The testing of the final ISOs comes just over two weeks since the beta was released to the public. On July 1, the head of the Linux Mint project wrote that the team had already gathered 60 bug reports and many issues were fixed thanks to user feedback.

One of the biggest changes that will be available in Linux Mint 21.2 is the introduction of styles in the Cinnamon edition. They let you combine different accent colours and select dark, light, or mixed themes - you can even use the Yaru colours from Ubuntu in this version.

Those users who downloaded the beta will be able to keep applying the latest updates and they will be considered as being on the final version. Linux Mint 21.1 users will be able to upgrade quite easily through the menu in the update manager, but it’s not mandatory.

Linux Mint 21, 21.1, and 21.2 are all based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and will therefore get updates until 2027. The benefit of upgrading is that you get the improvements that the Linux Mint team has been working on, such as styles for Cinnamon.

There’s no telling how long it’ll take for the ISOs to be publicly released, usually, it’s just a few days. It’s not uncommon for ISOs to fail the tests, this can delay the release as new ISOs undergo testing.

After the tests have passed, we’ll then need to wait for the team to write up blog posts for the releases but if you’re eager to get the new software, you can sometimes find it on official mirrors before the announcement.

Let us know in the comments if you're tried the beta of Linux Mint 21.2, do you like it? Did you run into any problems?

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Linux kernel overseer Linus Torvalds has delivered the first release candidate for version 6.5 of the kernel, but warned this release may not go entirely smoothly.…

Torvalds's headline assessment of rc1 is "none of it looks hugely unusual."

"The biggest single mention probably goes to what wasn't merged, with the bcachefs pull request resulting in a long thread (we didn't hit a hundred emails yet, but it's not far away)."

As The Register reported in 2022, bcachefs is a filesystem that's been in development for nigh on a decade without being added to the kernel.

Kernel-watching outlet Phoronix on Sunday wrote that the filesystem is in good shape but debate over "code changes needed to the kernel outside of the kernel module itself" have proved contentious. As a result, conversation on the Linux kernel mailing list is "often becoming heated" when the topic turns to bcachefs.

In his announcement post for rc1, Torvalds wrote "Let's calm this party down."

He also voiced his "slight suspicion that this may be one of those releases that may drag out, not because there are any particular issues I expect problems with, but simply due to [a] lot of Europe going on vacation for the month of August."

He's not certain of delays, writing "We'll see how things develop." But given the Emperor Penguin's preference for development pushes that deliver seven release candidates on a weekly cadence before release of a new kernel cut, the long-range warning of possible extra release candidates is notable. Especially for those contemplating their use of the next kernel release, or their contributions to version 6.6.

Among the things that did make it into Linux 6.5 rc1 are further support for parallel CPU boot support – code that allows more x86_64 cores to be activated when machines boot and thereby improving boot speed – support for Nvidia's SHIELD controller, HDMI tweaks for the Broadcom driver used in the Raspberry Pi (and other machines) and support for the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface on RISC-V.

The release candidate is yours for the downloading here. ®

Source

The update introduces improvements for networking, picture-in-picture, storage, OneDrive, advanced settings, security, and more. Microsoft also highlights that the release contains several user-requested features.

What is new in Windows Subsystem for Android 2306 Preview?

Here is the official changelog published in the WSA's GitHub repository:

• Camera compatibility improvements
• Fullscreen mode with F11 now displays hover taskbar to improve mouse and touch experience
• Local networking (under Advanced settings - Experimental features) now replacing "Advanced networking". Android apps can connect to devices on the same network, on all versions of Windows, respect Windows firewall rules, and work with VPNs
• Share user folders (under Advanced settings - Experimental features) now gives users the option to change their default shared folder
• The subsystem will now prompt if an app is trying to use a permission that the subsystem does not have
• The subsystem has switched from EROFS to EXT4 for read-only disks
• Fix for OneDrive folders not showing up in Android apps
• Support for drag and drop for more file types (feature request Unsupported Mimes Types when Drag'n Drop file on app #335)
• Improvements to picture-in-picture (new UI buttons when in PIP)
• Partially running mode now enabled by default for devices with at least 16 GB of memory
• Stability fixes for ARM devices
• Linux kernel updated to 5.15.104
• Android 13 security updates

As a reminder, Windows Subsystem for Android Preview is a standalone program separate from the Windows Insider Program. You can sign up to test WSA preview updates using this form. Note that receiving early WSA updates does not require installing early Windows 11 builds.

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Named Chrome's Material You-based, the project is close to roll out and is set to introduce a series of fresh aesthetic changes that significantly upgrade the browser's interface.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of this redesign is the replacement of all sharp corners with more visually pleasing rounded corners. The address bar, commonly known as the "Omnibox," has been thickened, with the area around it now featuring curved edges in line with the Material You design philosophy.

A distinct change in Chrome 2023 refresh changes how custom themes look in the browser.

The custom is now applied only to the active tab, while the rest of the tab strip retains the Mica effect. This is a shift from the design in the current version, where the theme colour is uniformly applied across all tabs.

For those unaware, Windows 11's Mica is an opaque, dynamic material that incorporates theme and desktop wallpaper to paint the background of long-lived windows such as apps and settings, and it is already used across Microsoft Edge.

With Mica, Google plans to update Chrome's backdrop to delight users and create a visual hierarchy.

In Chrome 2023 refresh, it's evident that the theme colour in the Canary version appears darker. Despite using the same theme across both versions, using Mica in custom themes lends a distinct look to the two versions.

All these improvements collectively contribute to a major shift in the overall look and feel of Google's widely used browser and bring it closer to Microsoft Edge, which already uses rounded corners and Mica.

Via Leo (Reddit)

Source

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is an incredible tool that puts real Linux on top of the Windows 10 or 11 PC you already know and love. Setting up is simple, but out of the gate the default Linux distribution (unless you specify otherwise) will be Ubuntu. 

But the choice does not end there. While there are a number of distributions available through the Microsoft Store, you're not even limited to just those. In the case of Fedora, it sort of is. 

Fedora has been gaining a lot of traction in the Linux space in recent times. This upstream distribution from the same company that also pushes out CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is fast and easy to use. If you'd like to get some Fedora spun up on your WSL setup, here's everything you need to know.

