What's new in macOS 14 Sonoma

Lock Screen and Screen Savers

The lock screen on macOS 14 is slightly different compared to previous versions of the operating system. The login section, with your user profile picture and name, is no longer centered, it now appears at the bottom of the screen. The picture displays a smaller thumbnail.

The clock has been removed from the menubar, and the date, day and time are now displayed directly in the top half of the lock screen.

Apple has brought the Aerial Screen Savers from Apple TV to macOS. These are cinematic versions, i.e. slow-motion videos which zoom-in or move around. The screen savers feature landscapes, cityscapes from around the world. The interesting bit is that when you log in, your screen saver transforms into a still image to become your wallpaper. You can view a demo of it here.

Desktop Widgets

macOS 14 Sonoma introduces support for Widgets on the desktop. You can now place your favorite widgets like Photos, Contacts, Stocks, etc., on your home screen. Right-click on the desktop and select Edit widgets to access the new Widget Gallery. This allows you to browse through the various widgets that you can add to your home screen.

It is not limited to the system widgets on macOS, you can also add widgets from third-party apps. And as a bonus, you may also add widgets from apps that are installed on your iPhone. These get added to your Mac's desktop, thanks to Continuity, and you don't even need the corresponding app installed on macOS. All you need to do is to keep your iPhone and Mac connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Widgets will adapt to your desktop background's colour, and change the tint automatically. They will fade when in the background, to not distract you while you work with an app. The desktop widgets in macOS 14 Sonoma are fully interactive, so you can use them for managing your To-dos, play/pause media, access home controls, and more, without having to open the respective app. If you are not a fan of desktop widgets, you may continue using them from the side panel.

Speaking of the desktop, you can click outside an app's window, i.e. directly on the wallpaper, to instantly view your desktop. You can change this behavior under the Desktop and Dock Settings.

Game Mode

Apple wants Macs to be gaming machines, and the new Game Mode in macOS 14 Sonoma drastically improves the performance in games. The Game Mode triggers automatically when you run a game, to give it top priority on the CPU and GPU, while reducing the usage for background tasks. It also reduces latency with wireless game controllers, AirPods, etc.

Metal 3 allows games to take advantage of the Mac's GPU to render high-resolution graphics in less time, minimize loading, etc. Death Stranding, Baldur's Gate 3, Resident Evil Village and No Man's Sky are some of the big games that have recently released on macOS. Apple has also released a Game Porting Toolkit for developers to bring their Windows games to Mac easily. In fact, it is so easy to use that many people have used this to play their favorite games on their MacBooks.

Apple Safari

Safari now supports profiles, which you can use to keep your work and personal like separate. The browser maintains each profile uniquely with its own set of extensions, Tab Groups, favorites, history, and cookies. This allows you to use multiple accounts on a same website.

Private Browsing in Safari has been improved, it now locks when you are not using it, and will require your Face ID, Touch ID or device password to access the tabs in it. Users may now set a different search engine for Private Browsing. The app will block trackers and fingerprinting in Private Browsing mode. It also removes tracking parameters from URLs automatically.

Safari displays favicons for websites in the favorites bar to help you identify the site quickly. Multiple tab selection enables a way to organize your tab bar, and provides an option to move them into a Tab Group.

Web apps on dock

You can now pin your favorite website to your dock from Safari's share menu. This will turn into a web app, with a streamlined app-like design with a simple toolbar. Web apps pinned on docks will display notification badges.

Passwords and Passkey

Safari on macOS 14 Sonoma can be used to share passwords with your family and friends. When you create a group, you will be able to share the passwords, and also edit them when required. The passwords get updated automatically for the other users when you change it. You may log in with your Apple ID using Passkeys that are stored securely on your device.

Apple Safari can now detect one-time verification codes that you receive in Mail, and autofill the corresponding field. This saves you the time and effort that would normally require you to switch between Safari and Mail, opening the mail, copying/pasting or typing the code manually.

Siri

You no longer need to say "Hey Siri" to activate the digital assistant. Instead, just say "Siri" and the assistant will detect the phrase.

Visual Look Up

Apple introduced Visual Look Up in iOS 15 and macOS 12 Monterey, which allows you to use a subject in a photo, and search for landmarks, animals, people etc. macOS 14 Sonoma takes this to the next level, Visual Look Up is now supported in videos, you may use it when a video is paused, i.e. it can detect objects in video frames.

Visual Look Up can be used to lift multiple subjects from photos and videos. You can use them in Messages and other apps. When you are viewing photos of food, the feature can be used to discover recipes. It can detect stores in photos and suggest map routes to drive there. Visual Look Up also explains the meaning of signs and symbols, including those on laundry tags.

Communication Safety

Apple has improved Communication Safety by adding support for videos and photos that you send and receive. The feature now detects sensitive content such as nudity in photos and videos, and blurs them, with a warning prompt that asks for your consent whether you want to see the media. The child-safety feature is not exclusive to the Messages app, it also supports third-party apps. It also works with the system-wide photo picker.

Privacy and Security

You may now select which photos you want to share within an app, and prevent it from accessing the rest of your photos. When an app requests access to your entire library, you will be able to see the details of the requested permission, the content the app wants to access, etc. The add-only Calendar permission restricts apps from viewing your information, and only allows the app to add events in your Calendar.

Lockdown Mode, which debuted in macOS 13 Ventura, has been improved in Sonoma. It has new networking defaults, sandboxing and network security optimizations. The security feature also offers safer media handling to reduce the attack vectors that may be used for sophisticated cyberattacks.

Find My

The Find My app allows you to share your AirTag or a Find My accessory with up to 5 people (family and friends), and each member of the group will be able to see the item's location, get directions to it, and locate a nearby item by playing sound.

Video Conferencing

macOS 14 Sonoma brings a new Presenter Overlay that lets users control their video conferencing experience in various apps including Zoom, FaceTime. The large overlay puts you in the spotlight, with your device's screen as a frame in the background. The small overlay displays your camera feed in a movable bubble, which can be useful in video calls where you are sharing the screen, and want to focus on the content in apps. It also brings hand gestures that you can use to trigger 3D augmented reality effects like confetti, fireworks, etc.

The screen sharing picker can be used to share one or more apps during a call, directly from the app's window (via the maximize menu).

macOS 14 Sonoma shares a number of features that are also available in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, including Swipe to reply, search filters, sticker drawer in Messages, an improved Notes app, a more accurate autocorrect for the keyboard, and more.

If you can't wait until Apple seeds the update, you can install the macOS 14 Sonoma Release Candidate version. It is identical to the build that will be released to the stable channel tomorrow. Wondering whether your Mac can be updated to macOS 14, check our article to find out if it is compatible with the new OS.

