind Microsoft's Surface Pro 9, but the Pro X still looks sleek and modern.

(Image credit: Daniel Rubino | Windows Central)

Technically, the Microsoft SQ1 processor was a modified version of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx ARM chip. Still, it was the first customized ARM64-based CPU the company commissioned for its Surface devices, starting with the Surface Pro X. Luckily for me, its age and position behind two ARM successors, the aptly named SQ2 and SQ3, helped bring the cost down, as I found a pre-owned unit in phenomenal condition for only £280 GBP, converting to around $350. That bargain price excludes accessories, as expected, but I'm not complaining.

Considering the launch price for the Surface Pro X alone was $999, picking one up for less than half the price feels like an absolute win, even if it doesn't include a Surface Pro Signature Keyboard or compatible Type Cover. Microsoft's pricing habits quickly became apparent when I realized the hands-on experience needed a keyboard and touchpad to feel complete, and, sadly, the market wasn't so kind to official peripherals. A $30 knock-off will suffice, connected via Bluetooth and featuring one of the worst typing experiences (I'm not a keyboard snob, I swear) I've ever had, but it works.

The state of ARM-native apps (and if I care)

Spotify, Slack, Adobe Photoshop, and Vivaldi browser running on a Surface Pro X don't feel functionally different

from desktop x86-64 apps.

(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

As a tech professional surrounded by the best and worst of practically every category, I've dabbled in various platforms and more Linux distros than I can count. Compatibility is the primary reason that keeps me returning to Windows 11, as everything works as expected without a need to fiddle with custom executable launch options or tinker with flags in config files. I'll admit that I knew little about Windows on ARM before picking up a Surface Pro X, and a small amount of research shows that I held many of the same misconceptions as many others.

Windows Central has enthusiastically covered ARM-based Surface devices for a while, and the slew of content helps educate me on a topic I'd previously, and tragically, dismissed. With the imminent arrival of Qualcomm's latest blockbuster Snapdragon X Elite ARM processor and the incredible performance it promises for portable PCs, the timing couldn't be better to determine how my daily routine is (if at all) affected by any forced emulation of traditional x86-64 apps. Native apps are a bonus, but how much could I expect modern developers to care about ARM64? Can I complete a full working day on an ARM device?

Almost everything is a PWA these days

Carrying the Surface Pro X to any room with or without the keyboard makes idle browsing much more comfortable.

(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Digging into the stock apps with a fresh install of Windows 11, I was pleasantly surprised to see a healthy amount of ARM-native versions running in Task Manager. However, after testing Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), I knew I'd be ditching native Windows apps for these lightweight alternatives. PWAs are self-contained web versions of apps that behave like regular desktop software and are generally nearly identical in the overall experience.

Knowing I had 7.5 of usable RAM out of the 8GB built into my Surface Pro X, optimizing memory use to extend battery life away from my desk was a priority. Since the Vivaldi web browser came to ARM for testing and its developers hooked me up with a fix for PWA-related crashes (you can download the tech preview here), I switched away from Microsoft Edge to save ~200MB of RAM on average.

With access to emails, the Windows Central backend, and Google Sheets covered by the browser, I only need a handful of other apps to complete my arsenal of daily drivers. Adobe supports Photoshop and Lightroom natively on ARM, even though I've never dabbled in the latter, and most of my basic cropping or color correction needs are filled by installing the web version of Photoshop as a PWA. Slack, Telegram, and Discord all function perfectly as web apps and cover instant messaging, with a Spotify ARM app or PWA variant providing a soundtrack to my working day.

Will my next laptop run on ARM?

The next Surface Pro and Surface Laptop variants will feature ARM processors, and I can't wait to see them.

(Image credit: Windows Central)

I have two separate Windows 11 experiences in my life. For one, my custom-made desktop PC is geared for gaming first, and everything else is consequential. I pick up affordable graphics cards and pair them with as much RAM as possible to extend the collective component lifespan before eventually upgrading the motherboard with a new processor socket. However, sitting at a desk all day isn't my idea of a good time, so I prefer a comfortable laptop to cover my workload and daily downtime spent browsing the web and consuming other media.

