Aside from the new features within existing PowerToys, you'll be pleased to see the developers also managed to reduce the install footprint by a few hundred MB, and there's a good number of fixes included in this release which are included below.

Here are the highlights of the update:

• Greatly reduced the PowerToys installed space by having utilities share the same installed path. When compared to 0.71, the 0.72 x64 machine installed version of PowerToys reduces the size reported in the Installed Apps screen from 1.15GB to 785 MB and the size in File Explorer properties for the installation folder from 3.10GB to 554 MB.
• Value Generator - A new PowerToys Run plugin that generates hashes and GUID values. Thanks @IHorvalds!
• Mouse Highlighter has a new feature to have a highlight always follow the mouse pointer. Thanks @hayatogh!
• PowerRename was reworked to support a bigger number of files without crashing.

and here is the full changelog:

Known issues

• Due to changing paths in the installation folder, the Mouse Without Borders service might be pointing to the wrong place. Users not running as admin will have to enable service mode again after install. A toast notification will appear if Mouse Without Borders is unable to start the service correctly.
• File Explorer extensions changed paths might not be loaded correctly until File Explorer and Preview Host processes are restarted, so we advise restarting the computer when possible after updating PowerToys.

General

• Shared dependencies between applications in order to greatly reduce the installed size.
• Added missing icons and icon sizes. Thanks @niels9001!

FancyZones

• Fixed an issue where FancyZones wouldn't register a change to the "Switch between windows in the current zone" setting.
• Added a Setting to enable the behavior of clicking the middle mouse button to toggle multiple zone spanning.

File Locksmith

• Fixed a File Explorer crash when deleting a file, updating PowerToys and then trying to right-click the background of a folder in File Explorer.
• UI tweaks. Thanks @Jay-o-Way!

File Explorer add-ons

• Updated the Monaco dependency for Developer Files Preview, supporting new file extensions and fixing issues. Thanks @Aaron-Junker!

Hosts File Editor

• Consolidated the way the Hosts application is launched. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• UI tweaks. Thanks @Jay-o-Way!

Installer

• Refactored the Monaco dependency inclusion. What to install is now being generated automatically.
• Removed hardlinks and simplified the installer files, now that many utilities use the same paths.

Mouse Highlighter

• Added a feature so that a highlight follows the mouse even if no mouse button is being pressed. Thanks @hayatogh!

Mouse Pointer Crosshairs

• Added a setting to hide the crosshairs when the mouse pointer is also hidden. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Added a setting to select a fixed length for the crosshairs, which also spans across screens. Thanks @Epp-code!

Mouse Without Borders

• Switched to a UWP mouse input API to fix mouse pointer lag issues that were reported.
• A toast notification will appear when the service can't be started and Mouse Without Borders will try to start in non-service mode instead.
• Fixed a bug where the service path wouldn't update to the new binary path when trying to re-enable service mode.
• Fixed some grammar errors in the Mouse Without Borders user facing strings. Thanks @KhurramJalil!
• Allow changing the shortcuts in the same way as other utilities and changed them to better defaults to avoid conflicting with Alt Gr+letter combos on international layouts.

Peek

• Also benefits from the Monaco dependency update when peeking into files supported by the Developer Files Preview. Thanks @Aaron-Junker!
• Fixed a flash on PowerToys starting due to the Peek window activating and hiding right away. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Updated icon design. Thanks @niels9001!
• Fixed flipped content issues on systems with RTL languages.

PowerRename

• Reworked the UI and resource consumption to fix crashes and hangs when trying to rename a huge number of files.
• Added the Mica background material and some UI tweaks. Thanks @niels9001!

PowerToys Run

• New plugin: Value Generator - generates values like hashes and GUIDs. Thanks @IHorvalds!
• The default input smoothing values were changed to the recommended values. Thanks @SamMercer172!
• Fixed tab navigation issues when using Shift+Tab to go backwards. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fixed a crash caused by images not being found in the image cache due to racing conditions.
• Fixed synchronization issues in the WindowWalker plugin. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fixed a synchronization crash when getting localized system paths.
• The PowerToys plugin is now activated by default. Thanks @davidegiacometti!

Quick Accent

• Added the ("ḍ", U+1E0D) unicode character. Thanks @SamMercer172!
• Fixed an issue causing the left and right keys being discarded even when Quick Accent didn't activate.

Registry Preview

• Fixed a bug causing DWORD values to not be shown correctly. Thanks @randyrants!
• UI tweaks. Thanks @Jay-o-Way!

Runner

• Show a warning asking the user to restart the computer after updating the PowerToys version.

Screen Ruler

• UI tweaks. Thanks @Jay-o-Way!

Settings

• Fix an unused Expander in the File Locksmith settings page.
• Added an info box to better explain what the extended context menu is.

Development

• Projects were restructured to allow sharing the same folder and dependencies and to avoid resource name conflicts.
• Added scripts to CI to guard against applications having conflicting resources.
• Added scripts to CI to guard against depending on different versions of the same dependency.
• Test projects now build to a separate path.
• Dependencies updated across the solution to ensure every project is using the same dependencies.

You can download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, winget (Command Prompt as Administrator and enter the command: winget install --id Microsoft.PowerToys, or its repository on GitHub.

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When a website asks the user to allow accessing the camera, location, microphone, and other capabilities, the current Chrome version presents two options: block and allow. Soon, a third button will join the party: clicking "Allow on every visit" will grant permission for the current session only. The "Allow" button will change to "Allow on every visit" to help users better understand the concept.

Google is not the first to introduce improved website permissions—the same capability is available in Safari and Firefox. According to Google, the "Allow this time" option gives customers increased control as some are not ready to make a persistent decision. Sometimes, users want to asses if a specific website provides decent value in return for giving permissions. Granted, you can always adjust your choice in settings, but that requires more time and effort.

Google also says the new option will make more people willing to grant permission. Still, web developers should provide the necessary context and explain the benefit of allowing access to specific capabilities. Finally, the updated controls offer better clarity, making it easier to understand that one option is temporary and another is persistent.