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For those unfamiliar with Windows 11's confusing feature updates, here is how Microsoft allegedly plans to distribute the Moment 4 update:

• September 23: The update is available for Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. This is the final testing stage before the public rollout to non-Insiders.
• September 26: Public release. Windows 11 Moment 4 is available as an optional C-update in the Stable Channel. To install the update, customers must head to Windows Update and toggle on the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" option.
• October 10: Windows 11 Moment 4 arrives as a part of the October 2023 Patch Tuesday. The update is mandatory for all Windows 11 users with unmodified Windows Update settings. Installing Windows 11 Moment 4 does not require any action—Windows 11 will install it automatically in the background.

How to install Windows 11 Moment 4 Update?

Option 1: Before September 26

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app and click Windows Update > Windows Insider Program.
2. Click Get Started.

    

   
3. Click Link an account and select your Microsoft Account or sign in with one if you use a local profile.
4. Select Release Preview on the next step and click Continue.

    

   
5. Confirm your decision by clicking Continue on Step 3.
6. Restart your computer.
7. Open the Settings app, click Windows Update, and press Check for updates.
8. Wait for your system to download and install Windows 11 Moment 4.

Important: Although last-minute Windows updates in the Release Preview Channel rarely differ from what Microsoft later ships to the general public, you should mind the potential risks of encountering bugs when enrolling your device in the Windows Insider Program. For most users, waiting for a couple of days is a better option.

Option 2: Between September 26 and October 10

1. Open the Settings app using any preferred method.
2. Toggle on the Get the latest updates as soon as they're available option.

    

   
3. Click Check for update. Windows 11 will offer you to download available optional updates.
4. Press Download and Install, then sit back and wait. You can continue using your computer while Windows downloads and installs the Moment 4 update. Note, however, that it will ask you to restart your computer to complete the process.

Option 3: After October 10

1. Launch the Settings app and go to Windows Update.
2. Click Check for updates and wait.

Option 4: Later

Microsoft will also update Windows 11 images available for download from the official website and via the Media Creation Tool, allowing users to clean-install Windows 11 Moment 4. The exact date is currently unknown.

Where is Windows 11 version 23H2?

Windows 11 Moment 4 is an update for Windows 11 version 22H2. Microsoft said it would release version 23H2 as a separate update in the final quarter of 2023. However, most features we mentioned in our Windows 11 23H2 review will arrive in the Moment 4 update.

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What if you want to try tiny11 but do not want to perform a clean install? The good news is that you can upgrade from tiny10 to tiny11 without losing your apps, settings, and files, even if your PC's hardware is not eligible to run Windows 11 officially. Here is how.

@NTDEV_ published a short YouTube video detailing the upgrade process. Although it is slightly more technical and complicated than how you upgrade "vanilla" Windows 10, it is no rocket science and does not require too much skills or knowledge. After all, you should be ready to perform some tinkering when using modified Windows images. If that is not for you, go for a clean install or unmodified Windows 11.

The most unconventional part of the upgrade is changing a few registry values to resolve an SKU conflict. tiny10 is based on Windows 10 LTSC, while tiny11 is Windows 11 Pro. Note, however, that modifying SKU-related registry values will result in Windows 11 asking you to activate it with a matching SKU key. tiny10 and tiny11 are not activated, meaning you need to source your activation keys elsewhere. As a reminder, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 keys can still activate a corresponding Windows 11 edition (Pro - Pro and Home - Home).

As a reminder, you must always consider potential risks and privacy issues when modifying Windows images or using prebuilt configurations. Also, back up important data and files before proceeding. If you do not trust third-party enthusiasts and their creations, stick to the original Windows 10 and 11 images, but also be ready to debloat them manually or deal with their stock configurations.

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Those features include a preview of Copilot in Windows and the new File Explorer along what Microsoft says are "new text authoring experiences to voice access and new natural voices in Narrator, and Windows Backup."

Microsoft added that a full list of the new Windows 11 22H2 features will be revealed on September 26.

Turn on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available to get new features rolled out to you.

Microsoft added:

If you have the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available turned ON via Settings > Windows Update BEFORE installing Build 22621.2361, you will also get Windows Configuration Update (KB5030509) installed at the same time you install Build 22621.2361 in a single reboot. Note only the update for Build 22621.2361 will show during install on the Windows Update settings page. But after reboot, the Windows Configuration Update will be shown in your Update History. This Windows Configuration Update is how we’re enabling new features via Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) technology.

Should you install Build 22621.2361 without turning on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available before, you can simply turn it on, and Windows Configuration Update (KB5030509) will be downloaded on your PC where you will be asked to reboot. Should you install build 22621.2361 and keep the toggle off, the new features will be gradually rolled out to your device over time.

You can check out the full blog post here.

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What’s new in Build 23550

Voice Access in OOBE 

As part of the work mentioned in Build 23516 for making voice access available to use on more areas in Windows, voice access can be used for setting up your new Windows devices and navigate through OOBE (“out of box experience”). You can launch the accessibility flyout on the bottom right corner of their screens and click on voice access to enable it.

NOTE: You will need to make sure you set up an internet connection while setting up a new device to enable the language model download and set up voice access to use it.

You can navigate OOBE, insert passwords using the on-screen keyboard, type text using dictation and control your mouse and focus using number and grid overlays once voice access has been enabled.

Number overlays using voice access in OOBE.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Voice Access.

Changes and Improvements

[Windows Subsystem for Linux]

• The September 2023 update for the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is rolling out and includes networking improvements in the latest Insider Preview builds. See this blog post for more details.

Fixes

[General]

• Fixed an underlying issue which was causing sporadic explorer.exe and Start menu crashes for Insiders in recent builds.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue which was causing thumbnails in Gallery to flash sometimes when scrolling.

[Start]

• Fixed an issue that was causing some icons in Start’s recommended section not to show correctly.

[Search on the Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue where the magnifying glass wasn’t displaying correctly when search was set to “Search icon and label”.

[Task Manager]

• Fixed an issue where the dialog when collecting a process memory dump erroneously said it was collecting a kernel memory dump.
• Fixed an issue causing Task Manager to not launch for some Insiders.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Start menu]

• Some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as a system component.

[Windows Copilot]

• We heard feedback from Insiders in the Dev Channel that the Windows Copilot Preview is not available in some regions. We found an issue and plan to re-enable it for these Insiders with a fix in a future flight.
• You can use Alt + Tab to switch out of Windows Copilot, but not back into it. Windows + C will move focus back to Windows Copilot
• When first launching or after refreshing Copilot while using voice access you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

You can find the official blog post on this page on Microsoft's website.

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At the time, many media outlets, Neowin included, assumed that all of those updates were going to be launched and labeled as the big 23H2 update for Windows 11. However, Microsoft later clarified that wasn't the case. In fact, all of those new features and improvements will be released as an update to the current Windows 11 version 22H3.

