What is new in Nvidia 536.67 WHQL?

Here is the official changelog from Nvidia:

• Introduces support for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB.
• DLSS 3 support for Portal: Prelude RTX and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
• DLSS 2 support for Remnant II.
• Resizable BAR support for Dying Light 2: Stay Human.

And here are the bugfixes:

• Applying GeForce Experience Freestyle filters cause games to crash [4008945]
• Increase in DPC latency observed in Latencymon for Ampere-based GPUs [3952556]
• The list of known bugs and issues includes the following:
• [Halo Infinite] Significant performance drop is observed on Maxwell-based GPUs. [4052711]
• [Battlefield 2042] Game stability can decrease when applying GeForce Experience Freestyle filters. [4170804]
• 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 Stable Diffusion and DaVinci Resolve. This will be addressed in an upcoming driver release. [4172676]

And here are the problems not caused by NVIDIA drivers:

• Under Windows 10, clone mode across graphics processors is handled by the Windows OS, and not by the NVIDIA driver. Consequently, there are no controls for cross-adapter clone mode in the NVIDIA Control Panel under Windows 10. Functionality of some display controls in the NVIDIA Control Panel may be affected if cross- adapter clone mode is enabled through the Windows Control Panel. In this case, use the Windows Control Panel to adjust display settings. Because cross-adapter clone mode is handled by the Windows 10 OS, there are no display controls in the NVIDIA Control Panel if no display is connected to the NVIDIA GPU on Optimus notebooks.
• [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.
• 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 download NVIDIA 536.67 driver from the official website or the GeForce Experience app. Full release notes are available here (PDF).

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Microsoft Edge isn't just available on Windows, it's also there to be used on macOS and Linux, too. And yes, that also means you can put Microsoft Edge on your Steam Deck if you'd prefer it over Firefox or Google Chrome. 

Microsoft also doesn't just have the singular, stable version of Edge available on Linux, either. The beta and dev insider channels are also available for download if you like to be closer to the bleeding edge. I use Edge Dev on Fedora and it is fantastic. 

This also applies to ChromeOS, too, since that has a Linux container. I've written a dedicated guide on how to install Microsoft Edge on Chromebooks to walk you through that. Likewise, you can, if you wish, use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to install the Linux version of Edge alongside the native Windows version. 

How to install Microsoft Edge on Linux the easy way

For some distros you can simply download the installer from the Edge website.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

If you're using a Debian/Ubuntu based Linux distro or one with a little Red Hat flavor such as Fedora, there's a really easy way to get Microsoft Edge. 

Simply go to the website and download it. That's it. Just pick either the .deb or .rpm installer based on what you're using and you're all set. If you're on an Arch-based distro, you'll need to do things a little differently (more on that below). 

This applies to all three main channels, too. If you want the beta or dev build of Microsoft Edge, then the same applies but you need to grab it from the Edge Insider download page instead. Again, choosing either the .deb or .rpm version depending on what you're running. 

Alternatively, if you use Flatpak, you can grab Microsoft Edge from Flathub or if this is integrated into your GUI software store, from there. 

How to install Microsoft Edge on Linux using the terminal

Yes, you can use the terminal, too.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

We've all seen that meme about how Linux users install a web browser and it's just none-stop terminal action. Obviously, it's a joke but if you do prefer to do all your software management from the terminal, of course Microsoft Edge is no different. 

If you're on Arch Linux and Arch-based distros such as Manjaro, you can get Microsoft Edge from the AUR. 

For other distros, you'll need the commands below. 

Debian/Ubuntu

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > microsoft.gpg

sudo install -o root -g root -m 644 microsoft.gpg /usr/share/keyrings/

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg]
https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/edge stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge-beta. List'

sudo rm microsoft.gpg

sudo apt update

sudo apt install microsoft-edge-beta

Fedora

sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc

sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/edge

sudo mv /etc/yum.repos.d/packages.microsoft.com_yumrepos_edge.repo /etc/yum.repos.d/microsoft-edge-beta.repo

sudo dnf install microsoft-edge-beta

OpenSUSE

sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc

sudo zypper ar https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/edge microsoft-edge-beta

sudo zypper refresh

sudo zypper install microsoft-edge-beta

In each case substitute in the channel, you want to download in place of beta in the example code. 

Microsoft Edge will update itself as on Windows, but one benefit to doing it this way is that by adding the Edge repository you can easily download from the various channels without having to head back to the website and download another package. 

But now you're all set up and ready to use Microsoft Edge on Linux. It's feature complete compared to the Windows version, too, so you get all the latest goodies including Bing Chat and the Sidebar. 

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However, at the time of the release of Windows 11 Dev Channel build 23493, Microsoft said that only a selection of people in the Dev Channel would be able to access the Windows Copilot feature. Microsoft's blog post at that time said that "we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone."

Well, as it turned out, that day arrived with almost no fanfare. Microsoft quietly updated its Dev Channel blog post last week, stating:

The Windows Copilot Preview is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Insiders may need to reboot to have it show up.

In case you are not familiar with Windows Copilot, check out our recent hands-on impressions of the preview version. In short, we found that this early version of this AI helper had lots of bugs that made it frustrating to use. We added:

In its current shape, Copilot is probably more suited for novices but if Microsoft spends time on it, Copilot could become an integral part of the Windows ecosystem and hopefully work in tandem with third-party apps and services as well.

Besides the intro of Windows Copilot to the masses, the release of the Windows 11 Dev Channel build 23493 included a new and improved Settings page for the OS. It also had a new and major update for the operating system's volume mixer. Finally, it added native support for a number of archive file formats, including the long-awaited RAR read support.

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Although Microsoft has already released plenty of feature updates for Windows 11 (one more coming later this year), the OS still needs improvements and inconvenience fixes. A few months ago, I published an article detailing 10 great apps just for that, and Ink Workspace by Michal Leptuch (Twitter) was among them. Today, Ink Workspace got updated to version 2.3 with visual improvements, fixes, new features, and more.

As the name implies, Ink Workspace aims primarily at customers with touchscreen-enabled devices and digital pen support. However, the app can also serve as a great Start menu alternative with many extra features and better UX. You can use Ink Workspace to access the all apps list, pin programs, perform quick actions, browse recent files, and more.

Ink Workspace is a must-have app when you use your pen! It allows you to launch apps and quick actions, check battery level of your pen, access and manage your recently opened files - everything in one modern and fluent window that perfectly fits your system. Ink Workspace is also the easiest way to take screenshots and record your screen or any window.

Here is what is new in Ink Workspace 2.3:

• Support for the Mica material on Windows 11.
• New font for Windows 11—Setoe UI Variable.
• New shortcut for the power menu for putting your computer to sleep.
• New parallax effect for the Bing wallpaper feature (app background).
• New icons for Screen Sketch, Clipboard, and Virtual Touchpad.
• Multiple fixes for grouping apps, screen rotation, and more.
• New languages support.

You can download Ink Workspace for free from the Microsoft Store. The app supports Windows 10 and 11 on systems with and without touchscreens or pen support. Other noteworthy apps from the developer include a better calendar flyout for Windows 11 and the Fluent Emoji Gallery app.

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1. Win + Shift + Left/Right

Move an app across displays.

Knowing this shortcut is a must for multi-monitor users. Instead of dragging a window across displays using your mouse, press Win + Shift + Left/Right. The shortcut will switch your current window to another monitor while maintaining its position and size. Note: the shortcut works the same even with monitors arranged vertically.

2. Win + Ctrl + Left/Right

Switch between virtual desktops.

I am a big fan of virtual desktops. It is one of my favorite features in Windows 10/11, even though its current implementation is critically undercooked compared to macOS. Still, I think dedicated virtual desktops for specific apps are more convenient than having everything on one.

3. Ctrl + W, Ctrl + T, and Ctrl + Shift + T

Close a tab, open a tab, and re-open a tab.

Most mainstream browsers, such as Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, lets you close/open/re-open tabs with these shortcuts. Besides, you can use them in Windows 11's File Explorer and other apps with tabs support, such as The Files App, Notepad, etc.