Chrome 116 will expire one-time permission if one of the following conditions is met:

• The user closed the page, navigated away from it, or closed Chrome.
• The user revoked the permission manually, or a policy has overridden it.
• 16 hours have passed since granting permission.
• The page has been in the background for at least 5 minutes.

The initial rollout will only affect three permission types in Chrome 116 for desktops. Other capabilities and mobile devices will remain unaffected by the change. You can learn more about it in a blog post on the official Chrome Developers website. Chrome 116 release is scheduled for August 15, 2023.

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Disclaimer: Statcounter's reports are based on data gathered from more than 1.5 million websites. As a third-party analytics service, Statcounter cannot provide 100% accurate data. You can learn more about how Statcounter prepares its reports in the official FAQ.

According to Statcounter, in July 2023, Google Chrome reclaimed some of the previously lost numbers. In June 2023, the world's most popular desktop browser experienced a notable decline in its customer base, going down from 65.88% to 61.16%. However, Chrome climbed to 63.33% this month, gaining 2.17 points.

Apple Safari, the only browser available on one platform, macOS, is now at a 13.13% mark, -1.35 points compared with the previous month. Microsoft Edge is third, with its now-traditional market share slightly higher than 10%—10.75%. The next is Firefox with 5.96% (-0.08 points) and Opera with 4.51% (-0.8 points).

1. Google Chrome - 63.32% (+2.17 points)
2. Apple Safari - 13.13% (-1.35 points)
3. Microsoft Edge - 10.75% (-0.03 points)
4. Mozilla Firefox - 5.96% (-0.08 points)
5. Opera - 4.51% (-0.8 points)

The mobile side of the market is even less dynamic. Google Chrome and Safari hold almost 90% of all users, while Samsung Internet, Opera, UC Browser, and other alternatives share the rest. Microsoft Edge is nowhere near its primary competitors, with a puny 0.19% (+0.02 points) market share.

1. Google Chrome - 64.81% (-0.01 points)
2. Apple Safari - 24.76% (-0.07 points)
3. Samsung Internet - 4.3% (unchanged)
4. Opera - 1.95% (+0.19 points)
5. UC Browser - 1.79% (-0.03 points)

You can find more information and region or device-specific stats on the official Statcounter website. The previous report for June 2023 is available here.

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The most notable update is a redesigned and simplified search results page. According to Reddit, the new layout better highlights relevant posts over other elements, especially on mobile devices. The search page now has a cleaner look overall, with posts taking precedence on the page.

In addition to the redesigned search results page, Reddit has also updated the front page for logged-out users to make browsing content more intuitive. The front page now features six trending posts instead of four, with larger title sizes and improved formatting for images and videos.

On desktop, a sticky sidebar allows users to scroll and pin content independently without losing their place. Community pages have also been updated to display banner images, descriptions, member counts and rules. These features allow users to easily navigate the site and find the content that interests them.

In addition, Reddit said it has also improved performance by cutting page load times in half on both mobile and desktop. This change ensures that users can quickly access the content they want without having to wait for the page to load.

The updates are now live on its mobile and desktop sites. The company said it will continue to refine the logout experience to make Reddit more welcoming to new users.

Also in June, thousands of popular subreddits went dark due to Reddit's current plan to raise the prices of its APIs, which are used by many third-party apps and services. This decision caused a number of popular third-party Reddit apps, such as Apollo and Reddit is Fun, to shut down on June 30.

After that, Reddit released a fact sheet. The company says it has 100,000+ active communities and more than 80% of its top 5,000 communities (by daily unique visitors) are open as of now.

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Sadly, recent Windows updates replaced search highlights with a Bing Chat ad, and everything the search box displays now is a boring Bing logo. Moreover, the subtle translucent search box is now a large white bar distracting users from whatever they are doing. Here is how to disable Bing on the taskbar in Windows 11, restore search highlights, and make the search box more subtle.

Remove the Bing logo from the taskbar search in Windows 11

• Navigate to GitHub using this link and download the latest ViVeTool app release. It is a third-party utility for managing Windows 10 and 11 features. Note that using ViVeTool requires administrator privileges. Also, back up important data before you proceed. Although nothing should go wrong, better be safe than sorry.
• Unpack the downloaded archive in a convenient folder.
• Launch Command Prompt in elevated mode (run as administrator) and navigate to the directory with the ViVeTool app files using the CD command. For example, if you have extracted the archive into C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
• Type vivetool /disable /id:43572857 and press Enter. The command will remove the Bing logo on the taskbar search and restore search highlights.
• Restart your computer and wait a few minutes for Windows to refresh the search box.
• If you want to replace the white-filled search box with a more subtle and less distracting translucent variant, repeat step three and execute the vivetool /disable /id:42922989 command. Remember to restart your computer afterward.

By the time of writing this short guide, the commands work in the latest stable Windows 11 release, build 22621.2070. Sadly I could not restore search highlights in Windows 11 preview builds from the Dev Channel, so I expect Microsoft to break the IDs in the upcoming feature update. But that has yet to come, so we still have a few months to enjoy the ad-free taskbar with daily search highlights.

Tip: You can always remove the search box and its variant in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Search.

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Firefox 116 and Firefox 115.1 ESR are not the only two releases. There is also Firefox 102.14, the last but one update for that particular Firefox ESR base, and updates for Firefox Beta, Developer and Nightly.

Executive Summary

• Firefox 116 is a security update.
• Highlights include a volume slider in Picture-in-Picture mode, improved Ctrl-Shift-T keyboard shortcut capabilities, and improved HTTP/2 upload capabilities.
• The new version is not available for Windows 8.1, 8 and 7, and also not available for macOS 10.14, 10.13 and 10.12. These are migrated automatically to Firefox ESR for continued support until September 2024.

Firefox 116 download and update

The official release date of Firefox 116 and Firefox 115.1 ESR is August 1, 2023. Most installations of the browser will be upgraded automatically to the new version thanks to the built-in updating system.

Firefox users may select Menu > Help > About Firefox to display the current version. Firefox runs a check for updates when the menu is opened and will download the latest version automatically or on the user's request.