How to install Fedora on WSL - the easy way

Fedora Remix is the best way to use Fedora on WSL.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

This guide assumes you already have WSL2 up and running on your PC, so I'm going to skip that part. If you don't yet have it setup, I've written a complete guide on how to setup and install WSL2 on Windows 10 and 11 you should check out first.

Assuming all that there's a really easy way to use Fedora on WSL and that's by installing Fedora Remix by Whitewater Foundry. This isn't an official release by the Fedora Project, instead it has been customized and packaged for distribution by a third-party with built-in optimizations for WSL. 

In the Microsoft Store it costs $10, but you can grab it directly from GitHub or through the Windows Package Manager for free. If you want to help support the project, by all means buy the paid version as that's what it's for. 

You can get Fedora Remix for free from GitHub or through the Windows Package Manager.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

Installing Fedora Remix is no different to installing Ubuntu or Debian from the Microsoft Store. Once the package is installed you just need to launch it, enter a username and password and you're all set. Fedora Remix includes such customizations as the third-party WSL Utilities out of the box, as well as some essential tweaks to the DNF configuration to make it a little snappier. At the time of writing, Fedora Remix is on the latest version 38.

There's also an alternative available through the Microsoft Store simply called Fedora WSL. This is built from a Fedora rootfs with some pre-installed packages and in many ways is similar to the likes of Linux Mint and Manjaro which have been built for WSL by the community. Both of these apps are open source and on GitHub, so which you go for is entirely up to you. In both cases you simply have to download, install, enter minimal setup information and you'll have a working version of Fedora on your machine.

How to install Fedora and set everything up yourself from scratch

More advanced users who want total control can set up Fedora from scratch. (Image credit: Windows Central)

If either of those two pre-packaged methods are too easy for you, or you want to essentially start from nothing and build it yourself from scratch, you can also do that. This works in a similar way to how Fedora WSL mentioned above was created, only you're doing it all yourself.

The process involves downloading a build of Fedora, extracting the file system, importing that into WSL and then adding everything you want on top. For this you will also need to be able to extract from a .tar.xz file so you'll need WinRAR handy.

The layer.tar file is the one you want.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

1. Go to this URL.  
2. Download the most current build, at the time of writing it's Fedora 38.
3. Extract the contents of the .tar.xz file using WinRAR.
4. Locate the layer.tar file within.
5. Copy it to an easy location to navigate to (you'll need this in the terminal so make it as easy as you can) and rename it to something memorable. In this case, I called it fedora38.tar and placed it on the C:\ drive for easy access.
6. Open Windows Terminal into PowerShell. 

Using PowerShell to import the Fedora filesystem into WSL.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

The next stage involves importing the Fedora filesystem into WSL. We couldn't use the entire package downloaded from Fedora, but WSL does recognize importing .tar files. So, to import the Fedora filesystem into your WSL setup you'll need the following command structure:

wsl --import (distribution) (install location) (file location and filename)

So, based on the example given in the steps above, the command looks like this on my PC:

wsl --import fedora38 c:\wsl c:\fedora38.tar

It'll take a moment to complete, but once done you can launch into it with the wsl -d command followed by whatever you named it, or from the dropdown in Windows Terminal next time you launch it. 

Unlike Fedora Remix, this will be a completely basic, barebones setup. You'll need to add everything including even the passwd feature to be able to add and change user passwords. It's definitely only recommended for more advanced users who know their way around. For most users I'd still recommend Fedora Remix.

Adding RPMFusion to Fedora on WSL

A single but essential command to add RPMFusion to  your Fedora on WSL.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

Like on desktop Fedora, one of the first things to do after you're set up is to add the RPMFusion repos. For reasons there are packages that Fedora cannot distribute built into the operating system, and these mostly live inside RPMFusion. 

Adding it to Fedora on WSL, however, is just as easy as adding it to a full desktop install. Simply open up a terminal and enter this command:

sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm

Do a quick sudo dnf update to then pull in all the latest, and you're set. RPMFusion will now be called when using dnf in Fedora. For more on what RPMFusion is check out the website.

What you now have is a fully functioning instance of Fedora in WSL on your Windows machine to integrate into your workflows however you need it!

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The browser update is available already and most Firefox installations should receive it automatically. Affected users may have difficulties upgrading the browser by selecting Menu > Help > About Firefox; they may head over to the official Firefox website to download the latest version manually and install this way on their devices.

Only Firefox users affected by the startup crash issue should feel any hurry to update to the new version. Since the point release addresses only the single issue, most users of the browser have no benefit installing it.

Mozilla writes on the official release notes page: "Fixed a startup crash for Windows users with Kingsoft Antivirus software installed".

Firefox users who have installed Kingsoft Antivirus or Kingsoft Internet Security on their devices may experience startup crashes. Kingsoft Antivirus is developed by the Chinese software company Kingsoft Corporation. The company is best known for its WPS line of software products such as WPS Office.

Kingsoft Antivirus is available for Windows operating systems only. It can be downloaded from the official website, which is available in Chinese only.

Mozilla's bug report offers insights on the issue. The organization noticed an increase in crashes that it could link directly to a DLL file used by Kingsoft's security software. The crash affects Firefox on Windows 7 and newer versions of the Windows operating system only and occurs if the latest version of the Kingsoft application is installed.

Mozilla added the file kisfdpro64.dll to the browser's blocklist, which prevents the loading of it as a third-party module in Firefox. Only the latest version and earlier version are affected. When Kingsoft releases an update, it may be loaded normally again. There is a chance that the issue is not fixed when the update is released. Mozilla will then add the new version to the blocklist as well.

Firefox 115.0.1 comes just a few days after the official release of Firefox 115. Firefox 115 is a milestone release, as it is the base for the latest Firefox ESR version. It is also the last version of Firefox Stable for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, and macOS 10.12, 10.13 and 10.14. These are all migrated to Firefox's ESR channel to receive support until September 2024.

Now You: when was the last time your favorite browser crashed?

Source

Image support in the terminal was a preview feature in the previous VSCode release but is now switched on by default. To display images in the terminal, the image pixel data is converted to text before being written to the terminal via a special escape sequence.