4. Alt + D

Set focus at the address bar.

Alt + D is a very convenient shortcut when copying a link or typing one. And again, Alt + D works not only in Microsoft Edge or Chrome: you can use it in Registry Editor, File Explorer, and third-party apps with address bars.

5. Win + I

Open the Settings app.

This one is self-explanatory. No more diving into the Start menu to change some settings. Press Win + I, and you are good to go. Fast, convenient, and works virtually everywhere.

6. Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Open Task Manager.

Many users got very upset when Microsoft removed the option to launch Task Manager using the right mouse click on the taskbar in Windows 11. However, it was not a big deal for me: I am just too used to launching Task Manager using Ctrl + Shift + Esc. It is quick, instant, and no need to aim for a specific area on the screen.

7. Middle Click

Many actions.

Middle click is an extremely useful shortcut very few people use. Here are some things you can do with this mouse button:

• Close a tab (browser, File Explorer, etc).
• Close a window (middle-click its thumbnail on the taskbar or Alt + Tab)
• Open a new instance of a running app (middle-click its icon on the taskbar).
• Open a link or folder in a new tab.
• Quickly dismiss a notification.
• Open the previous page in a new tab (middle-flick the back or forward button).

8. Win + 1-0 (number row keys)

Quickly open apps pinned to the taskbar.

Win + 1 opens the first app on your taskbar, Win + 2 the second, Win + 3 the third, and so on. If the corresponding app is already running, pressing Win + its number switches focus to the app or toggles between its windows. Pressing Win + Shift + Number launches a new instance of an already running app.

9. Win + Z

Snap Layouts.

Pressing Win + Z invokes Snap Layouts and lets you select a specific variant using number keys.

10. Win + D

Minimize all apps.

You can also call this one a panic button. Hit Win + D if you need to minimize all open windows on all monitors. Some people use the Win + M shortcut for the same purpose, but I consider Win + D a better variant since pressing it again brings back all minimized apps. Win + M cannot do that.

11. Win + Ctrl + Shift + B

Graphics driver reset.

I never used this one, but I still consider it noteworthy and useful for troubleshooting: Win + Ctrl + Shift + B to reload your graphics driver. The shortcut may come in handy when experiencing a black or unresponsive screen, graphic issues, or another GPU-related bug.

PowerToys Shortcut Guide

As I said at the beginning of this article, Windows has no built-in shortcut guide, and I can only list so much in one article. Therefore, PowerToys' Shortcut Guide utility is a must-have for every Windows user. Install PowerToys and press Win + Shift + / (slash) to display a list of available shortcuts on the current screen/app.

Bonus: Wallpaper

Here is the wallpaper:

What are your favorite Windows shortcuts? Let everyone know in the comments.

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On Windows 11, similar to any operating system, accurate colour rendering on the screen is critical, even more for those professionals working on video editing, photography, or gamers. As a result, in this guide, you will learn the steps to set the correct colour profile for your monitor. 

A colour profile is a combination of settings that manufacturers create to describe how colours should render on the display. Only after setting the correct profile, you'll be able to experience the intended colour representation.

Although the operating system can detect and configure the appropriate profile if you notice that the colours don't look accurate, the problem is probably not the monitor but rather the profile, which you can update from the colour Management application available on Windows 11.

This how-to guidewill walk you through the steps to use the correct colour profile on Windows 11.

How to download colour profiles for a display on Windows 11

Usually, the colour profiles ("ICM" or "ICC" files) available for your monitor come in the driver package or the installation disc. However, you can always download the files from the manufacturer's website.

To find and download the correct colour profile on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open the monitor's support page. 

• Quick note: Some of the popular manufacturer's sites include LG, BenQ, Samsung, Dell, and HP.

2. Browse to the download section.
3. Search for the latest monitor driver (not the graphics driver) using the model number of your device. 

• Quick tip: You can find the monitor model number on the back of the device or, on Windows 11, open Settings > Displays > Advanced display.

4. Click the Download button and save the file on your computer.

(Image credit: Future)

5. Double-click to open the file. 
6. Click the Extract all button from the command bar (if this is a Zipped folder).
7. Continue with the on-screen directions to extract its content.
8. Open the folder with the extracted files.
9. Confirm the ".icm" file, which is the colour profile for your monitor.

(Image credit: Future)

Once you complete the steps, you can install the appropriate colour profile for the computer's monitor on Windows 11.

How to install colour profiles for a display on Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can install and manage colour profiles from the "colour Management" tool.

To install a colour profile on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Display.
3. Under the "Related settings" section, click the Advanced display setting.

(Image credit: Future)

4. Under the display settings, click the "Display adapter properties for" settings to graphics adapter properties.

(Image credit: Future)

5. Click the colour Management tab.
6. Click the colour Management button.

(Image credit: Future)

7. Click the Devices tab.
8. Choose the monitor to apply a new colour profile using the "Device" setting.

• Quick tip: If you have a multi-monitor setup and you're not sure which monitor you're about to update, click the "Identify monitors" button.

9. Check the "Use my settings for this device" option.
10. Click the Add button.

(Image credit: Future)

11. In the "Associated colour Profile" page, click the Browse button.

(Image credit: Future)

12. Open the folder with the colour profile file.
13. Select the ".icm" file.

(Image credit: Future)

13. Click the Add button.
14. Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, the profile will apply, and you should now be able to notice a change in how the display renders colours.

How to reset colour profile settings on Windows 11

In the case that you need to roll back the previous settings, you can use the instructions below to reset to the default colour profile configuration on Windows 11.

To reset the colour profile to the default settings, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for colour Management and click the top result to open the app.
3. Click the Devices tab.
4. Click the Profile button.
5. Select the monitor to reset using the "Device" setting.
6. Click the Profiles button and choose the "Reset my settings to the system defaults" option.

(Image credit: Future)

Once you complete the steps, the profile settings will roll back to the original configuration for that specific monitor.

It's important to note that even though you can configure a custom profile for your monitor manually, typically, when you connect a display to the computer, the system sets up the recommended colour profile. As a result, you should only consider using these instructions if the device is using the wrong profile or you have specific requirements to change the colour profile on Windows 11.

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The software has been released for all 64-bit versions of Windows, ie, Windows 11, Windows 10, as well as unsupported ones like Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. The driver is meant to work on Pascal cards (GTX 10-series) all the way back to Maxwell (GTX 900 series and GTX 750 series).

Nvidia writes:

To enable the latest DisplayPort 1.3 / 1.4 features, your graphics card may require a firmware update.

Without the update, systems that are connected to a DisplayPort 1.3 / 1.4 monitor could experience blank screens on boot until the OS loads, or could experience a hang on boot.

The NVIDIA Firmware Updater will detect whether the firmware update is needed, and if needed, will give the user the option to update it.

If you are currently experiencing a blank screen or hang on boot with a DP 1.3 or 1.4 monitor, please try one of the following workarounds in order to run the tool:

• Boot using DVI or HDMI

• Boot using a different monitor

• Change boot mode from UEFI to Legacy; or Legacy to UEFI.

• Boot using an alternate graphics source (secondary or integrated graphics card)

You can download the firmware update tool from Nvidia's official website via this link.

Thanks for the tip Aryeh Goretsky!

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The news comes courtesy of new Statcounterdata, deriving its findings from tracking code embedded in browsers. Curiously, “desktops” also includes laptops, as it’s difficult to separate them given the nature of the telemetry.

The past year has seen Windows drop from 76.33% of overall market share to 68.23%, while MacOS has seen a sharp rise from 14.64% to 21.32 percent, leaving Linux, ChromeOS, and the nebulous “unknown” category to make up the remaining 10.5%.

While we can’t say we’re going through a period of Linuxmania, or even that this growth will be exponential (this writer categorically refuses to use AI to run that simulation), it’s absolutely the case that Linux is the most user-friendly it’s ever been at present. 

That’s thanks to devices such as the Raspberry Pi and Valve’s Steam Deck, which come with their own tailor-made operating systems (OSes), Raspberry Pi OS and SteamOS, featuring graphical user interfaces designed to resemble Windows at every step, while still offering the tools for tinkering and innate open source software freedom that have been Linux’ unique selling point since it began.