Here are the official download locations:

• Firefox Stable download
• Firefox Beta download
• Nightly download
• Firefox ESR download
• Firefox for Android on Google Play

Firefox 116.0 new features and improvements

Keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-T changes

The keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-T reopens the last closed tab by default in Firefox and in the case of no tab to reopen, the previous session. Starting in Firefox 116, the keyboard shortcut supports reopening browser windows as well now.

The new logic reopens the last closed tab or browser window, whichever was closed more recently, and the previous browsing session if there are no more tabs or windows to reopen.

Picture-in-Picture mode's volume slider

Firefox's Picture-in-Picture mode supports a volume slider now for easier changing of the volume. The new control is attached to the Picture-in-Picture window.

Other changes and fixes

• Firefox's HTTP/2 upload performance has been improved significantly, especially on networks "with a higher bandwidth delay product".
• Keyboard users may now switch sidebar panels using the official keyboard shortcuts for Bookmarks (Ctrl-B) and History (Ctrl-H).
• For users who use an English locale, update notification prompts now include a learn more link that links to the release notes.
• Firefox users may copy and paste any file from their operating system into Firefox.
• Existing text annotations may now be edited.

Developer changes

• The dirname attribute is now supported on input and textarea elements.
• The image role is now supported as a synonym for img.
• The q length unit (1q = 1/40th of 1cm) is now supported.
• Configuring a Content-Security-Policy now supports specifying external JavaScript files to be whitelisted using hashes, where previously only inline scripts could be whitelisted using a hash.
• The TextMetrics.fontBoundingBoxAscent and TextMetrics.fontBoundingBoxDescent properties are now supported.
• The Audio Output Devices API is now supported on all platforms except for Android.
• This release now supports proper BYOB readers on Fetch and WebTransport.

Enterprise changes

• Fixed a bug that allowed users to access private browsing from the command line even if the feature was disabled by an administrator.

Security updates / fixes

Information about security fixes in Firefox 116 is published here (some time after the official release).

Outlook

Firefox 117 is the next major stable release of the web browser. Mozilla plans to release it on August 29th, 2023. The last Firefox 102.x ESR version will also be released on that day.

Firefox extension reviews and news

None

Additional information / resources

• Firefox 116 release notes
• Firefox 116 for Developers
• Firefox 116 for Enterprise
• Firefox Security Advisories
• Firefox Release Schedule

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What is new in Intel PROSet/Wireless Software 22.240.0?

Key issues fixed and changes: Package Version 22.240.0

• Windows 10 and 11 | RX Link speed is not stable and wireless dock APP sometimes show "weak connection."
• Windows 10 and 11 | Beamformee report with VHT may cause fatal error resulting in yellow bang.
• Windows 10 and 11 | QoS with P2P connection may cause disconnect.
• Windows 10 and 11 | This software release version 22.240.0 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.

Intel's latest Wi-Fi driver is compatible with the following wireless adapters:

As a reminder, Intel does not provide active support for 32-bit Windows 10. PCs with this operating system only receive updates with fixes for potential security vulnerabilities (the current driver version 19.51.40.1 from package 22.160.0, released in August 2022). You may also note that some wireless adapters are no longer included in the supported hardware list. In version 22.220.0, Intel removed compatibility with the AC 8260 and AC 8265 adapters.

You can download Intel's latest PROSet/Wireless Software driver from the official website. Full release notes are available via this link (PDF).

Thank you, Aryeh Goretsky, for the tip!

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• While the policy takes effect today, it will not immediately impact users with an inactive account — the earliest we will begin deleting accounts is December 2023.
• We will take a phased approach, starting with accounts that were created and never used again.
• Before deleting an account, we will send multiple notifications over the months leading up to deletion, to both the account email address and the recovery email (if one has been provided).

As you also probably noticed above, the company reiterated at that time that this change will be rolled out "slowly and carefully, with plenty of notice". True to its words, Google has issued its second caution today. Here's a screenshot of an email received by such a user (via BleepingComputer😞

Of course, Google has also explained the ways in which one can prevent this hence if you are a user who received such a warning, you can do one or more of the following:

The simplest way to keep a Google Account active is to sign-in at least once every 2 years. If you have signed into your Google Account or any of our services recently, your account is considered active and will not be deleted. Activity might include these types of actions you take when you sign in or while you’re signed in to your Google Account:

• Reading or sending an email
• Using Google Drive
• Watching a YouTube video
• Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
• Using Google Search
• Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service

If you have an existing subscription set up through your Google Account, for example to Google One, a news publication or an app, we also consider this account activity and your account will not be impacted. Additionally, we do not have plans to delete accounts with YouTube videos at this time.

You may find more details about Google's decision in its blog post.

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Edge Mouse Gesture is a great tool for speeding up routine actions, like opening a tab, reloading a page, launching InPrivate, switching between webpages, and more. The current gestures implementation is already highly flexible with its 16 customizable actions, but the feature lacks one critical option: the ability to turn off gestures on specific websites.

Microsoft Edge users may want to turn off mouse gestures on a certain page if they clash with the website's features. The much-needed exceptions list is now available for testing in Microsoft Edge Canary (via). You can turn off Edge's mouse gestures on a specific website by doing the following:

1. Open the browser's menu and click Settings. Alternatively, type edge://settings.
2. Go to Appearance > Configure Mouse Gestures and scroll down.
3. Find the Configure Block List option and click Add.

    

   
4. Enter the website you want to prevent from using mouse gestures and click Save. Repeat this step to add more pages.
5. To remove a website from the block list, click a button with a trach icon next to it.

It is worth reminding that the Edge Mouse Gesture feature is still hidden by default, even in preview channels. You can try it by navigating to edge://flags and enabling the Microsoft Edge Mouse Gesture flag. Afterward, go to Settings > Appearance and toggle the Enable Mouse Gesture option. Although Microsoft has yet to announce mouse gesture support in its browser, the feature is already available in the Stable Channel behind an experimental flag.

Are you using mouse gestures in your browser? Do you find this feature useful? Let everyone know in the comments.

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What is new in Intel Arc 31.0.101.4577 WHQL driver?

Driver version: 31.0.101.4577 WHQL
Date: July 31, 2023

Highlights:

• Support for Intel Arc A570M and A530M Graphics.