Right now, the terminal supports the sixel and iTerm inline image protocols. To give the feature a go, you can download a .six file from the libsixel repo and use the cat command in the terminal followed by the filename.

If you want to pass a typical PNG, GIF, or JPEG file to the terminal, you’ll need to install the imgcat python package and then run imgcat followed by the filename in the terminal.

With regard to the accessibility improvements, Microsoft has added a new command (Alt+F2) to open Accessible View. This view allows screen reader users to inspect content character by character and line by line. Copilot audio cues are also included in this release.

The list of changes in this update is shown below:

• Accessibility improvements - Accessible View for better screen reader support, Copilot audio cues.
• Better editor group and tab resizing - Set min tab size, avoid unnecessary editor group resizing.
• Skip subwords when expanding selection - Control whether to use camel case for selection.
• Terminal image support - Display images directly in the integrated terminal.
• Python extensions for mypy and debugpy - For Python type checking and debugging in VS Code.
• Remote connections to WSL - Connect to WSL instances on remote machines using Tunnels.
• Preview: GitHub Copilot create workspace/notebook - Quickly scaffold projects and notebooks.
• New C# in VS Code documentation - Learn about C# development with the C# Dev Kit extension.

To get the latest update, just open up VSCode then go to Help > Check for updates. You can also download a fresh installer from the Visual Studio Code website.

Source

"Will you still need me? Will you still feed me? When I'm sixty-four." OK, so we can be certain that John Lennon and Paul McCartney weren't thinking about Linux when they wrote this classic Beatles song. But, we can also be certain that the latest version of the Linux kernel, Linux 6.4, will be needed and fed by developers and users.

This latest Linux kernel release, recently unveiled by Linus Torvalds, offers improved hardware enablement for ARM boards and a host of other chip technologies. Linux enthusiasts can now eagerly look forward to upgrades to their Intel/AMD chips, graphics cards, and Wi-Fi networking.

For ARM, there's a laundry list of new supported processors. These include Allwinner T113-S Cortex-A7 processor, Rockchip RK3588, Qualcomm IPQ5332 Cortex-A53, and the one that will catch most people's eye -- Apple's M2 processor along with better support for the M1.

Let me point out, though, that M2 support is just starting. So, don't get too excited about running Linux on a new 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air. Only a serious developer would even try it today. For example, the M2-powered Mac Mini doesn't have a working display.

If you want to run Linux on an M1 Mac today, your best choice continues to be Asahi Linux. Users willing to walk on leading, bleeding technology's razor edge can try the latest Asahi Linux update with Mac Studio, Bluetooth, and M2 support. But, as the developers warn you, "This is even more experimental than M1 support, so expect bugs."

They're not kidding.

On another platform, the Linux 6.4 kernel supports RISC-V CPUs hibernation. By year's end, you can expect to see RISC-V laptops appearing. In the US, the Balthazar Personal Computing Device, whose designers claim it's designed from the ground up to be a completely open-source laptop, will be out. I expect mainstream RISC-V to be out as well. Linux is ready for it.

Meanwhile, Linux 6.4 has unlocked new power features for the popular Steam Deck gaming device, which sports an AMD "Van Gogh" APU. The new AMDGPU kernel driver in Linux 6.4 will better handle the handheld's power demands.

In other good gaming news, the kernel's Xpad driver now supports the Turtle Beach REACT-Raf and Turtle Beach Reconaf Xbox controllers. Other Xbox accessory gear will be gaining support soon too. If you still think Linux isn't for gaming, think again.

Lenovo Yoga laptop users will be happy to see that  Linux 6.4 comes with a 'tablet switch' driver to support a range of Yoga notebooks better. These include popular models like the Yoga C940 and the Ryzen-powered Ideapad Flex 14APIaf. This driver will detect when the device keyboard is tucked away. This, in turn, will optimize its usability and battery life.

The new Linux kernel also comes with a wave of tweaks to the in-kernel NTFS file-system driver.  This enables Linux users to access NTFS storage devices and files.  Microsoft introduced NTFS, a proprietary journaling file system, in Windows NT 3.1 in 1993. After a long struggle to support NTFS within open-source Linux, support was finally added in late 2021. But, much more work needed to be done. Still, this latest version comes with notable enhancements.

For those looking to the future of Wi-Fi networking, Linux is adding support for Wi-Fi 7 wireless networking. Wi-what, you ask? This is the next generation of Wi-Fi networking. Known in network engineering circles as 802.11be, by late 2024, you'll start seeing Wi-Fi gear with it that will be able to support up to 30Gbps speeds. That's fast enough that even I'll be happy.

Some old hardware will be leaving the Linux kernel. If somehow you're still using The CardBus and PCMCIA devices, support for them is disappearing. You can, of course, keep running them with older kernels.

On the software side, the Linux 6.4 release includes more upstreamed Rust code. We're getting ever closer to full in-kernel Rust language support.

There are also a lot of other down-and-dirty fixes. For more on those, check out the Linux 6.4 changelog.

You can download Linux 6.4's code and compile it yourself. Most of you, however, will want to wait until your favorite Linux distribution incorporates it into its next release.

Those eager to download can do so from the usual sources. However, less experienced users should wait for your favorite Linux distro to package and release the update in its next version. It will be much easier.

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According to the latest report of 9to5Google, the company is looking to bring more features tailored specifically for EV users. Here is what they have found:

• <string name=”settings_register_as_ev”>Register as EV</string>
• <string name=”ENERGY_CONSUMPTION_ENGINE_TYPE_SETTINGS_FOR_CAR_TITLE”>Engine type (car)</string>
• <string name=”settings_connector_types”>EV Connector Types</string>
• <string name=”settings_your_plugs”>Your plugs</string>
• <string name=”settings_connector_type_1”>J1772</string>
• <string name=”settings_connector_type_combo”>CCS (Combo {0})</string>

Android Auto

Google wants to improve Android Auto for EVs

Google has been discreetly developing new capabilities for Android Auto over the course of the last several upgrades that are related to EVs. You may manually identify your car as an electric vehicle and enable EV capabilities in Google Maps on Android Auto as part of this. All of this can be found in the settings menu for Android Auto in a new area called "EV Settings."