Practice what you preach

When the idea of writing something on the rise of Linux was put to me, the joke was that it would “test my love of Linux”, having bought a Steam Deck, and a Raspberry Pi for different use cases and (spoilers) being pleasantly surprised all round. I would definitely agree with the idea that a lot of work has gone into making Linux palatable not only to the lay lizard businessperson, but the rest of us. 

I started with a begrudging tolerance for SteamOS at first, as there’s currently no official dual-boot wizard available for the Steam Deck. Software compatibility was the first main gripe, but Valve’s compatibility layer for Windows software, Proton, is constantly improving and, in my experience, can even run certain applications better than Windows installed on the Deck. 

Other application launchers designed for gaming, such as Lutris, offer up what appears to be a custom implementation of the long-standing Wine compatibility layer, alongside community installers for various pieces of software. 

Again, Steam and Lutris are not explicitly designed to install business software tools, but I have had luck doing so, in addition to a number of required Windows dependencies and redistributables, to create a portable work environment for use in a pinch.

Sometimes, even all of that is an extravagance. The Steam Deck, for example, like Ubuntu (another popular Linux distribution), has a “Discover'' application, replicating the Flathub software repository, which offers exclusively free software, in an “app store”-like interface for babies.

And there’s a lot on it, essential or otherwise: those external Wine installers, a version of Space Cadet, the Windows 95 pinball game, for your lunch break. But not all of it is fun and games.  You’ll find your office software, your word processors, FTP and torrent clients, and even an open-source fork of 3D modelling software Blender.

I briefly considered making this article a “I turned my Steam Deck into a work laptop” experiential piece, but on top of that being deeply unoriginal, TechRadar Pro functions quite possibly entirely on the use of web applications, so that would be a remarkably dull piece of writing. 

You might therefore think, “I have that same use case at work, so why bother?” But then, the entry-level Steam Deck is £349, and Raspberry Pis are available for as little as £35, so they are fairly cheap options to get a workstation going.

The Steam Deck is very easily turned into a “third display” of sorts running Windows using an application called InputDirector. Though the Steam Deck remains a separate desktop, you can control, via wifi, one set of monitors on another system as well as Steam Deck using one set of peripherals. 

Supposedly there are Linux-based alternatives here, but I don’t run Linux on my primary Desktop so can’t speak for them. In this scenario, the OS you’ll be wanting to use on a laptop for work purposes should probably be the same as the one you run on your primary PC. 

Perhaps as a result of this, I currently have Windows running on my Steam Deck, but if I was going to do that experiential piece, I wouldn’t have too many qualms about going back - certainly not from a business PC perspective. 

Never fear, though, because I have been tinkering with a Raspberry Pi for a little while - partially for personal use but also in pursuit of that rich, creamy content-generated affiliate revenue my corporate paymasters crave. And, I have to say, I’m really taken by it - its size, versus what it can do, and just how Windows-like the stock OS is.

In exploring the capabilities of a Pi, the compact nature of a Pi makes it an ideal choice for an entry-level small business server connected to a powered USB hub. This is best if you have the space to stack drives, but absolutely the cheapest and easiest way to get a NAS (network attached storage) box up and running. 

On Raspberry Pi OS, an SFTP server is as simple as enabling the Secure Shell Protocol (SSH), either in the settings, or directly from the Raspberry Pi Imager when installing the OS to an SD card. This was by far the easiest thing I’ve done across my growing litany of Pis (more on this when I receive one that actually works for longer than 12 hours, but I should note that your mileage regarding reliability will probably vary for the better, and I have just been very unlucky).

While I very much want to save the RPi talk for my inevitable experiential feature, I’ll say this: there’s a culture of fear, and difficulty, and obscurity about Linux that upstart devices like Pis and the Steam Deck are well and truly putting to bed. 

The pulling together of very similar device specifications under a single brand name has, in both cases, inspired robust community and third-party brand support, resulting in a great deal of software tools and accessories designed to accommodate these devices, specifically. Having an issue on these devices’ particular flavours of Linux? Google is your friend (other search engines are available).

Handheld Windows PCs going for the same effect, like Asus’ ROG Ally and the Aya Neo (both targeted at gamers, but computers are computers) aren’t quite getting there. Valve and the Raspberry Pi foundation are companies producing hardware synonymous with quality and long-term support, and that both lower the barrier to entry by selling that hardware at a competitive price point.

Here’s what I’ve learned as a recent, if partial, convert: If there’s an app function you want, I guarantee it will be available, in some form, on Linux, and it’s not the case that you have to exclusively fumble with a command line window to get anything going. If you want Linux to be for you, it can be. I’m still in both camps at the moment, but, honestly? I’m pleased as punch with where Linux is, and optimistic about how far it can go.

Via Ars Technica

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And even though there are some concerns about the type of data that was used to train OpenAI's latest model, it seems that the overall stance of OpenAI and other companies working on similar projects is that it is fair use. Whether or not that is going to hold up in the long run, remains to be seen.

After Google published an announcement saying they're interested in exploring alternatives to robots.txt to provide broader control over AI-related content issues, I was curious to see what other search engines are doing in regard to AI, both for dealing with AI-generated content but also handling data.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of these conglomerates ingesting other people's work and then reselling it, which also leads me to the story I'm going to talk about today.

Brave gives you "rights" to use data for AI inference/training

As you may have noticed, I used the word copyrighted for the title of this story. And it's not without reason. I think this story could have been fairly decent even without the copyright part, so before we get to the nitty gritty stuff - I can 100% confirm that Brave lets you ingest copyrighted material through their Brave Search API, to which they also assign you "rights".

Brave offers numerous API products, some of which are specifically designed for AI. This one, Data for AI, lets you "Feed results to AI models for inference", while their premium version of this same API lets you "Cache/store data to train AI models" not only with "regular" rights but also "storage rights".

Rather than talking about it too much, I thought the logical thing to do would be to sign up for the API and see what kind of data we can find. For its Data for AI product, Brave offers something called "Extra alternate snippets", which are very similar to what we know as Google's Featured Snippets. 

An example of a typical Google Featured Snippet

Google's featured snippets tend to be rather short (no more than 50 words), which from a copyright point of view can be classified as fair use.

Fair use is a doctrine in the law of the United States that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders. It provides for the legal, non-licensed citation or incorporation of copyrighted material in another author's work under a four-factor balancing test:

• The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes

• The nature of the copyrighted work

• The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole

• The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work

So, after doing a few queries with Brave's Search API - I was rather surprised to see how generous their snippets are; in this example below - the "extra_snippets" range from 150 to 260 words.

Here is the cleaned-up JSON response from the API; this particular response was from a query "Brave Search", and the "extra_snippets" are extracted from this Wikipedia page. Mind you; this is for a single query from a single site, not taking into account the other (mentioned below) search features that Brave provides through its Data for AI API.

 "extra_snippets":[
               "Brave Search is a search engine developed by Brave Software, Inc. and released in Beta in March 2021, following the acquisition of Tailcat, a privacy-focused search engine from Cliqz. Brave Search aims to use its independent index to generate search results. However, the user can allow the Brave browser to anonymously check Google for the same query.",
               "In October 2021, Brave Search was made the default search engine for Brave browser users in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom (replacing Google Search), France (replacing Qwant) and Germany (replacing DuckDuckGo). In June 2022, Brave Search ended its beta stage and was fully released.",
               "In June 2022, Brave Search ended its beta stage and was fully released. In addition to the launch, the new Goggles feature was added, allowing users to apply their own rules and filters to search queries. Brave search has various features designed to enhance users' searching experience:",
               "Brave search has various features designed to enhance users' searching experience: Brave Search uses its own web index. As of May 2022, it covered over 10 billion pages and was used to serve 92% of search results without relying on any third-parties, with the remainder being retrieved server-side from the Bing API or (on an opt-in basis) client-side from Google.",
               "Brave Search is a search engine developed by Brave Software, Inc., which is set as the default search engine for Brave web browser users in certain countries. Brave Search is a search engine developed by Brave Software, Inc. and released in Beta in March 2021, following the acquisition of Tailcat, ..."
            ]

I know for a fact that Wikipedia operates under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license, which explicitly states that if you're going to use the data, you must give attribution. As far as search engines go, they can get away with it because linking back to a Wikipedia article on the same page as the search results is considered attribution.