Fixed Issues:

• Intel Arc Graphics Products: F1 23 (DX12) may experience an application crash on certain Intel Arc A-series Graphics notebooks.

Here is the list of known bugs in this update:

Intel Arc Graphics Products:

• Shadow of The Tomb Raider (DX11) may experience an application crash after loading to game menu.
• System may hang while waking up from sleep. May need to power cycle the system for recovery.
• GPU hardware acceleration may not be available for media playback and encode with some versions of Adobe Premiere Pro.
• Topaz Video AI may experience errors when using some models for video enhancement.
• Blender 3.6 may experience an application crash during render operations when Hardware Ray Tracing is enabled.
• Adobe After Effects may experience an application crash during render operations.
• Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics Products:
• Driver installation may not complete successfully on certain notebook systems with both Intel Iris Xe + Iris Xe MAX devices. A system reboot and re-installation of the graphics driver may be required for successful installation.

Intel Core Processor Products:

• Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 (DX12) may exhibit corruption on certain light sources such as fire.

Intel Arc Control Known Issues:

• Using Arc Control Studio capture with certain games may incorrectly generate multiple video files.
• With Intel Arc Control installed, systems may experience slightly higher than expected power consumption during system sleep or hibernate.
• The Camera on-screen preview may incorrectly persist when switching between Desktop and Overlay modes.
• The “Connector” type in the Display page may incorrectly show DP when using an HDMI display connection.
• May observe “stream has already ended” pop-up after the power events with Capture/Highlights/Broadcast toggle on.

Intel Arc Control Performance Tuning (BETA):

• Intel Arc Control Performance Tuning is currently in Beta. As such, performance and features may behave unexpectedly. Intel® will continue to refine the Performance Tuning software in future releases.

You can download Intel's latest graphics driver from the official website. Release notes are also available here (PDF). The drive is compatible with 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 running on systems with 11th, 12th, and 13th Gen processors or the Intel DG1 and Arc graphics.

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When I'm designing book covers and other digital assets, having the right font can really save the day. And although there are times when I've had to purchase a font or two (because I needed something very specific), most of the time free and/or open-source fonts will do the trick.

That's why, one of the first places I turn for fonts is Google. 

You might not know this, but Google has a pretty good collection of fonts that can be used for free. In fact, Google has a website specifically for fonts, called (aptly) Google Fonts. On that site, you'll find plenty of fonts to choose from. And given how few artistic fonts ship with most Linux distributions, Google's collection can mean the difference between a boring and exciting document. 

But how do you install those fonts on Linux? It's not nearly as hard as you might think. Let me walk you through the process. 

How to install Google fonts on any Linux distribution

What you'll need: The only things you'll need for this are a running instance of Linux and a user with sudo privileges. That's it. Let's get to work.

1. Download the fonts in question

The first thing you'll need to do is head over to the fonts.google.com site and download the font(s) you want to use. These files will be in zip format. Save them to your ~/Downloads directory and do not unzip them yet.

2. Create a new directory

Let's create a new directory to house the fonts with the command:

sudo mkdir -p /user/share/fonts/googlefonts

3. Change into the new directory

Change into the new directory with the command:

cd /usr/share/fonts/googlefonts

4. Extract the downloaded font

Let's say you've downloaded the Poiret One font. The filename for that font is, Poiret_One.zip. To extract that downloaded file into the googlefonts directory, the command will be:

sudo unzip -d . ~/Downloads/Poiret_One.zip

The -d option instructs unzip where the destination directory is and the . informs the command that the destination is the current directory (which is /usr/share/fonts/googlefonts). You'll be prompted for your sudo password. When the extraction completes, you'll find the PoiretOne-Regular.ttf font in the /usr/share/fonts/googlefonts directory.

5. Register the fonts with the system

Finally, you'll need to register the new font with the system. To do that, issue the command:

sudo fc-cache -fv

Once the new font is registered, you'll be able to use it with any app on your desktop. Continue downloading Google Fonts and add them to your system until you have everything you need to create the documents or images necessary to get the job done.

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This enhancement promises an even more refined browsing experience, with a richer black version replacing the existing grey-toned dark mode.

The change was spotted by X user Leopeva64 on June 21, and now it has been rolled out for Edge's beta.

Deep dive into the dark of an abyss

Dark mode has become a popular option across various software platforms, including web browsers and even Twitter or the new name of it, X. It alters the default bright background colour to a darker one, making it easier on the eyes, especially in low-light environments.

Additionally, dark mode is favored by users who prefer interfaces that are less bright. Microsoft Edge has joined the ranks of browsers offering this sought-after feature, catering to user preferences and accessibility needs.

Microsoft has not rested on its laurels with the initial dark mode implementation; instead, it has taken further steps to enhance this user-centric feature. The new update aims to present users with an even darker browsing experience, replacing the existing grey-toned dark mode with a richer black version.

How to enable dark mode on Edge

Currently available for testing in Edge Canary, the experimental version of the Edge browser, the update allows users to preview the new dark mode before it is rolled out to the general public.

Here is how you can try out Microsoft Edge's new dark mode:

1. Open and update Edge Canary
2. Head over to the settings menu
3. Select ''Dark mode'' option under the ''Appearance'' section

If you are new to beta versions of browsers, check out our writing titled: ''How to enable the latest features in Microsoft Edge Canary''.

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We have reviewed similar applications in the past, including Dead Pixel Tester, Injured Pixels, and PixelHealer.

The application itself is available on the official Enjysoft website. It is a bit hidden, as it is not listed on the homepage of the site, but only in the blog.

The developer does not list compatibility information on the product page, only that it is for Windows. The app ran fine on a Windows 11 test system and a Windows 10 test system.

Once installed, the installed holds no surprises, it may be run right away. The interface language was in English on the test system; it displays just four options, all accessible right away.

The first tool, Detection of dead pixels, may be used to find dead pixels on the computer screen and attempt to repair them.

The developers explain: "This test shows the primary RGB colours to facilitate the detection of dead pixels". A click on the run button paints the entire screen in a solid colour. A click on the left-mouse button changes the colour.