So what happened to Windows 11 23H2? As it turns out, it's still coming, but it will arrive a bit later than we thought. In a blog post about Microsoft's Cloud PC updates, the companyput in the following note:

On September 26th, Copilot in Windows will start to roll out in September 2023 optional non-security update for Windows 11, version 22H2--and will be available behind the commercial control for continuous innovation. It will later be included in Windows 11, version 23H2, the annual feature update for Window [sic]11, which will be released in Q4 of this calendar year. (Bold is ours)

This shows that the Windows 11 22H2 update that's coming September 26 (allegedly the "Moment 4" update) will start rolling out to users the same way Microsoft released the Moment 3 update. Microsoft ships non-security optional updates, or C-updates, on the last week of each month, with general availability in the next Patch Tuesday.

As for Windows 11 version 23H2, it will most likely be available in October 2023, bringing customers the rest of the planned features. Microsoft's approach to updating Windows 11 in 2023 and the lack of proper communication is somewhat confusing, and we hope this article will make things a little clearer.

You can check out what features the upcoming September 26 update will bring here. Our full Windows 11 version 23H2 review is available here.

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X (Twitter) user and a Windows enthusiast PhantomOcean3 noticed some of these unannounced features and these included:

• Settings Home page
• New Phone Link toggle in Bluetooth & devices
• Support for reading additional archive formats (7z, RAR, TAR, and more)
• New Windows Backup app
• More uninstallable inbox apps (Camera, Cortana, People, Photos)

You can read about these features in detail in our dedicated feature article.

At the Surface 2023 event yesterday, Microsoft, alongside all the new Surface devices, slightly surprised everyone when it announced that more of such supposedly Moment 4 update features would be available on September 26th, which is less than a week from now. Much of the press and media, including Neowin, assumed that the company had chosen this date to release its 23H2 feature update as the tech giant had already declared Q4 availability.

However, it was soon clear this was not the case as Microsoft, in a blog post, clearly mentioned that these features would be delivered as part of 22H2 itself. Most of the announced features centred around the addition of AI-based apps and AI-related capabilities to existing apps. You can read about them in detail in the linked articles:

• Copilot in Windows (in preview)
• Paint with Cocreator (in preview) alongside other features like background removal
• Photos with AI background blur and more
• Snipping Tool updates
• Clipchamp with auto-compose and more
• Notepad with automatic session saving
• New Outlook for Windows
• Modernized File Explorer
• Voice access improvements
• Windows Backup app

Additionally, in a separate blog post, Microsoft also announced security-related improvements which include going passwordless with Passkeys, and more. Microsoft says (PDF😞

We are improving the passkey experience for Windows users, who will be able to go to any app or website that supports passkeys to create one and then use the Windows Hello native experience (face, fingerprint, PIN) to sign in.

Microsoft 365 Boot and Microsoft 365 Switch are also reaching general availability (GA) status on the same day.

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This is why they are generally quite popular among readers and viewers as some of the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) ideas presented in such concepts deeply resonate with people.

Not everyone may be on board with what Microsoft has to offer nowadays as it keeps adding AI and Cloud options to Windows 11 to move into the next-gen. Others want to see improved performance and they aren't wrong as quantitative analysis suggests that the older, outgoing Windows 10 provides a more responsive and snappier experience.

Thankfully, Microsoft looks to finally be making improvements in some of these areas like File Explorer's performance, for example. And the company has claimed that it has improved Shell performance by a lot.

Popular Windows concept creator and YouTuber AR 4789 has published their latest video showing off what they call "Windows 11.2", and sort of suggests what Windows 11 could have been. At the minimum, it certainly looks very appealing.

For example, the Windows 11 setup OOBE (out of box experience) has a cool dropdown menu that has a few apps (in the form of Edge, Paint, Microsoft Store, and a few more) to entertain the user.

Something like this could be great for those who wish to install the OS on a spinning mechanical hard disk drive (HDD). Of course this is simply a concept and implementing this in reality is probably much harder than it looks.

Finally, we have the Start menu, which shows icons arranged in group and list views. There is also a section for the Widgets that some may argue looks better as part of the Start menu, similar to Live Tiles on Windows 10.

If you like these kinds of concepts, you can head over to this link to check all our coverage.

Source and images: AR 4789 (YouTube)

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What is new in Microsoft Edge 119.0.2109 Dev?

Added features:

• Added support for installing Wallet as a progress web app (PWA).
• Added a generic sidebar icon to the toolbar in case of Bing chat being disabled.
• Allow ‘tab to sleep option’, even when automatic sleeping tabs is disabled.
• Enabled closing the side pane if user navigates in same tab or open any other URL if side pane is already opened.
• Added a toggle for enabling or disabling screenshots capture for history.

Improved reliability:  

• Fixed a browser crash when clicking back button in split screen.
• Fixed a browser crash when using ‘find on page’ and then clicking on sidebar search box.
• Fixed a crash with microphone permissions in skype chat pane when invoked from hub icon.
• Android: Fixed a Bing SDK related crash
• Fixed a browser crash in NTP page when clicking on address bar.
• Mac: Fixed a crash when dev tools window enters full screen.
• iOS: Fixed a shopping crash

Changed behavior:

• Improved high contrast text colours for a number of settings.
• Fixed Launch Source time format function.
• Fixed web dialog position calculation for vertical split situation
• Fixed toggle button showing same colour for on and off states in GMC (Global Media Controls) dialog box.
• Android: Fixed a bug that caused the divider line to disappear in Omnibox.
• Fixed a bug when clicking tab suggestion to opened tab

You can download Microsoft Edge Dev from the official website. The browser supports Windows 11, 10, macOS, Linux, and Android. Version 119 release in the Stable Channel is scheduled for the week of November 9, 2023.

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The new version that's available for download in the Microsoft Store includes a new Extensions page, along with a number of changes and bug fixes, including many that fixed a number of accessiblity issues in the app.

The Dev Home GitHub page has the info on the version 0.5 update:

Extensions page

• Extensions page now exists in Dev Home and lists installed and available Dev Home extensions from the Microsoft Store.

Accessibility fixes

• Keyboard navigation should now work properly on the machine configuration page.
• Keyboard navigation now works in the app install page of machine configuration.
• The app install experience should now have the right colours in high contrast mode.
• Narrator should now have better announcements when used on the dashboard.
• Narrator should now have better announcements when using the setup flow in machine configuration.

Changes

• The Dev Drive checkbox in the add repo step of machine configuration is now automatically checked.
• Page headers now take up less space on the page.
• End task buttons have been removed from the CPU widget due to its update frequency.
• GitHub extension is no longer automatically installed.
• Installation notes are now displayed in the summary page after machine configuration.

Bug fixes

• The Dev Drive UI should now appear in Beta and Canary Windows Insider channels.
• UAC prompts should now work properly in the machine configuration tool.
• Account provider is no longer shown after signing out (Thanks @PankajBhojwani!).
• Relative paths with spaces should no longer crash Dev Home.

Developers can get more info on the Dev Home app on Microsoft's documents site. They can also provide ideas for new features for the app, or report any bugs, to Microsoft's GitHub repository.

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What is new in Intel PROSet/Wireless Software 22.250.1?