But in the case of Brave, not only are they disregarding the license - they're also charging money for the data and then giving third parties "rights" to that data.

One might argue that even 260 words are not useful enough for any real impact, but I'm not sure that is the case (besides the whole copyright thing) because not only can you manipulate these results and fine-tune the output based on domains, type, date, and other metrics - Brave also offer additional API features for paid customers, such as:

• Schema-enriched Web results

• Infobox

• FAQ

• Discussions

• Locations

All of which can be used to extract very specific information, and then be used to fine-tune LLM's without any worry for copyright infringement because Brave acts as a middleman. 

Brave doesn't disclose its own robot crawler

I get anywhere from 30 to 50 visitors a day from Brave's search engine. But, if I go through my access.log files, I won't find any indication that a Brave crawler is regularly crawling my content.

They do have something called the Web Discovery Project, but from what I gather - it's an opt-in feature, so you must explicitly agree to it before you partake in the initiative.

The Web Discovery Project is a privacy-preserving way for you to contribute to the growth and independence of Brave Search. If you opt in, you’ll contribute some anonymous data about searches and web page visits made within the Brave Browser (including pages arrived at via some, but not all, other search engines). This data helps build the Brave Search independent index, and ensure we show results relevant to your search queries. By “data” we mean search queries, search result clicks, the URLs of pages visited in the browser, time spent on those pages, and some metadata about the pages themselves.

After some more digging, I was able to find a Reddit comment from Jonathan Sampson, Senior Developer Relations at Brave, who said the following:

We do indeed have our own crawler, actively building our own index. Presently the index consists of over 8 billion pages, with more than 40M crawled each day. The crawler, which does not contain a unique user-agent string, respects robots.txt.  

They don't mention their crawler anywhere in their docs, either. So, if you wanted to block Brave from crawling and indexing and ultimately selling your content to third parties, your only option for the time being would be to block all crawlers, which is how Brave would be able to "respect robots.txt".

And don't get me wrong, I love Brave, and I've given them credit where it's due; it's also my understanding that the Brave Search API feature is new as a whole (released in May 2023), so perhaps it wasn't or hasn't been thought through completely.

I've asked for a comment from the Brave team on their thought process, so as soon as I have a statement, I will make sure to include it here.

Source

Users wear a small sensor inserted in their body, which sends data to an app.

Abbott, which manufactures the FreeStyle Libre device, says it is the top sensor-based glucose monitoring system used worldwide.

But its app has stopped working on some Apple devices, and it has now been withdrawn from the App Store.

The NHS says there are 200,000 people using these types of sensors in the UK.

Abbott told the BBC the issue was only affecting customers in the UK, and it expected the app would be made available again soon.

But there has been a backlash online from people who rely on the technology for their wellbeing.

David Burchell, who has type 1 diabetes, told the BBC it was "very scary".

"This equipment is supposed to save your life," he said. "I woke up yesterday morning, went to check my sensor thing... and basically it broke, just showing a white screen and I had a panic.

"I've spoken to [Abbott] many times as this sort of thing has happened before. They told me to delete the app, turn the phone off and on and reinstall… but when trying to redownload it they'd taken it off the App Store so I couldn't download it.

"I was left without an active test, other than the fingerprint testing. Pricking your finger 100 times a week is a nightmare, so the app and the sensor is really helpful."

Sonja Sleator from Belfast said the app was "so important" to her and she was concerned about not being able to use it.

"Knowing I don't have that constant check, it feels like going back to when I was first diagnosed and having to finger prick a few times a day," she said.

What is it?

The LibreLink app, developed by Abbott, connects to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) - a white disc covering a needle inserted under the skin of the user, typically in the arm or belly.

People with Type 1 diabetes use the CGM to monitor their blood glucose levels - or blood sugar - around the clock, meaning they don't have to constantly take blood samples by pricking their fingers for readings.

By monitoring glucose levels in real time, people can make better-informed decisions about when to eat or exercise.

Critically, it can also alert the user or their family members when their blood sugar level is too low or too high.

Sonja Sleator says the app has given her more flexibility

Abbott has come under fire after its Libre 2 CGM stopped interacting with the LibreLink app of some Apple users.

Abbott said the problem emerged after it updated the LibreLink app to give users a significant quality-of-life improvement, removing the need to manually scan the disc with a device.

Instead, the new update would allow the CGM to send the app data continuously, removing the need for a scan. Abbott's competitor Dexcom already allows this.

But an issue with the update has caused some Iphone users to report the app has stopped working for them altogether, leaving them unable to monitor their blood sugar levels.

'Working on solutions'

David told the BBC he was "luckily" able to continue testing himself, as he happened to also have a manual sensor, athough this does not provide data to other peoples' devices.

People without these sensors have had to resort to taking between four and 10 finger-prick tests per day to monitor their levels.

"I was able to recover the app after seeing someone on Twitter giving suggestions to go to 'purchased history' and download it from there," he said.

"It was people helping people online that fixed it, rather than the actual company. But not everyone is an active user on Twitter or Facebook.

"The data also goes to my wife, so if something happened she'd know, but I don't know if that is going to happen at the moment. I'm sure there are going to be people who aren't getting critical alerts about their loved ones."

Abbott said it had temporarily removed the FreeStyle LibreLink app from the App Store while working on solutions to improve it.

It said affected users should contact its customer service line: "Customers experiencing issues with the iOS app should uninstall and reinstall the app.

"People using the [app] without issue can continue to use it as normal. The Android version of the [app] continues to be available for download in the UK. No other countries are impacted."

Sonja said the app had made her life "more easy and flexible".

"I'm now going to have to set alarms to wake me up because I'm going to have to get up during the night to test," she said.

"Thankfully I found an old monitor in the back of my drawer, old test strips and an old pen to prick my finger - so it's just about keeping an eye on it."

Source

On Windows 11, if a device is having a problem, it'll probably be listed in the Device Manager app with a yellow exclamation mark. 

When you notice this yellow sign, it indicates that the system has encountered an issue and an error code has been generated. If this is the case, you can check the error code to figure out the reason for the problem, which almost always is a corruption issue, a missing driver, or a hardware conflict.

This how-to guide will walk through the different ways to fix the yellow mark error on Windows 11.

How to fix the yellow mark on Device Manager

If there's an issue with one of the hardware components, you can use Device Manager to figure out the reason, which you can then use to troubleshoot and resolve the problem.

Check problem from Device manager

To determine the reason the hardware appears with a yellow exclamation mark on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the app.
3. Double-click the device with the yellow exclamation mark.
4. Click the General tab.
5. Under the "Device" status, confirm the problem. For example, "The drivers for this device are not installed (Code 28)."

(Image credit: Future)

Uninstall device driver from Device Manager

In the case that the issue is a device driver, you can uninstall it, and restart the device to allow the system to detect and install the hardware automatically.

To uninstall a device driver on Windows 11 from the Device Manager, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the console.
3. Right-click the device with the yellow exclamation mark and select the Uninstall device option.

(Image credit: Future)

1. Click the Uninstall button.
2. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, the operating system will install the device driver again automatically using the package previously downloaded on the computer. 

If the yellow mark continues to appear, then you can try to update the hardware manually. You can use the instructions below to complete this task.

Update driver automatically from Settings

When you notice an "Unknown device" item under the "Other devices" group on Device Manager, download and install the most up-to-date driver through Windows Update. 

To update a driver to fix the yellow exclamation mark on Device Manager, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Windows Update.
3. Click the Advanced options setting.

(Image credit: Future)

4. Under the "Optional updates" section, click the Optional updates setting.

(Image credit: Future)

1. Choose the driver update (if available).
2. Click the "Download and install" button.

Once you complete the steps, Windows Update will install the latest driver update available to resolve the yellow exclamation mark.