That's not to say I don't enjoy light gaming on a laptop. I'll regularly dip into my retro catalog and play titles better suited to a mouse than even a Steam Deck could translate, like the original Fallout or Rollercoaster Tycoon. Still, I'm a realist with integrated graphics and don't expect the same performance as a gaming laptop, despite some incredible advancements in AMD's Radeon 760M and 780M alongside Intel's Arc mobile graphics. However, battery life and a convenient design come first for me when choosing a laptop, and the upcoming Surface Pro 10 could be my new temptation.

Microsoft's Surface Pro range isn't famous for affordability, and its ARM variants are the most expensive of all. A more realistic option will likely feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus platform, a step down from its upcoming high-end X Elite ARM64 processors, set to appear in a massive variety of branded OEMs. Whether I end up with Lenovo or Dell or stick with a Surface device, one thing is for sure: I won't buy a new PC until I see what Windows on ARM has to offer in this exciting next generation of game-changing hardware.

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Here is the changelog for the latest version:

• Taskbar10: The Windows 10 taskbar option is now no longer available on 26002+.

  • This is to comply with Microsoft's removal of the stock Windows 10 taskbar in explorer.exe of said builds.

     

• Start10: Fixed Pin to Start with a 50/50 chance of success on 226xx.3420+ (22H2, 23H2) and 25169+ (24H2).
• Start10: Reverted the menu closing delay fix when EP is injected only into StartMenuExperienceHost.exe for now.

ExplorerPatcher 22621.3527.65.1 was tested on the following Windows builds: 22621.3296, 22621.3447, and 22621.3527 (the latest non-security update).

You can download ExplorerPatcher from its official GitHub repository. ExplorerPatcher release notes are available via this link.

In case you missed it, Microsoft recently started blocking systems from upgrading to preview Windows 11 version 24H2 builds if they have StartAllBack or ExplorerPatcher installed. Microsoft would flag those apps as potentially insecure or ones causing performance issues.

Although you can bypass the block by simply renaming executables, getting the desired result on version 24H2 is now much harder since the latter no longer allows restoring the old Windows 10 taskbar, thus breaking patchers and other apps relying on legacy code.

With that in mind, those unhappy with the Start menu situation in Windows 11 (especially in light of Microsoft adding blatant ads) have several options: just deal with it, go back to Windows 10, or use apps that do not rely on patches and legacy code, such as the recently updated Start11 v2 or any other similar app.

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In a support page on Microsoft's site, the company confirmed that it has started sending notifications to classic Teams users, warning them that the app will reach its official end-of-support date of July 1, 2024. After that date, Microsoft will no longer release any updates, patches, or new features for classic Teams users.

While the classic Teams app won't get any more updates after July 1, it will still be useable for people and businesses who have yet to make the move to the new Teams desktop app, After July 1, classic Teams users will see another warning notification, informing them that it is no longer supported. Those notification warnings can be dismissed but they will continue to show up occasionally for people still using the older app.

However, the real day of reckoning is when the classic Teams app will no longer work at all. Microsoft has announced that anyone using classic Teams on older and unsupported operating systems (Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and MacOS Sierra 10.12) will begin to see warnings in August that the app will no longer work after October 23, 2024. After that date, those users who try to use the app will see another notification saying their use of the app has now been blocked. Those users can continue to access Teams on supported web browsers.

For all other users, the shutdown of the classic Teams app will take a bit longer, but it will happen. The blocking of the use of classic Teams all supported Windows and MacOS operating systems will happen on July 1, 2025.

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Alongside the announced set of changes though, the company is also tweaking the Settings text related to the Recommended section toggle in Windows 11 which now specifically mentions "ads."

While the previous text stated "Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more" the updated text, hidden at the moment, states "Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, ads, and more".

The change was first noticed by Twitter (now X) user Xeno and then later, another user Albacore added more context to it.

This could mean one of two things, either Microsoft is trying to come clean and appropriately label the Recommended content, or second, more adware may indeed be coming to the Start menu.

Interestingly, Albacore also noticed a new UDK API for requesting the "EdgeMicrosoftUserId" for User Profile Personalization purposes, so these two might be related, as in we might get Windows 11 Start menu ads based on our Edge browsing habits. However, this is entirely speculation and the Edge UDK API may be there to serve a completely different, unrelated purpose.