You may choose which charging plug your vehicle will use, among other advantages. The connections J1772, CCS (Combo 1 and 2), Type 2, and CHAdeMO are all listed. The North American Charging Standard (NACS), which was invented by Tesla and has been widely adopted by other EVs slated for American sales, is not mentioned. But presumably, this could be simply introduced in a subsequent release.

Drivers will also be able to select the type of charging port using Android Auto, presumably because Google Maps will look for nearby charging stations and provide directions to the closest one directly on the dashboard screen.

Although Android Auto 9.9 is currently available for download, it is being released gradually through the Google Play Store. You may manually download the updated build using the stand-alone APK installer if you don't want to wait.

The distribution is managed by Google through a server-side switch, so downloading Android Auto 9.9 does not ensure that you'll have access to the new capabilities. As a result, the new features are only offered on the devices that the firm selects.

Unfortunately, Android Auto isn't particularly widespread in well-known EVs. While some companies, like Polestar, have elected to employ Android Automotive as their native operating system, Tesla and Rivian have both chosen to disregard Android Auto and CarPlay. However, this is a nice upgrade for EVs from Kia, Nissan, Ford, and other manufacturers, and we hope to see it more frequently.

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Mozilla introduced Picture-in-Picture (PiP) in Firefox in 2019. How has this feature not been available for 4 years? It is rather odd, especially if you consider that the mute button and its keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + down/up arrow) have been around for a while.

Despite requests from users for several years, Mozilla only began working on the volume slider about a month ago. It is better late than never, I suppose.

That doesn't necessarily mean the browser didn't let you adjust the volume for the video that is playing in the pop-out. You can control the volume with the up and down arrow keys. It also works with the right and left arrows, but in order to use these the focus must be on the volume slider, i.e. you must click on the slider with the mouse, otherwise the keys act as fast-forward and rewind. The up and down arrow keys don't have this restriction, so you can use that instead.

Volume slider in Firefox's Picture-in-Picture

When you watch videos, you probably move your fingers subconsciously to the volume keys on your keyboard to adjust the levels, particularly whenever the audio gets too loud or is too low. But that changes the sound level of the operating system, not just the browser's volume. That's why I think this feature is really important, it only modifies the volume level of the specific video, i.e. the tab's volume. Yes, you can have multiple PiP windows open, each with a different volume level.

The problem here is that without a visible volume slider, a user may not be aware of the controls, and hence may have to go back and forth between the tab and the video pop-out to adjust the volume manually.  This is what makes the new feature special, it's convenient. Hopefully, with the slider in place, more people may notice it.

The volume slider works pretty much exactly how you would expect it to, just click on it with your mouse and drag the slider towards the left or right to decrease or increase the sound level. The change that you make in PiP is reflected in the regular video player on websites. The granular volume control improves the user experience, using the arrow keys to adjust it is intuitive, and now you can do the same with just your mouse or trackpad.

Here is a tip. Did you know that Firefox's PiP mode volume controls works on websites where the keys aren't supported for changing the volume? For example, YouTube supports it, but the videos on Steam don't let you change the volume using the keyboard.

However, the volume slider and hotkeys in Firefox's PiP mode allows you to adjust the sound level with the hotkeys, even on Steam.

Want to try Firefox's volume slider in Picture-in-Picture mode? Download Firefox 116 Beta from the official website. In case you missed it, Firefox is adding support for Quick Actions to the address bar. The latest version brings a few more improvements, you can now copy and paste any file directly from your computer into Firefox. This may be useful for adding attachments to mails quickly. Firefox's latest beta also lets you edit existing text annotations.

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In instances of video playback and multi-monitor connections, both the 7900 XTX and XT exhibited very high power consumption (via TechPoweUp).

AMD fixed the video playback power issue in December last year with driver version 22.12.2, and today, with the latest driver, Team Red has also fixed the multi-monitor high power draw issue. Alongside the power bug, AMD claims it has also resolved performance issues with virtual reality (VR) games and apps.

The full changelog for Windows WHQL driver version 23.7.1 is given below:

Highlights

Support for additional Vulkan® extensions.

• VK_KHR_cooperative_matrix for Radeon™ RX 7000 series

• VK_KHR_ray_tracing_position_fetch for Radeon™ RX 6000 and newer series

• VK_KHR_video_decode_h264

• VK_KHR_video_decode_h265

• VK_KHR_video_decode_queue

• VK_KHR_video_queue

• VK_EXT_device_address_binding_report

• VK_VALVE_mutable_descriptor_type

• VK_EXT_mutable_descriptor_type

• VK_EXT_dynamic_rendering_unused_attachments

   

Fixed Issues

• Certain virtual reality games or applications may encounter suboptimal performance or occasional stuttering on Radeon™ RX 7000 series GPUs.
• Application crash or driver timeout may be observed during playback of AV1 video content using DaVinci Resolve™ Studio.
• Improvements to high idle power when using select 4k@144Hz FreeSync enabled displays or multimonitor display configurations (such as 4k@144HZ or 4k@120Hz + 1440p@60Hz display) using on Radeon™ RX 7000 series GPUs.
• Intermittent corruption may be observed playing WWE 2K23™ on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 7900 XTX.
• Intermittent corruption may be observed after switching windows while playing Nioh 2™ on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 6800 XT.

Known Issues

• Application crash may be intermittently observed while playing RuneScape™ on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 5700 XT.
• Intermittent corruption may be observed around some player models while playing Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix+™ on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 6900 XT.
• Stuttering may be observed while playing Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II with Radeon™ Anti-Lag enabled. As a temporary solution, users encountering this are recommended to disable the Anti-Lag in the per-game settings.
• Performance Metrics Overlay may report N/A for FPS on various games.
• Display signal may be lost after switching windows on certain Adaptive-Sync enable displays on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 7900 XTX.
• Higher than expected GPU Memory Utilization when using certain Record and Stream settings such as Instant Replay.

To download the driver, head over to AMD's official website. The driver supports Polaris (RX 400/500 series), Vega (something which will soon be in maintenance mode for ROCm), and all RDNA GPUs (RX 5000 series, 6000 series, and 7000 series).

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Toward the end of May 2023, Microsoft held its annual conference for developers, Build 2023, where it made many announcements, including integrating Bing into OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, Windows Copilot, and more. 