The official changelog mentions the following:

• In certain cases, network connectivity loss (Windows System Event ID 5002 and 5005) might occur after 802.1x re-authentication.
• Capability to operate P2P on DFS channel with concurrent AP operation. This software release version 22.250.1 has been updated to include functional updates. There may be other minor issues addressed which will impact performance, stability, or vendor specific functionality not listed above. Users should update to the latest version.

Driver 22.250.1 is available for the following wireless adapters:

Although the compatibility table mentions 32-bit Windows 10, it only receives updates with fixes for security vulnerabilities. Intel no longer releases new features or substantial changes for 32-bit Windows 10 versions.

You can download Intel PROSet/Wireless Software 22.250.1 from the official website (the release date is not updated yet). Full release notes are available here (PDF).

What is new in Intel Wireless Bluetooth 22.250.0?

The update resolves two issues:

• With some classic Bluetooth® mice being used along with streaming media on Bluetooth® earphones it has been observed that the mouse pointer drifts randomly; mostly when connected to 2.4 Ghz network band.
• Improvements to connectivity with some Bluetooth® devices in certain scenarios.
• Intel® Wireless Bluetooth® 22.250.0 driver has been updated to include functional updates. Users should update to the latest version.

Intel Wireless Bluetooth 22.250.0 driver is available for the following adapters:

You can download Intel's latest Bluetooth driver from the official website. Full release notes are available here (PDF).

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In a blog post, Microsoft stated that people will soon be able to launch Copilot in Edge and type in a prompt to write an email to someone. Microsoft states:

Simply open Copilot in Edge, give the prompt to draft a note and Copilot will open Outlook and write the email for you. All you need to do is review and hit send.

If you are updating a website, or writing a blog post, a new feature coming to Edge called Inline Compose will allow users to highlight a piece of text, and then just click on the Rewrite section. It can adjust the text in different tones, or help you write something longer.

Yet another feature that's coming to Edge is Tab Auto-grouping. Edge will use AI to regroup your browser tab based on similar topics, which should leave your tabs a bit less confusing to go through.

The blog post also mentioned the previously announced Bing Shopping feature, which will work with any browser, but is supposed to work best in Edge. Microsoft says:

Simply ask Copilot in Microsoft Shopping to help you find a product, and it will reply with intelligent questions to help narrow down your choices and guide you to the product that fits your needs. Coming soon, you’ll also be able to simply share a picture of the product you’re looking for and Copilot will guide you to the right match.

The security-themed Bing Chat Enterprise service is also coming soon to the Edge mobile browser, so workers on a business trip can use it to help with presentations, or questions about products and services, without having to use a PC.

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Microsoft’s incoming Windows 11 update will introduce public support for passkeys — a passwordless login technology that instead uses your face, fingerprint, or device PIN to sign into accounts. Announced at Microsoft’s AI and Surface launch event on Thursday, the latest Windows 11 update (available from September 26th) will allow users to create, manage, and store passkeys, and use them to access supported websites and services using their device’s own authentication systems.

Microsoft began testing passkey management in the Windows Insider developer channel back in June, so this Windows 11 update is bringing the technology into general availability.

Windows 11 passkeys are created through Windows Hello. Passkeys can be accessed on both a Windows desktop system and/or a mobile device used to authenticate the user’s identity. Following the Windows 11 update, IT teams will also be able to encourage employees to use more secure sign-in methods by removing the option to use passwords for all Windows 11 devices with Windows Hello for Business.

What are passkeys?

Passkeys can replace traditional passwords with your device’s own authentication methods. That way, you can sign in to Gmail, PayPal, or iCloud just by activating Face ID on your iPhone, your Android phone’s fingerprint sensor, or with Windows Hello on a PC. 

Built on WebAuthn (or Web Authentication) tech, two different keys are generated when you create a passkey: one stored by the website or service where your account is and a private key stored on the device you use to verify your identity.

Of course, if passkeys are stored on your device, what happens if it gets broken or lost? Since passkeys work across multiple devices, you may have a backup available. Many services that support passkeys will also reauthenticate to your phone number or email address, or to a hardware security key if you have one.

Meanwhile, other services like Gmail won’t let you completely remove the password from your account yet, just in case. Apple and Google’s password vaults already support them, and so do password managers like 1Password and Dashlane. 1Password has also created an online directory listing services that allow users to sign in using a passkey.

“For the past several years, we’ve been committed to working with our industry partners and the FIDO Alliance to further the passwordless future with passkeys,” said Microsoft in a blog post published on Thursday. “Passkeys are the cross-platform, cross-ecosystem future of accessing websites and applications.”

Microsoft provided Github and Docusign as examples of where they can be used, as passkeys can only replace passwords on websites, apps, and services that already support the WebAuthn public key authentication standard. Password management service 1Password has created a comprehensive directory that tracks everything currently supporting passkey.

Passkeys are expected to eventually replace passwords entirely as a new standard for login technology, but it’s going to take a while for them to be widely supported. Microsoft is one of the technology’s earliest supporters, having announced its plans to adopt passkeys on World Password Day in 2022 alongside other tech giants like Apple and Google.

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The Moment update includes a preview version of Windows Copilot, Microsoft's AI-powered helper, File Explorer changes and some other changes. You can check out our review of the most important features of the update here.

Windows Copilot is the main feature of the update. It combines Bing Chat with Windows-specific commands. The initial version enables Windows users to run a number of simpler tasks, such as turning on dark mode.

Microsoft notes that Windows Copilot will "later be included in Windows 11 version 23H2, the annual feature update for Windows 11", and that it plans to release this update in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Since it is part of the non-security optional updates for Windows 11, it will become available on the second Tuesday of October 2023 for all systems running the latest version of the operating system. It is unclear why Microsoft did not make this clearer in its announcement.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President & Consumer Chief Marketing Officer Yusuf Mehdi announced Microsoft Copilot today as well. The project's aim is to unify all the Copilots that Microsoft launched in the past year.

Mehdi claims that "Copilot will uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the web, your work data and what you are doing in the moment on your PC to provide better assistance – with your privacy and security at the forefront".

This new Microsoft Copilot will be available in Windows 11, Microsoft Edge, the Bing search engine and also Microsoft 365. The company plans to extend Microsoft Copilot to other products and services in the future. Microsoft 365 Copilot will launch for Enterprise customers on November 1, 2023 along with "Microsoft 365 Chat, a new AI assistant".

Speaking of the Windows 11 version 23H2 update, Mehdi notes that it includes "over 150 new features", making it one of Microsoft's "most ambitious" updates.