The main idea behind this is that it is easier to detect dead pixels using solid colours, as dead pixels won't change their colour anymore. If a dead pixel is detected, Pixel Réa may attempt to repair it. There is no guarantee that the repair is working though, as some pixels may be beyond fixing.

A click on the repair button displays three repair options. These differ in length and the number of pixels that they use in the attempted repair. Users are advised to begin with short, then average and lastly aggressive, which takes about three hours alone to complete.

Next to detecting and repairing dead pixels, the program may also be used to detect burned-in areas on plasma and LCD screens. Again, there is a run button to start the detection test and a repair button to try and get the issue repaired by the application. Just like the dead pixel repair tool, the burned-in repair tool is supporting three different repair options. These use different techniques in the attempted repairs and users may want to run them all, one by one, to see if these resolve the issue.

Closing Words

Pixel Réa is a useful helper tool if you notice dead pixels on your displays or burned-in spots. The latter may be experienced on older screens for the most part. All in all, a solid tool to have.

Now You: when was the last time you noticed dead pixels on your devices?

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In a recently updated post on the Xbox support site (via Game Rant), Microsoft announced:

On July 28, 2023, we announced that the Xbox Console Companion app on Windows would be deprecated on August 28, 2023. If you were impacted by this and are looking for ways to continue to engage with Xbox games, services, and communities on your Windows device, the Xbox app for Windows will keep you connected to all things Xbox and gaming on your Windows device.

With the upcoming retirement of the Xbox Console Companion app, Windows 10 and 11 users are being directed to use the Xbox app. It allows PC owners to download and play PC games, remote play Xbox console games on their local network on their PC, access Xbox Cloud Gaming if they are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and more.

A recent update in May added features like the ability to view your Xbox friends list and chat window while also continuing to game on your PC.

There's also the built-in Xbox Game Bar for Windows. It allows PC gamers to capture a screenshot or video clip while they game, get info on their PC's overall performance, and more.

It will be interesting to see if Microsoft plans any major updates to the Xbox app, now that it will soon be the only official Xbox app for the Windows platform.

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The latest Windows 11 preview build from the Canary Channel brought two important graphics changes: multi-monitor and energy optimizations. The first improvement is for those using two or more high-refresh-rate displays. It enables Windows 11 to adjust the refresh rate for the specific content on each monitor. For example, you can have a higher value on a monitor with your game and a lower value on the other display with a video or static picture. This will also come in handy for those connecting their gaming laptops to external displays.

The second change will help your tablet or laptop with a speedy monitor to consume less power when in battery saver mode. According to build 25915 release notes, Dynamic Refresh Rate-enabled devices will lower their display refresh rates to lower values until after Battery Saver is disabled. Note that this change requires Dynamic Refresh Rate support (a feature that adjusts the refresh rate on the go, depending on what is happening on the display), not only a high-refresh-rate-capable monitor.

You can check out full release notes for build 25915 in our dedicated coverage. Also, check out what is new Windows 11 build 23511 from the Dev Channel.

Optimizations for fast displays are not the only screen-related enhancements introduced recently. The July 2023 Patch Tuesday updates enable Content Adaptive Brightness Control for laptops and 2-in-1, allowing these devices to dim or brighten different display areas depending on the content. You can customize the feature in Settings > System > Display > Brightness and colour.

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I've been using WhatsApp for Windows for a hot minute now and genuinely love the platform. This is mainly because I have the capability to access my chats directly from my Windows PC, which aligns perfectly with my workflow. Gone are the days when I constantly checked my phone for new messages or calls. 

Of course, many updates and features have been shipped to the platform over time, enhancing its user experience significantly. And while WhatsApp's UWP app for Windows 11 still has a long way to go compared to its mobile counterpart, Meta recently shipped a new update to the messaging platform adding screen-sharing support. 

This allows users to share their screens with other users while on a video call, thus allowing it to compete on an even playing field with other platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Skype, and more. 

Still, there are a couple of salient features that I believe the platform strongly needs to refine the experience further. Here's my wishlist for WhatsApp for Windows:

Infinite share capabilities

A huge part of messaging involves sharing content, including messages, images, and even files. However, the forward feature in WhatsApp for Windows is limited to 5 shares. While this is a neat feature that helps you get a message across to multiple people simultaneously, Meta should look into expanding the feature's capabilities.

(Image credit: Future)

A great workaround for this is opening a group and sharing information with your target audience. However, this isn't necessarily a one size fits all situation, as it might be a one-time thing.

The limitation gets more annoying when trying to share a ton of files with more than five people. The process is simply daunting and tedious. I think it would be much easier to scrap the share cap and let users share information with multiple users at once.

Avatars to break video call monotony

(Image credit: Meta)

In my opinion, incorporating video and audio calls into WhatsApp for Windows is one of the greatest additions ever to be made on the platform. This is because it helps break the ice from messaging and allows you to interact with other users via calls. 

And while this is an incredible feat, you might not want to join video calls at times. Toward the end of last year, a new update shipped to WhatsApp mobile, allowing users to create their own avatars that can be used as your profile picture or even custom stickers. 

However, the feature is yet to roll out to the desktop client. And while it's likely to roll out in the near future, Meta should borrow a book from Microsoft's page. Microsoft Teams avatars already shipped to broad availability in May, allowing users to join meetings with 3-D models. 

If Meta ships avatars to WhatsApp for Windows and expands the feature's functionality to be used in video calls, it will enhance the video meeting experience significantly, ultimately promoting productivity as users will no longer need to sit in front of the camera while attending these meetings.

AI-generated chat summaries

Generative AI has taken the world by storm. And while most organizations and companies have hopped on this bandwagon, WhatsApp has been significantly quiet. Adoption of the technology is imminent, it's only a matter of when. Admittedly, there are a lot of concerns over the safeguards put in place to ensure that users' private data remains secure, and that the technology doesn't spiral out of control.

Have you ever been away on vacation or offline for an entire day? I have, and it's not a pretty look being bombarded by millions of messages when you get back online. It's an extreme sport to go through all the messages left behind while you were away. Moreover, you must keep up with real-time development while trying to catch up with everything you might have missed.