Alongside the long list of announcements, the tech giant indicated it was gearing up to ship Windows 11's second feature drop, also known as "Moment 3." Microsoft had already tested some of the features that are part of the update with Windows 11 Insiders and was now ready to ship it to broad availability. 

The company indicated that the update would start rolling out to users as an optional preview update on May 24, allowing users to download and install the Moment 3 update at their pleasure. Microsoft further disclosed that it would bump everyone to the latest version of Windows 11, version 22H2, on June 13, 2023, as part of its Patch Tuesday update. 

The installment shipped with several key features, such as a refreshed Widgets Board with new layout options that separate widgets from the MSN feed, a new Win32 app isolation feature designed to let users safely run legacy programs on their devices, and more. However, it hasn't hit every PC out there just yet. 

Read on to find out more about Moment 3, and some of the requirements you may need before you can actually download it.  

Moment 3 is rolling out

The big notable features part of the Moment 3 update include: 

• New animated Taskbar weather icons
• Bing AI button in the Taskbar search bar
• 2FA code recognition in notifications
• Multi-app kiosk mode
• Show clock seconds in the system tray
• Glanceable VPN status icon in the Taskbar
• Various improvements to Voice Access
• Support for more languages in the live captions feature
• Updated touch keyboard settings
• Cloud suggestions in Simplified Chinese IME
• USB4 settings page
• Search box will be lighter when app mode is set to light
• Access keys in File Explorer
• Create live kernel dumps in Task Manager

Last year, Microsoft adopted a new Windows development cycle. This means it would release major versions of the Windows client every three years. The company had initially announced that it would make annual releases for new versions of Windows, but it has since pulled the plug on the move.

Previously, users had to wait for Microsoft's annual fall release of Windows to access new features, but this is no longer the case. The company started releasing these feature updates last year and has stayed the course till now. As we speak, Microsoft has already shipped two major feature updates to Windows 11 users.

The first installment was released in February, and as you'd expect, the company incorporated AI capabilities into the update following its debut of the new Bing. Additionally, the update shipped with screen recording support for the Snipping tool and Phone Link support for iOS, allowing users to use iMessage directly from Windows 11 PCs.

And now, the company has released its second installment for the year, Moment 3. The update should've been downloaded and installed automatically on everyone's PC via the recently released Patch Tuesday update.

Granted, Microsoft has highlighted a couple of system requirements that a device should conform to before installing the update:

As highlighted by our Senior Editor, Zac Bowden, "To get this update, head to Windows Update select the "check for updates" button. You should see 06-2023 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 (KB5027231) begin downloading. This is the June 2023 update with the new features."

(Image credit: Kevin Okemwa)

In my case, I initially tried downloading and installing Moment 3 onto my PC on May 24 as an optional preview update but to no avail. I waited for the Patch Tuesday update to ship to everyone, but that didn't work, but I've since been able to get the update on my PC after enabling the 'Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available' option.

As such, there shouldn't be any reason for you to be concerned if you don't have the update yet. Microsoft rolls out these updates in phases. This is why it's not available for everyone immediately. The company uses this release schedule as a safety feature to ensure that they are able to establish control over the update and that it isn't bricking devices.

Notably, June's Patch Tuesday update does ship with the Moment 3 update, but the features are hidden for some users since the rollout is underway. This is why some users have access to these features while others don't.

As it happens, the update is now expected to roll out to fully everyone via next month's cumulative update (Patch Tuesday update), which is expected to ship on July 11, 2023. At this point, you'll be able to check out the top 7 features from the Moment 3 update.

What's next: Windows 11 version 23H2

Microsoft has already kick-started the development of the next version of Windows 11, slated to start rolling out in the fall. That's between September and October.

Windows 11 version 23H2, unlike its predecessor, will ship with a plethora of features designed to enhance user experience and promote efficiency. And the most notable feature that's likely to roll out with this new version is Windows Copilot.

The AI assistant will use the same technology Microsoft uses on the Microsoft 365 Copilot and Bing Chat, ChatGPT. As such, it'll be easier for users to leverage its capabilities to grasp complex topics.

As you might already be aware, Microsoft announced it would officially pull the plug on Cortana on Windows 11 and 10 later this year, during the fall. This lines up perfectly with Windows 11 version 23H2 rollout time.

This could be Microsoft's bid to replace the Cortana experience across its operating systems with new and modern entries such as Windows Copilot. The new feature allows users to adjust their PC settings, summarize content, launch playlists in Spotify, and more.

Moreover, the update will sport a File Explorer redesign featuring major changes to the app, starting from the header UI, which will present a similar experience to the one you find while browsing the web. As you'd expect, the tabs are at the very top of the app, followed by forward, back, and home buttons next to the address bar and search box.

If you're a diehard fan of the legacy File Explorer layout and aren't looking forward to the overhaul and revamp. Microsoft recently announced that it'd retain some legacy features on the platform it had initially planned to scrap. Some of the features include: 

• Hide Folder Merge conflict.
• Always show icons, never thumbnails.
• Display file icon on thumbnails.
• Display file type information on Folder tips.
• Hide protected OS files.
• Show drive letters.
• Show popup description for Folder and Desktop items.
• Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in colour.
• Use sharing wizard.

With this in mind, Microsoft launched Windows 11 in 2021. That would mean that the company is set to ship its next major version of the Windows client in 2024. As it happens, the company could be on course with these plans.

For instance, Microsoft announced that it would be phasing out Windows 11's Calendar and Mail apps and replacing them with the new Outlook. And while Microsoft has updated the timeline for when this change is supposed to be implemented, it has finally settled for the end of 2024.

Windows 12 rumors, and the future

Interestingly, the timeline neatly aligns with when Microsoft is supposed to ship its next major version of Windows, Windows 12 (codenamed Hudson Valley). "Windows 12" rumors have been reeking in the air for some time now, and we already know quite a bit about the operating system.

Unsurprisingly, the new OS will reportedly be packed with new features and many AI capabilities owing to its keen interest and heavy investment in generative technology in the past few months.

That being said, users may soon be able to analyze content displayed on the screen and use the information to provide contextual prompts that will help them get started with projects and apps quickly. Windows 12 will also sport a new user interface.

Alongside adopting a new Windows development cycle, the company also highlighted that it would intensify the release of new features to the current version of Windows on the market.