The highlights of the update are:

• Copilot in Windows, which combines Bing Chat with some Windows-specific tasks that the AI can perform or suggest.
• Paint updates that add AI, background removal and layers. Also, a preview of Cocreator, which introduces generative AI to the app.
• Photos with new AI features, such as Background Blur and improved search.
• Snipping Tool with support for extracting text from images.
• Clipchamp video editor with auto compose which "helps you with scenes suggestions, edits and narratives".
• Notepad with automatic session state saving.
• The new Outlook for Windows, which will replace Calendar and Mail on Windows 11 eventually.
• File Explorer changes.
• The new Windows Backup tool.
• New text authoring experiences to voice access and new natural voices in Narrator.
• Windows Firefox updates, "including targeting firewall rules to specific applications, firewall location awareness updates, and more granular firewall logging".

Closing Words

The third Moment update and next feature update for Windows 11 will introduce AI into the operating system. While some bits are already available here and there, the updates start the transformation to an AI-powered operating system.

It remains to be seen if Windows Copilot and Microsoft Copilot will become useful tools that users and administrators alike will use on a daily basis.

Next week, features of the Moment 3 update will land as a preview update for Windows 11. These features will find their way on to all user systems on the October 2023 Patch Tuesday. Whether that is also the day that Microsoft will launch Windows 11 version 23H2 remains to be seen.

Now You: what is your take on this announcement?

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Linux might not be on the mind of every consumer who uses a PC, but it's certainly growing in popularity. The reason for this growth has to do with several factors, including how deeply embedded Linux is within the enterprise business space, how the web browser has become the primary tool for most users, the incredible evolution of Linux on the desktop, the cost-effectiveness of Linux (it's completely free), and how the open-source operating system can save you from having to throw out that aging computer. 

Add to those factors how user-friendly Linux has become and it's a perfect time for the masses to adopt Linux.

When I first started using Linux (back in 1997), it was a challenge to not only install but to use. It seemed everything I needed to do required that I read a considerably long manifesto as to why it had to be done a certain way, while at the same time offering a number of different ways to achieve the same thing. It was both confusing and freeing at the same time. Being thrown into that mix head-first forced me to learn fast. After about six months of using Linux as my only OS, I pretty much had it down.

But six months is a long time to take just so you know how to use an operating system on a computer.

Fortunately, things have changed dramatically. The Linux of yesterday would barely be recognizable in comparison to its modern equivalent. Now, Linux is as user-friendly as any OS on the market. If you're considering migrating from either Windows or macOS to Linux, here are some things you need to know.

1. It's easier than you think

The Linux desktop is so easy. It really is. Developers and designers of most distributions have gone out of their way to ensure the desktop operating system is as user-friendly as any operating system on the market. During those early years of using Linux, the command line was an absolute necessity. Today? Not so much. In fact, Linux has become so easy and user-friendly that you can go your entire career on the desktop and never touch the terminal window.

That's right, Linux of today is all about the graphical user interface (GUI) and the GUIs are good. If you can use macOS or Windows, you can use Linux. It doesn't matter how skilled you are with a computer, Linux is a viable option. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the less skill you have with a computer the better off you are with Linux. Why? Linux is far less "breakable" than Windows. You really need to know what you're doing to break a Linux system. 

2. Linux is not just a kernel

One very quick way to start an argument within the Linux community is to say Linux isn't just a kernel. In a similar vein, a very quick way to confuse a new user is to tell them that Linux is only the kernel. 

Let me clear this up for you. Every version of the Linux operating system uses the Linux kernel. But as a new user, you don't care about that. Even talking about the Linux kernel is a way to completely confuse and turn off new users. Yes, Linux uses the Linux kernel. All operating systems have a kernel, but you don't ever hear Windows or MacOS users talk about which kernel they use. 

In simplest terms, Linux is an operating system because, without the kernel, you won't have an operating system. So if anyone tries to confuse the issue, understand that Linux is both an operating system and a kernel and they are inextricably bound.

3. Distributions are just different "brands" of the Linux operating system

When you first dive into the Linux waters, you'll find a vast array of "brands" you can use. There's Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, Fedora, Cutefish OS, Arch Linux, Feren OS, openSUSE, Mageia, Bohdi Linux, Deepin, Sabayon Linux, Peppermint Linux, MX Linux, EndeavorOS, Manjaro, Garuda, Debian, Zorin, elementary OS, PCLinuxOS…the list goes on and on. In fact, there are hundreds of Linux distributions -- aka "distros".

What's important to understand is that each distribution is like a brand. Think about Linux distributions as shoes. If you're looking for a new running shoe, you might consider Brooks, Hoka, Nike, Alta, New Balance, or Addidas. They're all running shoes, they just offer a different variation on the theme. Each shoe might have different features, different heel-to-toe drops, different weights, different purposes, and different looks. However, in the end, they are all running shoes. 

Linux distributions can be viewed in the same way: Each offers different features, different GUI tools, different purposes, and different looks…but they are all operating systems. The important thing (which is similar to your choice of kicks) is to find the distribution that best matches your needs and wants.

4. There are so many choices

One thing that has always been true of Linux is that there's a vast amount of choices. Not only in distributions, but desktops, and installable software. One aspect that will help you narrow down your choice of distribution is what desktop you prefer. There's GNOME, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, Mate, Enlightenment, Xfce, LXQt, Budgie, Pantheon, LXDE, Trinity Desktop, Sugar, and more. 

That level of choice trickles down to so much more. You have multiple web browsers, email clients, office suites, and image editors…you name it and there's a choice. The good thing is that most of those choices are really good options. However, at first blush, all of those choices might be a bit daunting. Because of that, the best approach for new users trying to decide which path to take is:

1. Decide which desktop you like.
2. Narrow down the distributions that use your desktop of choice.
3. Weed out the distributions that don't include a simple-to-use app store.
4. Weed out Arch-based distributions (for new users only).
5. Install and enjoy.

5. You'll find help everywhere

Like anything these days, help is just a Google search away. And you'll find plenty of sites dedicated to helping people with Linux (such as ZDNET). When you run into a problem (or something isn't quite as clear as you think it should be) just run a quick search and you'll find tons of solutions.

Speaking of which, with Linux, there isn't always one right answer for things. You might find there are numerous solutions for just about every task you need to complete. The important thing is to find the solution that best suits your skills and your needs.

6. Not all hardware will work (but most do)

I'll say this (and I stand by it): Ubuntu Linux probably has the best hardware detection and support of any operating system on the market. That doesn't mean it works with everything. 

There are certain peripherals you might own that have trouble working with Linux. Two of the more problematic pieces of hardware are scanners and wireless chips. Here's one thing I've often done (when I find a piece of hardware that isn't supported): I try a different Linux distribution. For example, you might have a laptop and Ubuntu Linux can't detect the built-in wireless chipset. Maybe give Fedora Linux a try and it'll work (Fedora often ships with a newer kernel than Ubuntu Linux, which supports more modern hardware). 

One thing to keep in mind is most Linux distributions are offered as Live images, which means you can test-drive them without making any changes to your hard drive. This is a great way to tell if a distribution will support all of the hardware you need to use.