If the page doesn't list any new driver updates, it means that Windows Update has checked the computer configuration against the update servers and determined that no newer updates are available.

Update driver manually from Device Manager

If the Windows Update service doesn't have newer driver updates, you will have to check the device manufacturer's support website to download and install the latest package available.

To update a device driver manually through Device Manager, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the console.
3. Right-click the device with the yellow exclamation mark and select the Update driver option.

(Image credit: Future)

1. Click the "Browse my computer for drivers" option.

(Image credit: Future)

1. Click the Browse button.
2. Select the extracted folder containing the driver update.
3. Check the Include subfolders option.
4. Click the Next button.

(Image credit: Future)

1. Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, Device Manager will install the driver to resolve the yellow exclamation mark on Windows 11.

If you can't figure out the exact driver you have to install, it's possible to check the manufacturer support website using the computer model number to determine the correct driver you need.

Usually, computer companies (such as Dell, Asus, Acer, and HP) offer tools that can automatically scan, download, and install the correct drivers. If your manufacturer doesn't offer a driver assistant, open the unknown device properties on Device Manager, and from the "Details" tab, you can copy the hardware identification number to search online for the correct driver.

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Much like Windows 11, without an active connection to the Internet the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will struggle to complete basic tasks such as updating packages. Exactly why your connection has disappeared could be a number of reasons, but the most important thing is getting it back. 

WSL hooks into your Windows PCs network connectivity but can suffer its own issues that can break it while your PC outside the Linux environment is still connected just fine. Fortunately, there's a fairly easy fix you can try that should get you back online. 

My own WSL suffered this exact fault recently, and this is how I fixed it.

How to fix connectivity issues for all distros installed on WSL

Even though you can have multiple distros installed on WSL, it's quite possible, and in my case, probable, to lose connectivity to them all at the same time. It became obvious when a simple update wasn't yielding any results, with the repos just hanging. You can also diagnose a connectivity problem using the ifconfig or ping commands. 

While we know the issue, how do we go about fixing it. Hat tip here to the Super User community for helping me figure it out. 

The first thing to try is entering the following commands into PowerShell as administrator. There's a suggestion to create a batch file, but honestly, copying and pasting all of the below into the terminal is all I needed to do.

wsl --shutdown
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset all
netsh winhttp reset proxy
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset
shutdown /r

What does this actually do? The short version is that it will shut down WSL, reset the network setting and flush the DNS. Once completed, launch your chosen WSL distro again and check connectivity. You can do something such as a sudo apt update or keep it even simpler and use ifconfig or ping bing.com. Hopefully, you'll now see results indicating your connectivity has returned.

If you have multiple distros installed, this should rectify the issue for all of them, too. Hopefully you're now back online. If the problem keeps recurring, it might be worth creating a batch file with the above commands in to make it quicker and simpler to apply the fix.

Source

Here is the changelog.

GAMING HIGHLIGHTS:

Intel Game On Driver support on Intel Arc A-series Graphics for:

• Exoprimal
• Jagged Alliance 3

Game performance improvements versus Intel 31.0.101.4514 software driver for:

• League of Legends (DX11)
  • Up to 6% uplift at 1080p with Very High preset
  • Up to 10% uplift at 1440p with Very High presetGet a front row pass to gaming deals, contests, betas, and more with Intel Software Gaming Access.

FIXED ISSUES:

Intel Arc Graphics Products:

• Halo Infinite (DX12) may experience application freeze or crash after loading to game menu.
• Streaming Dota 2 (DX11) using XSplit Broadcaster may exhibit corruption in Game Capture mode.

KNOWN ISSUES:

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 FIXED ISSUES:

• Arc Control may become unresponsive after a driver upgrade. A workaround is to perform a clean driver installation using Display Driver Uninstaller.

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.
• May observe “could not stop Highlights” notification when stopping Auto-Game Highlights.
• 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 check out the release notes, and download the beta drivers here.

Source

The Event Viewer on Windows 11 is an application that collects system and app event logs on a friendly interface that you can use to monitor and troubleshoot problems. Also, it can come in handy to track the performance of your computer.

Whenever the computer runs into an error, security concern, or any other issue, the Event Viewer should be the first place to check to start troubleshooting the problem since the tool records virtually every app crash, hardware failure, driver problem, and security issue into event logs. 

For example, if your computer freezes up without warning, suddenly reboots, a driver is not working as expected, or you're dealing with Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), the logs from the Event Viewer are likely to contain clues that you can use to determine and resolve the problem.

This how-to guide will walk you through the basics of getting around the Event Viewer on Windows 11.

How to use Event Viewer on Windows 11

The Event Viewer is a straightforward application to monitor system events and a powerful tool to troubleshoot issues, but the app is only good if you know how to use it.

Navigation

On Windows 11, you can open the Event Viewer in a number of ways, but the easiest way is to open Start, search for Event Viewer, and click the top result to open the app.

Alternatively, you can use the "Windows key + R" keyboard shortcut, type "eventvwr.exe," and click the "OK" button.

The system events are categorized into four main groups, including "Custom Views," "Windows Logs," "Applications and Services Logs," and "Subscriptions."

(Image credit: Future)

The logs you will need to review will depend on the specific situation. However, usually, you'll be in the "Windows Logs" reviewing the Application, Security, and System logs.

(Image credit: Future)

In the "Application" section, the system will generate events for the interface and necessary components to run applications. The "Security" section includes the events of login attempts and security features. Finally, the "System" category displays the logs for installed applications.

On Windows 11, Event Viewer can trigger different types of events, including "Error," "Warning," and "Information."

The "Error" log events are related to issues that you need to resolve as soon as possible. The "Warning" events are not critical, but those are events that you want to investigate. Finally, the "Information" logs are those events that are only informational. 

During normal operation, the system will generate warnings and errors, but usually, they are events that you can ignore. For instance, Windows 11 may log an error when a service couldn't launch during startup, but the service eventually started. Other scenarios where the system may create an error include when Windows 11 can't access a file from a shared folder because of a connection problem. Or an app crashes suddenly, but it works fine after restarting it.

Furthermore, you can select each of the main categories to view additional details, such as the number of recorded events, the space a specific type of log is taking on the hard drive, and more. You can also select the "Even Viewer" item at the top to reveal an overview and summary of all the events.

(Image credit: Future)

When selecting one of the categories, Event Viewer will display the available events with their "Level" information, "Date and Time" of creation, "Source," "Event ID," and "Task Category" on the right side.

If you want to review an event, you can select it to view the information at the bottom of the page or double-click it to open the same information in a separate window.

(Image credit: Future)

On the "General" tab, you will see a description along with other information, such as the "Event ID." The "Details" tab includes the same information in a code format.

The details in the General tab should help you understand the event, but you can always use the "Event ID" to search online and find more information and steps to resolve the issue.

Search logs

If you're troubleshooting a problem, you can use the search feature to find the event that can help you resolve the issue.

Advanced search

To use the advanced search available on the Event Viewer on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Event Viewer and select the top result to open the app.
3. Expand the event section.
4. Right-click a group and choose the "Filter Current Log" option.

(Image credit: Future)

5. Click the Filter tab.
6. Select a time range when the event might have occurred using the "Logged" setting.
7. Choose the event level you want to review, including "Critical," "Warning," "Verbose," "Error," or "Information."

(Image credit: Future)

8. (Optional) Select the event sources.
9. (Optional) Select the category of the task using the "Task category" setting.
10. (Optional) Confirm a keyword to narrow down the search.
11. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the Event Viewer will show the results of the search. 

After you have reviewed the events, you can right-click the group and select the "Clear Filter" option.

Basic search

To use a keyword to find an error, warning, or information log event, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Event Viewer and select the top result to open the app.
3. Expand the event section.
4. Right-click the group and choose the Find option.

(Image credit: Future)

5. Confirm the keyword and press the Find Next button.

(Image credit: Future)

After you complete the steps, the Event Viewer will highlight the result on the page. 