We'll just have to wait and see Microsoft’s direction. Have you been able to download and install the Moment 3 Update on your device? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. 

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According to several observations, the extension appears in different channels, not only Canary or Dev. I got it on my primary PC running stable Windows 11 and Edge and on a virtual machine with the latest Windows 11 Dev build and Edge Canary. Although the extension is turned off by default, Deskmodder reports Microsoft Edge on their machines prompted to "repair" Google Docs Offline and enabled it without permission.

Google Docs Offline is part of the Chrome browser, so one theory is that the extension made it to Microsoft Edge by a bug or mistake (Chrome and Edge are powered by Chromium). However, the extension has a distinct "Installed by Microsoft Edge" badge indicating that the behavior is anything but unintentional. Also, an "i" button says Edge will turn on the extension to "optimize your experience." The story gets extra ironic considering that Microsoft Edge has built-in shortcuts and sidebar buttons for Office Online.

Whether it is a bug, a controlled feature rollout, A/B testing, or an intentional extension injection, it is not hard to imagine Edge users being extremely upset about the situation. The browser's main pitch in 2019 was to give users a modern Chromium-based browser free of Google and various bloat. Fast forward to 2023, and Microsoft Edge is now full of questionable features, an unstoppable flow of annoying prompts, user-hostile practices, and adware-like behaviors.

Fortunately, you can remove the unsolicited extension by heading to edge://extensions and clicking the Remove button next to Google Docs Offline.

Did Microsoft install the Google Docs Offline extension on your machine without permission? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Threads is the hottest ticket in town right now as Instagram's answer to Twitter has finally launched to (most of) the world. But predictably, there are only apps available for iOS and Android. There isn't even a web app right now. 

No matter, though. Windows users have an ace up their sleeve by way of the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). Thanks to the wonders of virtualization, you can get Threading in a matter of moments on your Windows PC. 

Threads isn't available through the Amazon Appstore right now, but it's still really easy to get started. 

Before you begin 

You'll need the WSATools app to make the magic happen.  (Image credit: Future)

Naturally to make this happen you'll need to have WSA enabled on your PC. For the purposes of this guide, I'm going to assume you already have it up and running. If you don't, we have a full guide on how to get started with WSA on your PC. So definitely check that out first and get everything running.  

You'll also need the APK for Threads and an app from the Microsoft Store called WSATools. 

To get the APK you'll need to get it from a reputable third-party source. APKMirror is probably the best and most trusted option for this. Grab the latest version of the Threads APK. I went with the x86_64 version, but the ARM64 version also seems to work on an x86 Windows PC thanks to the magic of WSA. 

With WSA set up and your additional downloads completed, let's get Threads installed. 

How to install Threads on Windows 11

WSATools makes sideloading Threads a one click affair.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

The first thing you need to do in order to sideload Threads is enable Developer Mode inside WSA. Follow these steps to do this: 

1. Open Windows Subsystem for Android on your PC.
2. Select Advanced settings from the sidebar.
3. Enable the Developer Mode toggle.

From here it's time to open WSATools. If it's your first time using it there will be an additional install of the Android ADB tools, but don't worry. WSATools will prompt you if this is required and all you need to do is tell it where on your PC to install what it needs. 

After that's sorted just choose the location of your downloaded Threads APK and hit install. Give it a minute and you're all done. Threads will now be accessible through the Start Menu like any other app on your PC. Login with your Instagram account and join the party!

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Our further analysis into the 401 exception errors has identified a recent service update which had introduced a configuration issue that prevented users' keyword searches in Outlook.com. After reverting the offending service update, we've validated that impact has been remediated.

Original story - Microsoft is suffering from yet another issue with its online productivity apps. This time, it's with its Outlook email client, and more specifically with the web version at Outlook.com.

At the moment, people who access Outlook.com cannot search their emails. The issue was first reported on Microsoft's service status page (via BleepingComputer) over 12 hours ago.

The status page currently says:

Title: Users can't search using keywords in Outlook.com

User impact: Users can't search using keywords in Outlook.com.

More info: When attempting to search, users receive an error which states "Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again later."

Current status: We're continuing to investigate into the 401 exception errors to confirm the source generating these errors and determine a plan to remediate impact.

People who use the mobile Outlook email apps are reportedly not being affected by this issue at this time. The Microsoft status page says it will have an update on this situation at 7:30 PM UTC (3:30 PM EST). We will update this story when this issue has been resolved.

This is just the latest issue that has hit Outlook web users in recent days. Last week, on June 27, the Outlook.com site was inaccessible for many users worldwide for a number of hours before a fix was enabled.

During the first week of June, there was an even more serious outage that affected nearly all of Microsoft's online services, including Teams, Azure, and Outlook. The problem lasted for about 15 hours. Later, the company admitted the outage was due to an extensive denial of service attack on its systems.

While it's unlikely that a DDoS attack is at the heart of this latest issue with Outlook.com it does show that Microsoft is having many more issues with its web-based email client than what many would consider to be expected amounts of errors and downtime.

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What are Firefox Quick Actions

For those unaware, Quick Actions in Firefox act as shortcuts to various options that are available in the browser. All you need to do is type a word in the address bar, and the browser will display a button related to the feature. Click on it, or highlight it with the keyboard and press the Enter key to jump to the relevant section immediately. The feature is quite similar to Google Chrome Actions.

Quick Actions can be very useful for people who prefer to navigate using the keyboard, and may also come in handy for users who don't know where to access a specific feature from, for instance if you have just started using the browser.

List of Quick Actions available in Firefox Beta

• View Add-ons
• Manage Bookmarks
• Clear History
• Manage Extensions
• Open Developer Tools
• Manage Passwords
• Manage Plugins
• Print Page
• Open Private Window
• Refresh Firefox
• Take a Screenshot
• Manage Settings
• Manage Themes
• Update Firefox
• View Page Source

You can view the available shortcuts in Firefox Beta by clicking on the Actions button that appears in the Address Bar's "This time search with" section.  It displays a panel which is quite useful as you don't have to type the keyword in the search bar, you may just click on the button to open the appropriate option.