If or when Meta incorporates AI capabilities into WhatsApp, the company should consider adding a feature that allows you to summarize all the messages you might have missed while offline. This way, you'll spend less time getting up to speed with everything that transpired. 

Microsoft Teams sports a similar feature dubbed intelligent recap that lets users catch up with everything by automatically generating meeting notes, recommended tasks, and personalized highlights.   

Quick Chat

(Image credit: Future)

The process of sending a new message to someone not in your contact list in WhatsApp on Windows is unnecessarily difficult. The platform's mobile counterpart already allows users to chat with users outside the contact list. 

You can contact a new user outside your contact list by tapping the New Chat icon on your phone. Before, users had to save the user in their contact list before reaching them on WhatsApp, which requires a lot of navigation and is extremely tiresome. Unfortunately, this feature isn't available for the desktop client yet, forcing users to revert to the previous approach to get a message out to someone, not on their contact list.

Beef up privacy settings

(Image credit: Future)

WhatsApp for Windows privacy settings gets most things done, albeit more can be done. For instance, I'd like more control over who can add me to groups. Currently, you control who can add you to groups from your contact list, but this doesn't stop users outside your contact list from adding you to groups without your consent. 

Admittedly, group chat invites are less aggressive these days with the introduction of invite links. Likewise, I'd also like to establish more control over who can call me on WhatsApp. You can block out some members from your contact list from calling you, but this doesn't necessarily block out anyone with your contact from reaching out to you. There should be an option to block unknown callers, just like the one that's in place to block callers from your contact list.  

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What is new in Microsoft Edge Dev 117.0.2007.0?

Added features:  

• WebView2:
  • Added experimental Extension API.
  • Added experimental Frame Process info API.
• Enterprise:
  • New policy: (Note: Updates to documentation and administrative templates may not have occurred yet)
  • Added PinBrowserEssentialsToolbarButton Policy.

Improved reliability:

• Fixed browser crashes when playing a video in certain scenarios.
• Fixed browser crashes when submitting feedback.
• Fixed browser crashes when launching the browser in certain scenarios.
• Fixed browser crashes when clicking on Open in Microsoft Edge from PWA.
• Fixed browser crashes when launching.
• Fixed browser crashes related to the sidebar.
• Fixed browser crashes when using the Sidebar Search pane.
• Fixed browser crashes related to Autofill.
• Fixed browser crashes when visiting certain websites.
• Linux:
  • Fixed browser crashes when using a microphone on a website.

Changed behavior:

• Fixed last workspace opens when joining a new workspace.
• Fixed old workspaces not loading.
• Fixed displaying a blank page in Workspaces in certain scenarios.
• Fixed the blank edge://flags page.
• Fixed sync issue "Connection failed(-2)".
• Fixed Pin to taskbar always pinning the left window tab when using Split screen.
• Fixed Dev tools opening only in the left window tab when using Split screen.
• Fixed Speaker icon displaying in red on tabs.
• Fixed zoom not working in PWA.
• Fixed STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION when visiting certain websites.
• Fixed the browser launching in tablet mode while the computer is in desktop mode on certain devices.
• Fixed Text prediction deleting empty spaces and new line.
• Linux:
  • Fixed close, minimize and maximize buttons overlay on the user profile picture.
• macOS:
  • Vertical tabs now work on full screen.
• iOS:
  • Fixed Translation is not working.
• WebView2:
  • Fixed Configuration options(CoreWebView2PdfToolbarItems.MoreSettings CoreWebView2PdfToolbarItems.FullScreen) are not valid in PDF preview mode (#3324).
  • Fixed CoreWebView2.Settings.HiddenPdfToolbarItems: When hidingBookmarks, Search and PageSelector the toolbar gets lost (#2866).
  • Fixed CoreWebView2PdfToolbarItems lacks members for "enter full screen" and "Settings and more" (#2728).
  • Fixed context menu always available within Print dialog (#3548).
  • Fixed UWP Webview2 Size shrinks on Extended displays (#3002).
  • Fixed form does not display on the foreground anymore in the beta runtime (#3584).

You can download Microsoft Edge 117 Dev from the official website. The browser is available on Windows 10 and 11, macOS, Linux, and Android. Those preferring stable versions can expect Edge 117 in the Release Channel on the week of September 14, 2023.

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Unlike Windows 11, Windows 10 has a fixed notification button, always visible in the bottom-right corner of the screen—a simple and intuitive solution. Now Microsoft is bringing the same concept to Windows 11 in its latest preview build.

In build 23511, the calendar flyout and notification center are still one thing. However, the latter now has a dedicated, always visible bell-shaped button. The idea is simple: when new notifications come through, the bell icon colourizes based on the system accent colour to attract your attention. Dismissing all messages turns the button empty, and enabling do not disturb mode brings the now-familiar bell-sleep icon.

Here is what the updated notification button in Windows 11 looks like:

The only downside of the updated button is that the operating system no longer displays a prominent notification counter, so you cannot immediately tell how many unread alerts you have. Still, the counter is there: hover the cursor over the notification center button, and Windows will display a tooltip showing you the number of unread notifications.

Full release notes for Windows 11 Dev build 23511 are available in our dedicated article.

Tip: Did you know Windows 11's notification center has a dedicated keyboard shortcut? Hit Win + N to check your notification without moving your hands away from the keyboard.

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Amid its rapid rebranding over the last few days, Twitter (or X) has also ditched the famed bird icon for a Unicode character which resembles the letter X but infact bears Mathematical meaning.

But Microsoft Edge warns this is a potential security issue—and it's working as intended. It's got to do with a security feature dubbed 'Progressive Web App Icon change', designed to alert users of app icon or name changes, possibly indicating a scam.

Web app icon change causes security alert

"HELP !!!" reacts Florian this week, who is a self-described "Windows user and fan since the 90s," Windows Insider MVP 2021, and a podcaster, on seeing Microsoft Edge prompting the user to "review icon update."

"If this web app is trying to trick you into thinking it's a different app, uninstall it," cautioned Microsoft Edge to Florian on spotting Twitter app's icon change.

The alert, which concerns Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) is a built-in feature of Chromium-based browsers, like Edge, and designed to keep users safe.