Custom views 

If you're a developer or network administrator and you find yourself searching the logs frequently, you can use the feature to create custom views on Event Viewer.

To create an Event Viewer custom view on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Event Viewer and select the top result to open the app.
3. Expand the event section.
4. Right-click a group and choose the "Create Custom View" option.

(Image credit: Future)

5. Click the Filter tab.
6. Choose the time range using the "Logged" setting.
7. Select the By log option.
8. Choose the event category (such as "System") to filter from the "Event logs" setting.

(Image credit: Future)

7. (Optional) Select the category of the task using the "Task category" setting.
8. Confirm a search keyword.
9. Click the OK button.
10. Confirm a name for the view.

(Image credit: Future)

12. (Optional) Confirm a description for the custom view.
13. Choose the location to save the custom view. 
14. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, you can open the "Custom Views" section on the left navigation page and choose the view to review specific logs.

Clear log history 

Windows 11 is always tracking events, and while you should maintain the logs as long as possible, at any time, you can clear the Event Viewer history to make it easier to troubleshoot problems or free up hard drive space.

To clear the log history from Event Viewer on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Event Viewer and select the top result to open the app.
3. Expand the event section.
4. Right-click a group and select the Clear Log option.

(Image credit: Future)

5. Click the Clear button. 

After you complete the steps, the Event Viewer will delete the logs and start generating new events as they happen.

If you want to archive the log history on a file outside the Event Viewer, click the "Save and Clear" button instead of the "Clear" button.

Source

Source

The latest update adds the newest SafeOS Dynamic Update packages for WinRE (KB5028312, KB5028314 on Windows 11, and KB5028311 on Windows 10), and brings easier automated deployment of Secure Boot DBX revocation files. The Secure Boot Forbidden Signature Database or Secure Boot DBX from Microsoft is basically a block-list for blacklisted UEFI executables that were found to be dangerous. Microsoft also revoked several WHQL-signed drivers that were actually malware with the latest Patch Tuesday.

And there is more good news. The latest Patch Tuesday also fixes a mouse stuttering issue which was a result of a conflict of Windows 11 with high polling rates of mice. Microsoft had already announced previously that it had addressed the issue in its comprehensive yearly performance report. Microsoft explained:

The Windows input stack was being pushed to its limits with high report rate mice and their input being delivered to not just the game, but also multiple background processes. In turn, that caused a significant amount of time processing input rather than providing as many cycles as possible for rendering the game experience.

We set out to reduce the amount of processing time it took to handle input requests by throttling and coalescing background raw mouse listeners and capping their message rate. Prior to these changes, we observed on a Surface Laptop Studio with a 1000 Hz mouse, a test bed of background listeners, and popular games that there was significant stutter. After the improvements, on the same setup, we now deliver a smooth, uninterrupted gaming experience and preserve the low latency, high precision input experience in games while being efficient with input for background listeners!

Microsoft first delivered the update via the Windows 11 preview update at the end of last month build 22621.1928 ( KB5027303). The release note says "New! This update improves your computer’s performance when you use a mouse that has a high report rate for gaming."

Source

SMB Updates [Added 7/13]

Beginning with Build 25905 for the Pro and Education editions of Windows 11, SMB signing is now required by default for all connections. This the same behavior change first added in Build 25381 for the Enterprise editions. This changes legacy behavior, where Windows 10 and 11 required SMB signing by default only when connecting to shares named SYSVOL and NETLOGON and where Active Directory domain controllers required SMB signing when any client connected to them. This is part of a campaign to improve the security of Windows and Windows Server for the modern landscape.

For more information on this change, visit https://aka.ms/SMBSigningOBD

Recover your PC from Windows Update [Added 7/13]

A new Windows Update recovery feature in this build under Settings > System > Recovery and “Fix Problems using Windows Update”. On eligible Insider Channels such as the Canary Channel today, this feature will download and install a repair version of the OS. This operation reinstalls the OS that you have and will not remove any files, settings, or apps. The repair content is displayed on the Windows Update Settings page with the title appended with “(repair version)”. This capability can be useful in many instances but is intended to be used for keeping the device secure and up to date. Devices may need to complete in progress updates prior to this process taking effect.

Fix Problems using Windows Update option in Settings.

Changes and Improvements

[General]

[ADDED 7/13] Starting with this build, we have adjusted the prerequisites (removal of Modern Standby/HSTI validation and untrusted DMA ports check) for enabling device encryption so that it is automatically enabled when doing clean installs of Windows 11.

Known issues

[NEW] This build will not be offered to some ASUS devices or PCs with ASUS motherboards due to an issue causing a bugcheck when attempting to update to this build.

[NEW] Ethernet-connected devices may lose network connectivity after updating to this build. Unplugging the ethernet cable and re-plugging the cable in should resolve the issue.

Original story - It's been a while, but finally, members of Microsoft's Windows Insider Program in the Canary preview channel have a new Windows 11 build to download. The build number is 25905.

Microsoft says that this build also restores the desktop watermark to RS_PRERELEASE. This also means that some features that were removed when it switched to the ZN_RELEASE label are now back.

Microsoft also releases a new version of the Microsoft Store for all Windows Insider Program channels, and you can check out the details in this post.

The changelog for the new Canary build is below:

What’s new in Build 25905

New features from the Dev Channel

This build includes new features from the Dev Channel, such as Dev Drive, Backup and Restore improvements (Windows Backup), Dynamic Lighting, the Windows App SDK version of File Explorer and Gallery, and more.

Rust in the Windows Kernel

Rust offers advantages in reliability and security over traditional programs written in C/C++. This preview shipped with an early implementation of critical kernel features in safe Rust. Specifically, win32kbase_rs.sys contains a new implementation of GDI region. While this is a small trial, we will continue to increase the usage of Rust in the kernel. Stay tuned!

[We are beginning to roll this out, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders in the Canary Channel just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.]

Arm32 UWP App deprecation

Starting in this Insider Preview build in the Canary Channel, we have removed support for Arm32 UWP applications from Windows on Arm, as documented here: Windows 11 Specs and System Requirements. After the OS upgrade, any installed Arm32 applications will no longer launch on your device. Note that this does not affect Arm64 applications.

During setup, you will see a message with a list of applications that are currently Arm32 installed on the system.

In many cases, the list of impacted applications will be reduced by manually forcing the Microsoft Store to install any pending application updates prior to the OS upgrade. To do this, launch the Microsoft Store application, choose “library”, then click on the “Get Updates” button.

After the OS upgrade is complete, to fix any Arm32 applications, you will need to manually uninstall then reinstall those applications from the Microsoft Store. By doing so, you will install a compatible version that will run on your device.

New PostAuthenticationAction support for terminating individual processes in Windows LAPS

Thank you everyone who gave us feedback on the new Windows Local Administrator Password Solution feature which we shipped a few months ago. Several customers pointed out that the new Post Authentication Actions feature (PAA) only handled termination of interactive logon sessions. This meant that PAA was not able to terminate specific individual processes that were launched in an OTS (over-the-shoulder) elevation scenahttps://learn.microsoft.com/windows-server/identity/laps/laps-concepts#password-reset-after-authenticationrio, for example using runas.exe. We are announcing an improvement with this build that addresses this feedback on that limitation. A new option has been added to the PostAuthenticationActions Group Policy in this Insider Preview build:

Enable the new PostAuthenticationAction setting.

The new option is described as “Reset the password, logoff the managed account, and terminate any remaining processes”. This new option is basically a superset of the previous “Reset the password and logoff the managed account” option. When the new setting is configured, PAA will first notify and then terminate any interactive logon sessions, followed by enumerating and terminating any remaining processes that are still running under the Windows LAPS-managed local account identity. No notification precedes this termination.

In addition, we’ve greatly expanded the event logging messages that are emitted during post-authentication-action execution, to give you deeper insights into exactly what was done during the operation.

Note: “Reset the password and logoff the managed account” remains the default PAA action.

Please try out this new feature and let us know what you think here on the Windows LAPS feedback page.