Previously, you had to enable the feature in Firefox Nightly by adding a couple of preferences manually, but Quick Actions are now enabled by default in the Beta version. If you don't want to use it, you may disable the feature from Firefox's Settings > Privacy & Security section, scroll down a bit and uncheck the box next to "Quick Actions".

Want to try Firefox Quick Actions without installing the beta version of the browser? You can do it by enabling an experimental feature in the stable build, i.e. Firefox 115.

How to enable Firefox Quick Actions in the stable channel

1. Open a new tab and type about:config.

2. Paste the following text in the box.

browser.urlbar.quickactions.enabled

3. Firefox will display a new preference with "Boolean" highlighted. Click on the + button next to it to add the flag.

4. Repeat the above step to create a second preference called

browser.urlbar.shortcuts.quickactions

5. Restart the browser.

You should now be able to use Firefox Actions in the browser. There is one notable difference between the experience in the stable channel vs the one in the beta build. The stable version requires you to add a > before you trigger an action, for example, you will need to type > Settings or > add-on. Firefox's beta on the other hand eliminates the need to include > before the desired action, so simply typing settings or add-on will display the corresponding result.

9to5Linux reports that Firefox 116 Beta adds support for creating of Wayland-only builds from sources without X11 dependencies.

Now that Quick Actions are available in Firefox Beta, it may not be long before Mozilla decides to ship it to the stable release, which is scheduled for the 1st of August.

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Turn on screenshot sound in Windows 10 and 11

1. Press Win + R and type regedit to launch Windows Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default. You can copy the path and paste it into the address bar to save a few clicks.

    

   
3. Right-click the .Default key and select New > Key.
4. Rename the key to SnapShot.
5. Close Windows Registry Editor.
6. Press Win + I to launch the Settings app and navigate to Personalization > Themes > Sounds.

    

   
7. Alternatively, press Win + R and type rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL mmsys.cpl ,2.
8. Scroll down the list of program events and click SnapShot.

    

   
9. Select a sound from the Sounds drop-down list. You can also click Browse and pick a custom sound effect in the wav format.
10. Click Ok to save the changes.

Now you can try your new screenshot sound by pressing PrintScreen or other shortcuts with this key (via).

It is worth reminding that recent Windows updates changed the PrintScreen key behavior. Instead of taking a screenshot and copying it to the clipboard, pressing the PrintScreen button now invokes the Snipping Tool app. Therefore, you might want to restore the old behavior before enabling screenshot sounds in Windows 11. Alternatively, use the Snipping Tool app, which sends a notification every time you capture something on the screen.

Will you enable screenshot sounds on your Windows 10 or 11 PC? Let us know in the comments below.

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Microsoft is making gradual progress in this department as the UI for many applications is inconsistent with the overall Windows 11 look and feel, and we are seemingly only a year away from Windows 12. Not only the user interface (UI) and the user experience (UX), the tech giant also recently hinted that security changes are in place too, and we may even get more chip-level security similar to TPM 2.0 requirements.

As an example, Microsoft upgraded how the product activation UI via telephone support for Windows and Office looks. The firm has also been tweaking around with various dialog boxes like the one for the Shut Down, making minor adjustments here and there. Other areas like the Settings app also just got a makeover too. These include changes to the Microsoft Account (MSA) account recovery UI and more. Going back to last year, the Redmond giant restored the modern Open with dialog before doing away with it for a little while.

One of the things that haven't seen any major change is the Windows Run dialog box, a feature that is typically very popular among users. Developer FireCube Studios has created such a dialog box for Run, based on Fluent UI.

The app is called "Run by FireCube" and it sports features like Dark mode support, Glow UI, GPT-powered natural language processing (NLP) and more. The main highlights of the app are:

• Dark mode

• GPT powered natural language processing

• 30 recent commands history

• GlowUI

• Tray support

• Keyboard shortcut

• Run as Administrator

   

Here is what the Run by FireCube dialog box looks like:

The changelog for the latest updated version of the app, Run 2.0, is given below:

• Includes new AI powered natural language processing so you can ask "Open settings"

• Administrator support

• Overrides default run box with Win + R command

• New system tray support

• New run box control supports Up/Down keys and enter

• ShineUI, GlowUI, ReactiveUI including brand new Glow buttons and reactive textbox

• Customise more settings

   

FireCube Studios has also provided a step-by-step guide on how to install its Run:

1. Try using the store version instead: https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9NQGV64S5136
2. Download and extract zip
3. Right click the .cer file and select "Install Certificate" [sic]
4. Select "Local Machine" as place to store
5. Select place all certificates in the following store
6. Click "Browse" then select "Trusted Root Certification Authorities"
7. Finish the certificate wizard
8. Right click the .msix file then open with App Installer
9. Install

The application works on Windows 11, as well as on Windows 10, version 17763.0 or higher. You may find more details about the project on its GitHub page.

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A new post on the Windows Insider Program Twitter page states there will be no Insider builds released this week for the Dev, Beta, and Canary channels.

The post didn't mention the Release Preview channel, but it's likely we won't see a new build for that version as well this week, as we have already had recent builds for Windows 11 and Windows 10 that were launched in late June. Usually, Release Preview build versions are only released once a month.

There are likely a couple of reasons for not getting new builds this week. One is, of course, the Independence Day holiday week in the US, as many employees are taking some time off to go on vacation.

The other likely big reason for no new builds this week is that Microsoft released a major update to its Dev Channel late last week on June 29. The 23493 build version added a ton of highly anticipated new features, including the Windows Copilot generative AI assistant, a new Settings page, a new volume mixer, and more. A new Beta Windows 11 build was released for Windows Insiders for that channel on the same day which brings WinUI 3.

Windows Insider members on the Canary channel haven't had much love over the past several weeks. Microsoft has released several small updates to that channel, but none have had any new features or improvements. The last Canary build was launched on June 14 with the build number 25393.

Source

With the absence of new Toys, you'll be pleased to see there's a good number of fixes included in this release which are included below.