7. You won't want for apps

First off, you'll likely find all of the applications you need available for installation. You'll find plenty of web browsers, media players, image editors, email clients, and so much more. It isn't like the early days of Linux, where most of the applications were geared toward scientists, students, and developers. Today's Linux has games and all of the tools you need.

That doesn't mean it has everything. For example, there is no version of Adobe Photoshop. There is GIMP (which is just as powerful) but for those who are accustomed to the de facto standard, you're out of luck. The worst-case scenario is you have to learn a new piece of software to meet your graphic needs.

8. You'll use your password more often

Speaking of installing software, on Windows, you can do so without having to type your user password. On Linux, that doesn't fly. In fact, any time you try and do something that requires heightened permissions, you'll be prompted to type your user (sudo) password. 

This is just part of the reason why Linux is so often considered more secure than Windows. And even though it might be an annoyance at first, you'll get used to it and eventually be thankful for the heightened security.

Speaking of security...

9. It's more secure but…

For decades, I've preached about how much more secure Linux is than Windows and I still firmly believe that to this day. That doesn't mean, however, that Linux is 100% secure. The truth is, any time you have a computer connected to a network, it's vulnerable and it doesn't matter what operating system you use.

To that end, it's absolutely crucial that you keep your operating system (and the installed applications) up to date. Fortunately, most Linux operating systems make this very easy. And only a few of them (such as Fedora) require a reboot to run the upgrade. During most Linux updates/upgrades, you can use the OS as normal and the only time you're required to reboot is when the kernel is upgraded.

Again, that doesn't hold true for the likes of Fedora.

This isn't a lesson that's any different than Windows. The only shift is that if you believe Linux is, by default, far more secure than Windows, you might be less likely to apply upgrades as they arrive. Like with any OS, if you want to keep Linux secure, run those upgrades.

Conclusion

Although this isn't an exhaustive list of things you should know before migrating to Linux, it should serve to ease some of your concerns and make you better prepared for what's in store. If you're tired of the headaches associated with Windows, and Apple products are too expensive, Linux is a great choice.

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During its special event in New York, Microsoft announced the next feature update for its operating system. It will be available as a free update for all users on September 26, 2023.

The upcoming update will bring plenty of various changes and new features, with the biggest upgrade focusing on AI and the recently announced Copilot. Like the update itself, the Copilot will come out of its preview stage on September 26, 2023. Other AI-powered features include background removal in Paint (also layers, transparency and PNG support, and more), optical character recognition in Snipping Tool, background blur in the Photos app, and more.

Customers can also look out for important and long-anticipated taskbar upgrades, such as the ability to show labels and ungroup icons. Also, users will be able to use their styluses to input handwritten text into any field across the operating system. File Explorer will get major upgrades, allowing you to work with more archives without installing third-party applications. You can see how it compares with dedicated archiving software in our separate article.

A redesigned volume mixer with much-improved source switching and volume sliders is also a part of the update, alongside the new Windows Backup app to help you transfer apps, settings, data, passwords, and other information from your old computer to a new one. As for gamers and other users with RGB peripherals, look out for the ability to control lightning, colour, and effects from the Settings app without relying on third-party software.

Although there was no official word from Microsoft about hardware requirements (by the time of publishing this article), everyone with a Windows 11-compatible PC should get the update via Windows Update for free on September 26, 2023. Later, we will publish a guide detailing how to upgrade your Windows 11 PC to the latest version. Meanwhile, check out our review detailing all the new features coming to Windows 11 on September 26.

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According to The Verge's live blog of the event. Copilot will be available to access on other Microsoft products like its Edge web browser, the Bing search engine, and also its various Microsoft 365 products.

The event also showed how Copilot will be used in Windows 11 and other apps. For one thing, people who used Edge to browse the web will be able to access Copilot for shopping comparisons, and even get coupons.

Copilot can also let you write in math equations with a stylus and touchscreen device, and it can help you solve those problems. It can also help with writing a quick text to someone, based on data from your calendar and other info.

Update: 1:30 pm Eastern time - Microsoft has added more info about its plans for Copilot. They include the launch of Microsoft 365 Copilot for enterprise customers on November 1. It will cost $30 per user a month.

It will include access to Microsoft 365 Chat, which will be designed to scan a user's files, including documents, emails, chats and more. It will help users to get "a head start on some of your most complex or tedious tasks". That will include jobs like having Chat write up a document in Word, checking on that long virtual pile of emails, planning a business trip, or setting up meetings in calendars.

Microsoft 365 Copilot will also have Designer, which will use generative AI to help turn text-heavy documents into full graphical experiences with just a few text prompts. It's in a small preview and will expand to more users in the future.

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You can learn a lot more about the new graphics features that the game supports with the new driver, including the first use of DLSS 3.5, in this article.

Here is the changelog:

Whats new in NVIDIA 537.42 WHQL

Game Ready for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

This new Game Ready Driver provides the best gaming experience for the latest new games supporting DLSS 3.5 technology and DLSS Ray Reconstruction including Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Further support for new titles leveraging NVIDIA DLSS technology includes the launch of Warhaven and Witchfire which support DLSS 3, as well as the arrival of Party Animals which supports DLSS Super Resolution and NVIDIA Reflex technology.

Fixed General Bugs

• [Octane Render]: intersection shaders cause slowdown in performance [4164876]

• [Octane Render]: inconsistent behavior and broken motion keys using TLAS with numKeys=2 [4088077]

Open Issues

• [Halo Infinite] Significant performance drop is observed on Maxwell-based GPUs. [4052711]

• [DaVinci Resolve] This driver implements a fix for creative application stability issues seen during heavy memory usage. We’ve observed some situations where this fix has resulted in performance degradation when running DaVinci Resolve. This will be addressed in an upcoming driver release. [4172676]

Operating System Issues:

• [Windows 10 Fall Creators Update][HDTV]: 12 bpc is automatically applied even on

• HDTVs that support only 8 bpc, resulting in a scrambled display. [2007663] To work around, open the NVIDIA Control Panel -> Change Resolution page, select “Use NVIDIA colour settings,” then set the Output colour depth to 8 bpc.

Application Issues:

• Some games and applications are designed to run at a fixed frame rate, and consequently do not take advantage of NVIDIA G-Sync. To prevent issues, G-Sync may be disabled for those applications.

You can check out the full release notes for the new drivers here (in PDF format).

You can download the NVIDIA 537.42 WHQL driver from the official website or using the GeForce Experience app. Note that it is only available to 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. 32-bit Windows 10 and Windows 8.1/8/7 are no longer supported.

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What is new in Microsoft Edge 118 Beta?