Changes and Improvements

[Emoji]

With the update of our colour font format to COLRv1, Windows is now able to display richer emoji with a 3D like appearance with support coming soon to some apps and browsers. These emoji use gradients to bring the design style that our customers have been asking for. The new emoji will bring more expression to your communications.

Before and after of the updated colour format for emoji.

[Zune]

In celebration of Marvel Studio’s Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, we temporarily re-launched Zune.net last month. We also took the opportunity to fix an issue that was causing some challenges in getting the original Zune drivers to install in Windows 11 with this build in the Canary Channel. So now it should be easier to use your (totally unsupported and still discontinued) Zune on Windows 11. Over time, the fix will make its way through the Insider Channels and eventually to all Windows 11 customers. For fun, check out how Scott Hanselman brought a few Zunes back to life.

Known issues

[NEW] This build will not be offered to ASUS devices or PCs with ASUS motherboards.

[NEW] Ethernet-connected devices may lose network connectivity after updating to this build. Unplugging the ethernet cable and re-plugging the cable in should resolve the issue.

You can check out the full blog post here. You can also download the ISO file for this build as well.

Source

In 2021, Microsoft announced it was planning to replace Calibri as the default font for its Office productivity apps. It presented the public with five competing fonts (Tenorite, Bierstadt, Skeena, Seaford, and Grandview) and asked them to vote for their favorite via Twitter polls, online feedback, and more. Today, Microsoft Design announced the winner.

On its Medium page, Microsoft Design stated that the winning font was . . . Bierstadt! However, Microsoft decided to give the winning font a name change, so the new default Office font is now called . . . Aptos!

The font itself was created by Steve Matteson who previously worked on the original Windows TrueType core fonts and also created the Segoe font. It was made to work better on higher-definition displays. The name Aptos was also Matteson's idea, as it comes from an unincorporated town in the Santa Cruz area of California that is one of his favorite destinations.

The Medium post stated:

Similar to mid-20th-century Swiss typography, Aptos is a sans serif. Also referred to as Grotesque or Gothic, sans serif often have simple letterforms, even strokes, and they’re easily readable. Aptos, made of varying geometric shapes, is bold, well-defined, directive, and constrained. It articulates many different languages and tones. Stem ends are clean cut. Subtle circular squares within the letters’ contours allow higher legibility, especially at small sizes.

The post also goes into some specific details about some of the letters in the Aptos font:

Now the lowercase l has a distinctive tail, separating it from the capital I. The heads of i’s and j’s are circular dots as opposed to grotesque squares. 6 is single stroked while two piled ellipticals make 8.

The four losing fonts will still be added to Microsoft's Office apps as optional selections. The Aptos font will also be available under its original Bierstadt name as yet another option. There's also a new font menu that is currently available for web users that will still include Calibri as a pre-pinned font at the top.

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On the download page, you can find the Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce editions of the operating system plus the sha256sum txt and gpg files to ensure the ISOs are indeed legitimate. If you previously installed the Beta a few weeks ago, you just need to install available updates to upgrade to the final version, there’s no need to do a fresh install.

Linux Mint 21.2 brings some theme improvements to the Cinnamon desktop through styles. Styles allow you to combine different accent colours and select dark, light, or mixed themes. The upcoming release also adds the Yaru theme which is used in Ubuntu, so that’s good news if you like the look of Ubuntu.

Linux Mint 21.2, just like 21.0 and 21.1, is supported until 2027 and it’s based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS like those other two versions. When Linux Mint 21.3 is released later this year or early next year, you will be able to upgrade to that or remain on 21.2 if you’re happy.

Aside from the new styles feature, this update has also given the Software Manager a refreshed UI, Linux Mint has better gesture support, full support for HEIF and AVIF image files, new artwork, and much more.

If you have any cutting-edge hardware you might be disappointed with this release because it still includes Linux 5.15 - it’s still relatively recent and should be fine for most people but just keep this in mind and ensure your hardware works in the live environment before installing Mint.

Have you been waiting for Linux Mint 21.2? Did you try out the beta? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!

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Original story: Many Windows 11 users have been waiting patiently for the company's Paint app to add a dark mode. Some people were not so patient. Mod developers have been putting in a dark mode feature in Paint via third-party apps for a while now.

Today, the long wait is over, at least if you are a member of the Windows Insider program. Microsoft revealed today that Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels can download the new version (11.2304.17.0) of the Paint app. Yes, it does finally include a dark mode.

Microsoft stated:

With this update, we are introducing support for dark mode in Paint. By default, Paint will adapt to your system theme preferences, but you can change this option yourself on the brand-new settings page.

In addition to the new dark mode, the new Paint app for Dev and Canary Insiders includes some new features and improvements for its zoom mode:

The classic presets are still available, but you can now also zoom in and out with finer granularity increments on the zoom slider or set a custom zoom value for even greater precision. We are also introducing a new fit to screen option to quickly optimize zoom to match your window size.

Microsoft has also made changes to the Paint App's Image Properties dialogs:

They now match the style of the new Windows 11 design and fit in with the new Paint app backdrop as well as many accessibility and usability improvements to dialogs throughout the app. We have also improved access key and keyboard shortcut support throughout the app for improved accessibility and productivity with keyboard.

There's no word yet on when these features will be available for all Windows 11 users. Hopefully the rest of us won't have to wait too much longer to get the dark mode in the Paint app.

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A couple of months ago, it was reported that 23H2 is not going to be a major update over 22H2 and that it would be delivered via an enablement package (EKB) or a Cumulative Update (C.U.). Microsoft, today confirmed such reports in a Tech Community blog post titled "Windows client roadmap update: July 2023".

Aside from that, it also confirms that system requirements (like TPM, among others) for Windows 11 23H2 will remain unchanged and hence users "don't need to worry about application or device compatibility between the versions".

Windows 11, version 23H2 will be available as an enablement package

The upcoming Windows 11, version 23H2 shares the same servicing branch and code base as Windows 11, version 22H2. What does it mean for you? If you're running Windows 11, version 22H2, it will be a simple update to version 23H2 via a small enablement package (eKB). Do you remember updating from Windows 10, version 1903 to 1909? Or how you've managed recent updates beginning with Windows 10, version 20H2 through 22H2? It will be that simple. Moreover, since both versions share the same source code, you don't need to worry about application or device compatibility between the versions.

Microsoft also confirmed the release date, or rather the release quarter for 23H2, as the company says the update will be available in the fourth quarter (Q4) of this year:

Don't wait for Windows 11, version 23H2. Continue (or begin) your Windows 11 rollout with version 22H2 now. Upon release in the fourth quarter of 2023, simply deploy the 23H2 enablement package via one of the following:

• Windows Server Update Services

• Windows Update for Business

• Windows Autopatch

Alongside the Windows 11 news, Microsoft also shared that it'll begin offering Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 through Volume Licensing starting August 1st.

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Although Microsoft has not mentioned Cortana in the 25905's changelog, the assistant's further demise is anything but a surprise. Microsoft started deprecating Cortana long before unveiling Windows 11.

With all eyes on Windows Copilot, Microsoft's next-generation AI helper, it is just a matter of time before the company removes Cortana from Windows 11 altogether. And in case you missed it, here is our closer look at the current version of Windows Copilot available for testing in the Dev Channel.

Microsoft is seemingly not ready to kill Cortana for good, but it is willing to give users a better way to remove the digital assistant without using commands. In build 25905, Cortana is the latest addition to the list of user-removable apps: right-click it in the Start menu and select "Uninstall."

How to uninstall Cortana in Windows 11?

Here are three ways to delete Cortana from Windows 11

1. If your computer runs a stable Windows 11 release (this also applies to Windows 10): launch Terminal as admin, type winget uninstall Cortana, and press Enter. Press Y and Enter to agree with the terms and conditions if prompted or if you use winget for the first time.
2. If you use Windows 11 build 25905 or newer: open the Start menu, find and right-click Cortana in the list of all apps, then select Uninstall and confirm the action.
3. Another one for those using Canary builds: launch the Settings app and go to Apps > Installed Apps. Find Cortana and click a button with three dots next to it. Select Uninstall and confirm the action.