PWAs allow websites to offer users an experience that mimicks native apps on supporting devices.

"They adapt to the capabilities supported by each device and they can also run in web browsers, like websites," explains Microsoft.

"When installed on a device, PWAs function just like other apps."

PWAs can, for example, bear their own app icons and be added to a device's home screen or task bar, can be set to launch automatically when a relevant file type is opened, can be set to run upon sign in, and can be shelved on Microsoft Store.

Since 2021, both Chrome and Edge added this safety alert that triggers when a PWA changes its original icon or name.

In the past, the feature needed to be enabled by manually navigating to "chrome://flags" or "edge://flags" respectively on Chrome or Edge web browsers and searching for a flag described, "Enable PWA install update dialog for name/icon changes."

Newer versions of Edge and Chrome come integrated with this security feature.

To summarize, if your web browser rings alarm bells post Twitter's rushed rebranding, don't panic.

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Aria doesn’t rely on a homegrown language model, instead, Opera teamed up with OpenAI to leverage GPT technology. If you’ve not been keeping up with developments, GPT is the model used by ChatGPT and is largely seen as the language model that kicked off the generative AI revolution.

Commenting on Aria’s adoption, Opera co-CEO Lin Song said:

‘As encouraging as the initial adoption of Aria has been, we are equally pleased with the quality of the users' early engagement with the AI tool. We are also seeing a lift in total time spent, with increased searches and pageviews per session.’

‘While it is still early days, I am thrilled that our users are loving the Aria experience as much as we do. I can't wait for more of our users to try Aria for themselves as we upgrade all of our Desktop user base to Opera One and bring our native browser AI to Opera GX and Opera for iOS soon, making it available on all major platforms.’

While Aria does use the GPT language model, it has a few advantages. Firstly, it is built right into the browser and on Android this means a more native experience than the ChatGPT website. Finally, it is able to get information from the web to enhance the results it provides to you.

While Opera may not hold as much market share as other browsers out there, it’s nice to see the company trying to keep up with the likes of Microsoft with its Bing Chat.

Have you tried out Aria yet? Let us know what you think about it in the comments.

Source: Opera

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Explains the company, the initial version of the new “Discover” feed will mix trending content with posts from accounts you follow and posts from accounts “near your social graph.”

This type of recommendation system isn’t novel. In fact, it’s similar to algorithmic feeds used by other social networks, including Twitter’s (now X) For You timeline, TikTok’s For You page, Instagram Explore’s page or Facebook’s revamped News Feed. The idea is that the combination of posts focused on your interests and those from your broader social graph will create a uniquely engaging feed for each individual user.

Bluesky isn’t the first Twitter rival to turn to personalization, either.

Only yesterday, in fact, the Mastodon app Mammoth proposed its own personalized For You feed to make its app feel more familiar to those fleeing Twitter to other microblogging social networks, like the open source Mastodon. And of course, Meta’s entry into the Twitter clone space, Threads, also began with an algorithmic feed before more recently adding the in-demand reverse chronological timeline.

The reason for turning to this type of feed is simple: it’s more engaging, research shows. In a study published this week with Meta’s cooperation, researchers found that users who were only given a reverse chronological feed would spend “dramatically less time on Facebook and Instagram.”

Algorithmic feeds simply outperform when it comes to time spent and engagement, which is why they’re broadly adopted across today’s social platforms as the default — despite demands from users for a more basic “Following” feed.

However, the difference with Bluesky’s implementation is that it doesn’t force its algorithmic feed on its users. It’s simply an option users can employ if they choose.

“What’s new is our focus on algorithmic choice — letting you unpin feeds you don’t like, and discover and install new feeds that better suit your interests,” a Bluesky blog post explains. “If you don’t like our new Discover feed, you can simply remove it and replace it with any other custom feed.”

Bluesky first rolled out custom feeds in May, allowing users to subscribe to feeds with different algorithms or themes. To the end user, the feeds work a lot like Twitter Lists as they can be pinned to a “My Feeds” menu in the app’s sidebar for easy access. Among the feeds available at launch from Bluesky were its “What’s Hot” feed featuring trending content and the “What’s Hot Classic” feed where any post that featured 12 likes was featured — a feed that really only made sense when the network was small.

Since then, users have built many other custom feeds, like those focused on types of content — like science, dog pics, gardening, art and more — or those that help you to view your social graph in a different way — like a mutuals feed, a feed of only photos posted by people you follow, or a feed that’s customized based on your likes, for instance.

Despite Bluesky’s innovation in terms of algorithmic choice and its underlying decentralized networking protocol, there are concerns about the future of this particular Twitter clone. The company has repeatedly faced criticism over its mishandling of moderation challenges, most recently having allowed usernames with racial slurs to slip through.

It’s also still operating in an invite-only mode, despite now facing a more serious threat than Twitter itself, given Meta’s entry into the market where its Threads app hit 100 million users faster than any other app to date. Bluesky, meanwhile, hit its first million installs this month, but only counts some 400,000+ users as it remains closed to the public. At this point, the company may be squandering a time-sensitive opportunity to entice the limited audience of those leaving Twitter to try its app instead. The negative headlines about its lacking Trust & Safety capabilities aren’t helping its reputation, either.

In other words, Bluesky may build a clever system featuring custom feeds and algorithmic choice, but its impact may be limited if the app remains closed, its network unwelcoming to marginalized users and its competition so robust that users establish themselves elsewhere.

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“Tor” evokes an image of the dark web; a place to hire hitmen or buy drugs that, at this point, is overrun by feds trying to catch you in the act. The reality, however, is a lot more boring than that — but it’s also more secure.

The Onion Router, now called Tor, is a privacy-focused web browser run by a nonprofit group. You can download it for free and use it to shop online or browse social media, just like you would on Chrome or Firefox or Safari, but with additional access to unlisted websites ending in .onion. This is what people think of as the “dark web,” because the sites aren’t indexed by search engines. But those sites aren’t an inherently criminal endeavor.

“This is not a hacker tool,” said Pavel Zoneff, director of strategic communications at The Tor Project. “It is a browser just as easy to use as any other browser that people are used to.”