The official changelog includes the following:

Feature updates

• Microsoft Edge for Business Banner. Microsoft Edge for Business is a dedicated Microsoft Edge experience built for work that enables admins in organizations to give their users a productive and secure work browser across managed and unmanaged devices. The in-product Microsoft Edge for Business banner is being deprecated and will no longer be visible.
• Microsoft Edge migrates the updates experience into Browser Essentials. Getting alerts on available Edge Updates will come from Browser Essentials instead of the Settings page for better visibility and experience. Note: This feature is a controlled feature rollout. If you don't see this feature, check back as we continue our rollout.
• Find on page. Searching for a word or phrase on a webpage has become easier with the new smart find update to Find on page. For more information, see Find on page. Now when you search with Find on page, we'll suggest related matches and synonyms making it effortless to find what you're looking for, even if you misspell a word in your search query. When you search, simply select the suggested word to quickly locate the desired word or phrase on the page. Data is sent to Microsoft for processing. For more information, see Microsoft Edge's Privacy Whitepaper. Administrators can control the availability using the RelatedMatchesCloudServiceEnabled policy.
• New SmartScreen policy. The ExemptSmartScreenDownloadWarnings policy lets administrators create a dictionary of file type extensions with a corresponding list of domains that will be exempted from SmartScreen AppRep warnings. Files with file type extensions specified for domains identified by this policy will still be subject to file type extension-based security warnings and mixed-content download warnings.
• New Microsoft Edge Update policies. The MeteredUpdatesDefault and MeteredUpdates policies allows administrators to control the "Download Updates over metered connections" setting (edge://settings/help). The MeteredUpdatesDefault applies to all apps and MeteredUpdates applies to targeted apps. When a policy is configured to Allow, updates occur on a metered connection, such as cellular connections or others where data usage is controlled.

New Policies

• CompressionDictionaryTransportEnabled - Enable compression dictionary transport support
• DataUrlInSvgUseEnabled - Data URL support for SVGUseElement
• ExemptSmartScreenDownloadWarnings - Disable SmartScreen AppRep based warnings for specified file types on specified domains
• ForcePermissionPolicyUnloadDefaultEnabled - Controls whether unload event handlers can be disabled
• PictureInPictureOverlayEnabled - Enable Picture in Picture overlay feature on supported webpages in Microsoft Edge

You can download Microsoft Edge 118 Beta from the official website. The browser is available on Windows 11, 10, macOS, Linux, and Android. Release in the Stable Channel is scheduled for the week of October 12, 2023.

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Suggested popups may advertise Microsoft 365 subscriptions to the user, suggest to link Android phones to the device, or set up a backup solution.

If these popups annoy you, you may tweak the system to disable them entirely. The following guide provides step-by-step instructions on disabling popup suggestions on devices running Microosft's Windows 11 operating system.

The popups are displayed for about 5 seconds in the lower right corner of the computer screen by default. You can click on date/time to check it again in the Notifications section under Suggested.

How to get rid of popup ads in Windows 11

The very first thing you may want to do is disable tips and suggestions. This can be done in the Settings app of the operating system. Here are all the steps to do that:

1. Open the Start Menu with a click on the Start button and select Settings. If Settings is not displayed, type Settings and select the result to load it. You may also use the keyboard shortcut Windows-I instead to bring up Settings right away.
2. Go to System > Notifications.
3. Scroll down to Notifications from apps and other senders.
4. Locate "Suggested" there and toggle its status to Off.
5. Once done, scroll down all the way to the bottom and expand "Additional Settings" with a click.
6. Uncheck the boxes of all three options that you find there.

These are:

• Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what's new and suggested.
• Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows and finish setting up this device.
• Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.

Note that you may also disable suggestions from other programs. Windows lists all programs that are allowed to display notifications on the Settings page.

You can toggle any to off there, or even disable notifications entirely if you prefer that. Another option that you have is to click on any of the programs and features there to customize the experience.

Here, you may make the following changes. Note that these apply to the selected program or service only.

• Turn off notifications entirely.
• Disable the ability to show notification banners on the screen.
• Disable the ability to show notifications in the notification center.
• Show/hide content when notifications are on the lock screen.
• Allow app to send important notifications when do not disturb is on.
• Play a sound when a notification arrives.

You could disable the showing of banners on the screen only to keep getting notifications from the app or service, but in a less intrusive manner.

Group Policy and Registry configuration

System administrators may disable these notification banners using policies. Note that the Group Policy Editor is only available in Pro, Education and Enterprise editions of Windows 11. Home users may make the change in the Registry directly.

1. Open the Start Menu, type gpedit.msc and select the item from the list of results.
2. Use the hierarchy on the left to go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content.
3. Double-click on "Do not show Windows tips".
4. Set the preference to Enabled.
5. Click ok to close the window.
6. Close the Group Policy Editor.
7. Restart the PC.

Here is the same tweak in the Windows Registry:

1. Open the Start Menu, type regedit.exe and select the Registry Editor result.
2. Paste the following path into the address field: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager
3. Locate SubscribedContent-338389Enabled on the right side.
   1. If you don't see the Dword, right-click on ContentDeliveryManager and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
   2. Name it SubscribedContent-338389Enabled.
4. Double-click on SubscribedContent-338389Enabled and change the value to 0.
5. Close the Registry Editor.
6. Restart the PC.

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As it turned out, Microsoft is testing the idea of adding folders to the Recommended section in Windows 11's Start menu, giving users access to more recently added applications and suggested files. The release notes do not mention the change, and enabling it requires a third-party app called ViVeTool.

The Recommended section is not the most well-received change in Windows 11, and many users have long been asking Microsoft to let them turn it off for good (you can do that using an app we recommended in our "Top 10 apps to fix Windows 11's inconveniences" article). However, if you find it useful on your machine, here is how to try its upgraded version in Windows 11 build 23545.

Note: Back up important data before modifying your operating system using ViVeTool or similar apps.

1. Download ViVeTool from GitHub and unpack the files in an 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 on the tab strip.

    

   
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:46045587 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.
7. If that did not work, repeat steps 2-4, type vivetool /enable /id:44470355,42105254,39146010, and press Enter.
8. Restart your computer again.

What do you think about the idea of having folders in the Recommended section? Let us know in the comments.

Credit for the finding goes to @PhantomOfEarth on X (Twitter).

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The blog post lists the new features and improvements in this new version. It has mostly the same change log info as the version that was released earlier this month on Github. However, this new version lacks the "Correctly report isInMultiWindowMode=false when an app is fullscreen" that was added to the Github version.

• Platform reliability improvements
• Localhost loopback support for “Local network access” experimental feature
• Clipboard reliability and performance improvements
• Kernel update to improve compatibility with running ARM applications on x64 processors

Microsoft says that people who use the feature and experience any issues with it can file their feedback via the Insider Feedback Hub under Apps > Windows Subsystem for Android. You can also check out the Troubleshooting and FAQ for mobile apps on Windows site. Android developers can also offer feedback for the new version on Microsoft's Github page.

Before installing WSA on your device, make sure it meets Microsoft's minimum hardware requirements. Those specific ardware requirements for WSA are available to view here.

You can also download Windows Subsystem for Android with the Amazon App Store from the Microsoft Store on compatible PCs running Windows 11.