Credit for the finding goes to @XenoPanther on Twitter.

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Here is the changelog:

• New! This update affects the Handwriting Software Input Panel (SIP), the Handwriting Engine, and the Handwriting Embedded Inking Control. They now support GB18030-2022 conformance level 2. Because of this, they meet the level 3 requirements.
• This update addresses an issue in the Windows Notification Platform. The issue affects how much power your device uses.
• This update affects the Windows Push Notification Services (WNS). It makes the connection between the client and the WNS server more reliable.
• This update addresses an issue that affects hybrid joined devices. You cannot sign in to them if they are not connected to the internet. This occurs when you use a Windows Hello for Business PIN or biometric credentials. This issue applies to a cloud trust deployment.
• This update affects Windows Autopilot profiles. The process to download the Windows Autopilot policy is more resilient. This helps when a network connection might not be fully initialized. This update increases the retry attempts when you try to download the Windows Autopilot profile.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Event Forwarding Subscriptions. When you add an Event Channel to the subscription, it forwards events you do not need.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) repository. This causes an installation error. The issue occurs when a device does not shut down properly.
• This update addresses an issue that affects certain CPUs. There is inconsistent reporting of the L2 cache.
• This update makes brightness settings more accurate.
• This update enhances hinting for some of the letters of the Verdana Pro font family.
• This update affects user mode printer drivers. They unload unexpectedly. This occurs when you print from multiple print queues to the same printer driver.
• This update affects text edit controls in XAML. You cannot edit the controls again after they become read only. This occurs when you use the new Microsoft Input Method Editor for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
• This update makes Narrator announce the “Change product key” label.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Defender Firewall Profile. It fails to automatically switch from a LAN that is trusted to a public network.
• This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a printing job. An unexpected Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) mode switch can cause the print job to abruptly stop. This occurs when there is an independent hardware vendor (IHV) driver.
• This update addresses an issue that affects certain wireless wide area network (WWAN) devices. After every restart, a dialog reappears. It asks you to switch to embedded SIM (eSIM) even when you choose No.
• This update addresses an issue that affects certain display and audio devices. They are missing after your system resumes from sleep.
• This update addresses a deadlock in Internet Protocol Security (IPsec). When you configure servers with IPsec rules, they stop responding. This issue affects virtual and physical servers.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the MPSSV service. The issues causes your system to restart repeatedly. The stop error code is 0xEF.
• This update affects the Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist, DriverSiPolicy.p7b. It adds drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). The issue copies unsigned WDAC policies to the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) disk partition. This partition is reserved for signed policies.
• This update addresses an issue that affects WDAC. The “Disabled: Script Enforcement” option might create audit events you do not need.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Widgets. They unpin from the taskbar when you do not expect it.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the fastfat file system driver. It stops responding because of a race condition.
• This update addresses an issue that affects I/O over Server Message Block (SMB). It might fail when you use the LZ77+Huffman compression algorithm.

You can check out the full blog post here:

Source

Microsoft has already announced that this version of Windows 11 will reach the end of its official support on October 10, 2023.

Here is the changelog:

• New! This update affects the Handwriting Software Input Panel (SIP), the Handwriting Engine, and the Handwriting Embedded Inking Control. They now support GB18030-2022 conformance level 2. Because of this, they meet the level 3 requirements.
• This update affects the Windows Push Notification Services (WNS). It makes the connection between the client and the WNS server more reliable.
• This update addresses an issue that affects UI Automation and caching mode.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Notification Platform. It fails to send notifications from applications to you.
• This update addresses an issue that affects hybrid joined devices. You cannot sign in to them if they are not connected to the internet. This occurs when you use a Windows Hello for Business PIN or biometric credentials. This issue applies to a cloud trust deployment.
• This update affects Windows Autopilot profiles. The process to download the Windows Autopilot policy is more resilient. This helps when a network connection might not be fully initialized. This update increases the retry attempts when you try to download the Windows Autopilot profile.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) repository. This causes an installation error. The issue occurs when a device does not shut down properly.
• This update addresses an issue that affects certain CPUs. There is inconsistent reporting of the L2 cache.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Event Forwarding Subscriptions. When you add an Event Channel to the subscription, it forwards events you do not need.
• This update enhances hinting for some of the letters of the Verdana Pro font family.
• This update affects user mode printer drivers. They unload unexpectedly. This occurs when you print from multiple print queues to the same printer driver.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect your computer when you are playing a game. Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) errors might occur.
• This update affects text edit controls in XAML. You cannot edit the controls again after they become read only. This occurs when you use the new Microsoft Input Method Editor for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
• This update makes Narrator announce the “Change product key” label.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Defender Firewall Profile. It fails to automatically switch from a LAN that is trusted to a public network.
• This update addresses an issue that affects some virtual private networks (VPN). The VPN connection is unreliable on some routers.
• This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date.
• This update addresses an issue that affects certain display and audio devices. They are missing after your system resumes from sleep.
• This update addresses a deadlock in Internet Protocol Security (IPsec). When you configure servers with IPsec rules, they stop responding. This issue affects virtual and physical servers.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the MPSSV service. The issues causes your system to restart repeatedly. The stop error code is 0xEF.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a Clustered Shared Volume (CSV). The CSV fails to come online. This occurs if you enable BitLocker and local CSV managed protectors, and the system recently rotated the BitLocker keys.
• This update addresses an issue that causes Windows to fail. This occurs when you use BitLocker on a storage medium that has a large sector size.
• This update affects the Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist, DriverSiPolicy.p7b. It adds drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the fastfat file system driver. It stops responding because of a race condition.
• This update addresses an issue that affects refsutil.exe. Options, like salvage and leak, do not work properly on Resilient File System (ReFS) volumes.
• This update addresses an issue that affects I/O over Server Message Block (SMB). It might fail when you use the LZ77+Huffman compression algorithm.

You can check out the full blog post here.

Source

Here is the changelog:

• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Notification Platform. It fails to send notifications from applications to you.
• This update addresses an issue that affects hybrid joined devices. You cannot sign in to them if they are not connected to the internet. This occurs when you use a Windows Hello for Business PIN or biometric credentials. This issue applies to a cloud trust deployment.
• This update affects Windows Autopilot profiles. The process to download the Windows Autopilot policy is more resilient. This helps when a network connection might not be fully initialized. This update increases the retry attempts when you try to download the Windows Autopilot profile.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect Win32 and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. They might close when devices enter Modern Standby. Modern Standby is an expansion of the Connected Standby power model. This issue occurs if certain Bluetooth Phone Link features are turned on.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Event Forwarding Subscriptions. When you add an Event Channel to the subscription, it forwards events you do not need.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) repository. This causes an installation error. The issue occurs when a device does not shut down properly.
• This update affects user mode printer drivers. They unload unexpectedly. This occurs when you print from multiple print queues to the same printer driver.
• This update enhances hinting for some of the letters of the Verdana Pro font family.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect your computer when you are playing a game. Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) errors might occur.
• This update affects text edit controls in XAML. You cannot edit the controls again after they become read only. This occurs when you use the new Microsoft Input Method Editor for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a printing job. An unexpected Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) mode switch can cause the print job to abruptly stop. This occurs when there is an independent hardware vendor (IHV) driver.
• This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date.
• This update addresses an issue that affects certain display and audio devices. They are missing after your system resumes from sleep.
• This update addresses a deadlock in Internet Protocol Security (IPsec). When you configure servers with IPsec rules, they stop responding. This issue affects virtual and physical servers.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect some VPN clients. They might not establish a connection.
• This update affects the Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist, DriverSiPolicy.p7b. It adds drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
• This update addresses an issue that causes Windows to fail. This occurs when you use BitLocker on a storage medium that has a large sector size.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Search app. It opens in full screen, blocks additional Start menu actions, and you cannot close it.
• This update addresses an issue that affects I/O over Server Message Block (SMB). It might fail when you use the LZ77+Huffman compression algorithm.

You can check out the full blog post here.

Source