Although not the same thing, this does remind a bit about the recent UCPD driver that Microsoft quietly added to block Registry changes related to default app switching.

If you recall, earlier this month, we reported about a dedicated button for such recommendations that Microsoft is currently contemplating adding to the Taskbar. Soon enough, Start menu ads and promos went live, with Windows 11 Beta channel build 22635.3495.

Finally, with the latest non-security optional preview update for Windows 11 (KB5036980, builds 22621.3527 and 22631.3527), the ads are now out to non-Insiders too.

All this is not going unnoticed by industry veterans, even by ex-Microsoft staff. A former Microsoft UX head made a sarcastic remark about the situation and another ex-engineer criticized the "comically bad" performance of the Start menu.

Thankfully, not every change about the Start menu is bad as the tech giant is currently trying to make the "All apps" option in it, much better.

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Here is what is new in Intel Arc 31.0.101.5445 WHQL:

Gaming Highlights:

 

Intel® Game On Driver support on Intel® Arc™ A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel® Core™ Ultra with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs for:

 

• Manor Lords

 

Fixed Issues:

 

Intel® Arc™ A-Series Graphics Products:

 

• A Plague Tale: Requiem (DX12) may experience lower than expected performance.

Before updating, beware of known issues in driver 31.0.101.5445:

Intel® Arc™ A-Series Graphics Products:

 

• No Rest for the Wicked (DX11) may experience intermittent application crash during gameplay.
• Enshrouded (VK) may experience application crash during gameplay.
• Doom Eternal (VK) may exhibit intermittent flickering corruptions in game menu and during gameplay.
• PugetBench Extended Preset Benchmark may fail to complete on certain Adobe Premiere Pro Processing Tests.
• Topaz Video AI may experience errors when using some models for video enhancement.

 

Intel® Core™ Ultra with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs:

 

• Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora (DX12) may experience a crash during game loading.
• Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (DX12) may experience an application crash on loading to gameplay.
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (DX12) may exhibit corruption on shadows during gameplay.
• PugetBench Extended Preset Benchmark may fail to complete on certain Adobe Premiere Pro Processing Tests.
• Autodesk Maya may experience an application crash while running SPECAPC benchmark.
• Blender may experience an application crash while rendering some scenes on certain system memory configurations.
• Topaz Video AI may experience errors when using some models for video enhancements.
• Procyon AI may experience an application crash while running benchmark with precision float32.

 

Intel® Core™ Processor (12th-14th Generation) Products:

 

• Dragon Quest X Online (DX9) may experience sporadic application crash during gameplay.

Intel Arc 31.0.101.5445 WHQL driver is available on systems with 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 powered by Intel's 11-14th Gen processors and Intel Arc or DG1 graphics card. You can get it from the official website. Full release notes are available here (PDF).

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Vivaldi now reduces memory usage by automatically hibernating inactive tabs, auto-detects more feeds with its Feed Reader on websites like Reddit and GitHub, allows creating Workspaces out of tab selections with a right-click, includes a window split-view for apps on Mac, and more.

What is new in Vivaldi 6.7

Memory Saver

Like other modern browsers, Vivaldi now has a built-in memory saver to help tab hoarders lower the memory strain. The browser lets you select the timeout, after which inactive tabs will be put to sleep or hibernated. In addition, you can manually hibernate a tab, tab stacks, or entire workspaces. Clicking an inactive tab will bring it back to life.

It is also worth noting that Vivaldi will not hibernate tabs with audio or video playing or partially filled forms.

Feed auto-detection

The built-in Vivaldi Feed Reader now automatically detects feeds and displays an icon in the address bar. Clicking it lets you add Reddit profiles, GitHub repositories, YouTube videos, and other websites to your feed and receive notifications when there are updates.

Other changes in Vivaldi 6.7 include the following:

• You can now create Workspaces with fewer clicks. Select a few tabs and right-click them to make a new Workspace.
• To make Vivaldi and your data in the browser more portable, Vivaldi lets you export passwords and feeds in addition to other information, such as bookmarks, speed dial, reading lists, notes, etc.
• On Mac, Vivaldi now supports SplitView, allowing you to tile several apps on one screen.

You can learn more about Vivaldi 6.7 in a blog post on the official website. Vivaldi is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

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