Developers who would like to run Android apps on Windows 11 with this subsystem should check out its Microsoft GitHub page for this very subject.

The same page also lets you report a bug in the subsystem, submit requests for a new feature, or report if something is wrong with the subsystem's documentation. You can also just simply interact with other Android-to-Windows developers on the page as well.

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CCEnhancer adds more than 1000 cleaning rules to CCleaner to improve the cleaning power of the tool.

The developers of the application have released version 4.0 of System Ninja this year. Our last review of the app dates back to 2017, and it was time for a refresh.

System Ninja is available as a free and pro version. The free version supports the same cleaning options as the pro version; it lacks a portable edition, automatic updates, one-click optimization and custom branding.

System Ninja 4 is the first version of the system cleaner that supports Windows 11 officially. It is also better equipped to display on high resolution displays. It is also interesting to note that version 4 is the first to add recycle bin cleaning.

The program's interface divides available options into the three main tools Junk Scanner, System Tools and PC Analysis.

Junk Scanner is the temporary file tool that detects temporary files on the system. You can check or uncheck the main groups, such as recycle bin, Internet cookies, or Windows logs, before activating the scan for junk button.

System Ninja lists all detected files in the main pane. A click on a header sorts the file list accordingly.  The app lacks grouping options, which makes it difficult to select part of the data for cleaning.

Each file is listed with its full path, size and type, but there is no option to only display files from a specific category or several categories.

The System Tools group resembles the tools built-into CCleaner. You get several tools, including a startup manager, app uninstaller, or duplicate finder, which you may use.

As is the case with this kind of tools, they are not as powerful as dedicated apps. The Startup Manager offers better managing than Windows' own tool, but it pales in comparison to Autoruns.

While that is the case, users of the app may still find the tools useful, as they are all integrated into a single app.

System Ninja supports plugins, which you may download and install to extend the functionality. Only three plugins are provided at the time. They add Registry cleaning, file renaming and file analyzing to the set of tools.

PC Analysis offers information about the PC's hardware and software. It is a good tool to quickly look up information, such as the processor name, motherboard manufacturer and version, or system memory.

As is the case with system tools, PC Analysis offers a broad overview, but lacks details that dedicated tools offer. RAM, for instance, displays only the available RAM modules and their size, but it does not provide information about the type, speed and other values.

 Closing Words

System Ninja is a free application to find and delete temporary files on Windows, and to run a selection of system tools. It has a few usability issues, such as the lack of grouping options, and depths when it comes to the provided tools. That does not make it a bad application, far from it, but there is definitely room for improvement.

Now You: do you use a temporary file cleaner?

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The Pinocchio-themed Soulslike from Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio, Lies of P, released on September 19 - September 15 for Deluxe Edition owners. AMD already released a game-specific driver update for its launch last week, but today's WHQL-certified driver seems to carry the same support.

The 23.9.2 driver is also a recommended install for anyone from the red team jumping into Party Animals or The Crew Motorfest. AMD has not provided any details regarding what kind of fixes or performance benefits the new release carries for the mentioned three games, unfortunately.

AMD has also included SDK support for Microsoft Agility SDK releases with this driver:

• Microsoft Agility SDK Preview Release v1.711.3 including Shader Model 6.8 functionality for GPU Work Graphs (GWG)).
• Microsoft Agility SDK Retail Release 1.610.5 including Enhanced Barriers and Vulkan on DX12 compatibility features.

In the Anti-Lag+ front, Starfield, The Witcher 3, Elden Ring and Immortal of Aveum are the latest games to support the tech. According to the company's testing, these games experienced up to a 45% decrease in latency with Anti-Lag+ being enabled.

The driver carries a number of fixed issues too:

• Application crash may be observed while playing Baldur's Gate 3 with Vulkan® API set on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 7900 XTX.
• GPU Clock may be artificially limited to 2700 MHz when performing manual tuning on Radeon™ RX 7700 XT and RX 7800 XT graphics.
• Display may not reach correct brightness with certain games on select SAMSUNG™ FreeSync Premium Pro monitors or TVs with local dimming setting enabled.
• Application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing SMITE® on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 7900 XTX.
• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing F1® 23 on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 7800 XT.

There are three known issues to look out for:

• Performance Metrics Overlay may report N/A for FPS on various games.
• Audio may intermittently become out of sync with video when recording from AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition with AV1 codec.
• The display may intermittently freeze after changing the encoding format while streaming select games using AMD Link. Users experiencing this issue are suggested to select the desired encode format before streaming as a temporary workaround.

The newly released WHQL-certified AMD Adrenalin Edition 23.9.2 driver is available to AMD desktop and mobile GPU users. A standalone download link can be found on the release notes page here. Those looking for a more easier process can use the Radeon Settings app on Windows to download or upgrade as well.

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Waterfox GS6.0 introduces a number of new and interesting features. Besides DNS over Oblivious HTTP, polyhedral optimization, DRM support on Linux and more.

The last major Waterfox browser release dates back to September 2022 and the release of Waterfox GS5.0. The project was associated with System1 back then, but has become independent in the meantime.

Existing Waterfox users may select Menu > Help > About Waterfox to run a check for updates. The update should be found and installed. New users find the Waterfox GS6.0 download on the official project website. Please note that it may be necessary to install a VC redistribution if the installer is throwing errors.

Waterfox GS6.0

One of the main new features in the ne Waterfox version is DNS over Oblivious HTTP. The lead developer Alex Kontos describes it as a privacy preserving way to handle DNS queries.

DNS over Oblivious HTTP uses DNS over HTTPS to encrypt DNS queries, but it also redirects requests through proxy servers, so that the DNS provider can't link domain queries to the specific user.  The release notes do not provide information on the proxy servers that Waterfox uses.

A look in the settings suggests that Cloudflare is being used. The default DNS over HTTPS provider is dooh.cloudflare-dns.com.

Waterfox is not the only browser that uses proxies to hide user IP addresses and thus their identity. Brave Browser uses proxies for certain operations, for instance when running Safe Browsing queries.

Waterfox GS6.0 is configured to do better when it comes to repeating tasks. Kontos explains that the browser uses polyhedral optimization to "make maximum use of the CPU and memory". The optimizations speed up "repetitive tasks like rendering, scrolling, and video playback that rely on loops".

The release notes mention three additional improvements. First, that Waterfox on Linux supports DRM now, which means that content can be accessed that requires it. Second, that users may move and remove the extensions button in the main toolbar, and third, that the maintainer of Betterfox.js has helped go through the preferences "with a fine tooth comb". The release notes reveal nothing about the changes made to the preferences, which is unfortunate.

Betterfox.js is a user.js template for Firefox to improve "speed, privacy and security" of the browser.

In an outlook, Kontos reveals that Waterfox for Android will be released soon and that iOS is in the pipeline as well. Privacy enhancements are coming for "some of the most popular search engines", but no information has been revealed apart from that.

Now You: do you use Waterfox?

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