That’s right, despite common misconceptions, Tor can be used for any internet browsing you usually do. The key difference with Tor is that the network hides your IP address and other system information for full anonymity. This may sound familiar, because it’s how a lot of people approach VPNs, but the difference is in the details.

VPNs are just encrypted tunnels hiding your traffic from one hop to another. The company behind a VPN can still access your information, sell it or pass it along to law enforcement. With Tor, there’s no link between you and your traffic, according to Jed Crandall, an associate professor at Arizona State University. Tor is built in the “higher layers” of the network and routes your traffic through separate tunnels, instead of a single encrypted tunnel. While the first tunnel may know some personal information and the last one may know the sites you visited, there is virtually nothing connecting those data points because your IP address and other identifying information are bounced from server to server into obscurity.

In simpler terms: using regular browsers directly connects you and your traffic, adding a VPN routes that information through an encrypted tunnel so that your internet service provider can’t see it and Tor scatters your identity and your search traffic until it becomes almost anonymous, and very difficult to identify.

Accessing unindexed websites adds extra perks, like secure communication. While a platform like WhatsApp offers encrypted conversations, there could be traces that the conversation happened left on the device if it’s ever investigated, according to Crandall. Tor's communication tunnels are secure and much harder to trace that the conversation ever happened.

Other use cases may include keeping the identities of sensitive populations like undocumented immigrants anonymous, trying to unionize a workplace without the company shutting it down, victims of domestic violence looking for resources without their abuser finding out or, as Crandall said, wanting to make embarrassing Google searches without related targeted ads following you around forever.

Still, with added layers of security can come some additional hiccups, like lag or longer loading times. That could be true for some users depending on what they do online, but anecdotally it's gotten a lot faster in recent years, and users have said they barely notice a difference compared to other browsers. Sameer Patil, associate professor at the School of Computing at the University of Utah, studied this by having students and staff try out Tor as their main browser. “I was personally very surprised at how many sites and things just work fine in the Tor browser. So not only did they work as intended, but they also were fast enough,” Patil said.

But even if online privacy isn’t your main concern personally, using Tor can help support industries that heavily rely on it. By using the anonymous and secure browser, you’re supporting activists, journalists and everyone else’s privacy because the more people that use it, the more secure it gets, according to Patil. If only certain sensitive groups use it, it’ll be easier to deanonymize and ultimately track down identities. When you’re one in a billion using it, that task becomes nearly impossible.

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The parent company to ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost VPN, appears to have laid off about 30% of its staff amid a corporate reorganization.

ExpressVPN CTO Dan Gericke today posted(Opens in a new window) on LinkedIn about leaving Kape Technologies, saying the company had “decided to retrench” about 30% of its global workforce. 

In recent days, several other Kape employees also posted on LinkedIn about being laid off. About a month ago, ExpressVPN co-founder Peter Burchhardt announced(Opens in a new window) he had left Kape, too. 

In an email, Kape confirmed the layoffs, but the company only offered a vague explanation for the job cuts. “To ensure we are set up in the long term to continue providing our customers with the best protection in the industry, we recently conducted an organizational restructuring, including making the difficult decision to let some employees go,” a Kape spokesperson said. “This decision was not taken lightly, and the business is actively engaging with those who have been impacted to help ease the transition.”

The job cuts could stir up concerns that Kape is cutting back on its various VPN services, which have received positive reviews. But the company told PCMag that its team still numbers in the hundreds. "We’re already hard at work delivering the next generation of technology, innovation, and advanced protection for our users and raising the bar for privacy and security across the digital landscape,” Kape added.

Still, PCMag learned of the layoffs via an email from someone who claims to work at ExpressVPN who expressed concern that the VPN provider’s performance will suffer as a result. According to the email, Kape laid off 200 staffers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and London, including engineers and quality assurance specialists. 

Kape Technologies bought ExpressVPN in 2021. Israeli billonaire Teddy Sagi then formally acquired(Opens in a new window) Kape and took it(Opens in a new window) private in May through a company called Unikmind Holdings. If you know more about the situation at Kape, let us know.

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It started on Monday when the Edge account posted some gibberish. About an hour later, the account posted an explanation, and a video, showing a cute little hedgehog, or rather an "Edgehog" walking across a keyboard.

The action continued on Tuesday, with a new video showing the Edge hog walking around parts of the Microsoft headquarters, and walking on a keyboard again.

It didn't take long for the Edgehog to get his official Microsoft badge, and the Edge account's profile and header images got changed as well to show the cute and furry creature.

Today's post showed a video of the person behind the Edge account, using Bing Chat to help them write an email explaining in detail why they needed a day off to take care of the Edgehog.

All of this may just be temporary, but we can't help but feel that the Edgehog may be trying to compete with other well-known Microsoft mascots, like the too-friendly Microsoft Office assistant Clippy or the Windows ninja cat unicorn. In any case, we can't wait to see if Edgehog shows up as an Easter Egg in a new Edge developer build.

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Musk's decision to rebrand Twitter as X has been met with widespread criticism, with many users expressing frustration at the generic-looking X logo and the retention of the words "Twitter" and "tweet." This mix of old and new branding has prompted backlash from users longing for the pre-Musk days of Twitter.

In a move that has delighted many Twitter users, a software developer, Cygaar, has created a Chrome extension that replaces Elon Musk's X branding with the classic Twitter bird logo. The extension, found on GitHub, quickly gained popularity among users looking to restore part of Twitter's old look.

On the other hand, the rebranding could face some legal challenges. For example, the X logo for the Xbox console was first spotted in a trademark listing in 2020. The rebranding has raised concerns about potential trademark conflicts with Microsoft's Xbox brand.

Also, Meta trademarked a blue and white "X" logo in 2019, which the company notes is for social networking.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk changed the platform's official handle from @Twitter to @X. Gene X Hwang, the original owner of the @x account, claims that Musk took over the account without paying.

As the debate around Twitter's rebranding continues, whether Musk will consider user feedback and reconsider his approach remains to be seen.

For now, nostalgic Twitter users can install Cygaar's extension to regain a small piece of the old Twitter. But it remains unclear how long even these minor acts of resistance will be possible under Musk's ownership.

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