Here are the highlights of the update:

• Support previewing archive files with Peek. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fixed PT Run crash caused by missing App.Dark.png file.
• Added setting to set Registry Preview as default app for opening .reg files. Thanks @randyrants!
• Modernized Settings app title bar and styling (Mica background material) to be inline with Windows 11 guidelines. Thanks @niels9001!

and here is the full changelog:

General

• Fixed infinite loop issue caused by global event not being reset. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Bump CommunityToolkit.Mvvm package version to 8.2.0. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fixed issue causing runner lag by moving check for updates and running bug report logic to the background thread.
• Bump WinUIEx package version to 2.2. Thanks @niels9001!
• Fixed issue causing Settings app crash when launching a second app process. Thanks @BLM16!
• Fixed network errors when checking for updates on virtual machines.
• Bump Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.NetAnalyzers package version to 7.0.3. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Bump Microsoft.Windows.Compatibility package version to 7.0.3.
• Bump System.Management package version to 7.0.2.
• Fixed issue causing PowerToys to start with Below Normal priority on startup.

colourPicker

• Store colour history in a separated file.

FancyZones

• Added feature to use middle click to toggle multiple zones spanning. Thanks @BasitAli!
• Fixed issue causing zoning not to happen until the cursor is moved.
• Improved monitor identification logic to mitigate issues causing layout reset.
• Fixed issue where default layout was applied instead of blank layout.

File Locksmith

• Added setting to show only in extended context menu.

File Explorer add-ons

• Developer files preview support for .vsconfig, .sln, .vcproj, .vbproj, .fsproj and .vcxproj files. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Developer files preview support .vbs, .inf, .gitconfig, .gitattributes and .editorconfig files. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @Aaron-Junker!
• Changed order of developer files preview` context menu items. Thanks @Aaron-Junker!
• Developer files preview support for .gitignore files. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @Aaron-Junker!
• Fixed issue causing preview pane flickering on file selection and resizing. Thanks @tanchekwei!

Hosts

• Improved UX by adding keyboard shortcuts. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Added setting to select the file encoding. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fixed parsing of commented lines with an address and host in the middle of the comment. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fixed issue on adding first entry and improve empty hosts list UI. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Added logic to handle more than 9 hosts per entry (Windows limitation) by splitting them into separate entries. Thanks @davidegiacometti!

ImageResizer

• Added Enter key event handler when setting width/height of the new custom size.

Installer

• Fixed PowerToys Plugin installation. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fixed issue causing missing Mouse Without Borders service after upgrade. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Removed unneeded PT Run registry entries.

Mouse Without Borders

• Added Name2IP setting. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed device layout issues. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed hiding cursor at the top of the screen when "Hide mouse at the screen edge" is enabled. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed issue that was preventing OS going to sleep mode. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Remove shortcut for deprecated VKMap functionality. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @dtaylor84!
• Make MWB work without service if service doesn't start properly. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed focus issue causing "Hide mouse at the screen edge" not to work properly. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed issue causing app to hijack shortcut keys if they are only partially matched.

Peek

• Consume Ctrl+Space shortcut only if Desktop or Shell are in the foreground. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Added feature to hide window with Esc key. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Added a setting to always run not-elevated (enabled by default). (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Support .vsconfig, .sln, .vcproj, .vbproj, .fsproj and .vcxproj files. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed blinking issue while loading developer files. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Reset preview Source on Peek window close. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Center Peek window on File Explorer activated monitor. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @SamChaps!
• Fix previewing unsupported file types by using effective pixels. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @SamChaps!
• Support .vbs, .inf, .gitconfig, .gitattributes and .editorconfig files. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @Aaron-Junker!
• Fixed memory leak by clearing generated thumbnails. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Added setting to close on focus lost. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed crash when triggering Peek with no files being selected. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed setting Peek window as a foreground window. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed race condition causing low quality preview to be displayed even if high quality preview is present. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Added support for .htm files.
• Fixed issue where title bar button colours were not update on Windows theme change.
• Added up/down arrow key item navigation. Thanks @DanWiseProgramming!
• Improved UX by defining minimum window size and adding tooltips for shown text. Thanks @htcfreek!
• Fixed crash on previewing internet shortcuts files.
• Support previewing archive files. Thanks @davidegiacometti!

PowerToys Run

• Fixed crash caused by non thread-safe Results update.
• Fixed crash caused by missing App.Dark.png
• Code cleanup and fixed possible crash caused by missing VS Code instance in VS Code plugin. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fix environment helper for nested environment variables. Thanks @htcfreek!

Quick Accent

• Added multiplication and division signs. Thanks @ailintom!
• Added opening exclamation mark to Catalan and Spanish language. Thanks @Aaron-Junker!
• Added the section sign ("§", U+00A7). Thanks @EikeJoo!
• Added accent units and more additional signs. Thanks @WilkoLu!

Registry Preview

• Added setting to set the app as default app for opening .reg files. Thanks @randyrants!
• Merge settings to single folder.
• Fixed issue of saving files without truncation. Thanks @qwerty472123!

Text Extractor

• Various improvements and fixes. Thanks @TheJoeFin!

Settings

• Styling fixes for Peek and Mouse Without Borders pages. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @niels9001!
• Fixed Mouse Without Borders machine connection status styling. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Improved Mouse Without Border page Uninstall service UX when it is inaccessible. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Updated File Explorer module screenshots and instructions to reflect the Windows 11 File Explorer. Thanks @infinitepower18!
• Modernized the app title bar and styling (Mica background material) to be inline with Windows11 guidelines. Thanks @niels9001!
• Improved error handling on settings backup failure.
• Added Reset button to shortcut control to reset activation shortcut to default value. Thanks @Svenlaa!
• Improved Exclude apps setting for all modules to also detect apps by title.

Development

• Added Peek and Mouse Without Borders to GitHub templates. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed the CI release pipelines winget package submission. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Fixed process report and termination lists for Peek and Mouse Without Borders. (This was a hotfix for 0.70)
• Added Winget configuration file. (This was a hotfix for 0.70) Thanks @ryfu-msft!
• Fixed tests localization issues.
• Added Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ATL library to .vsconfig.
• Onboarding to GitOps.ResourceManagement.

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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The gist is simple: open three or more apps, hover the cursor over the Minimize/Maximize button (or press Win + Z), and select a recommended variant. Of course, Windows cannot be 100% accurate with its predictions, so it still lets you manually arrange open windows using Snap Layouts and Snap Assist.

Windows 11 build 23493 has two variants for Snap Layouts suggestions: one with the recommendations on top and one at the bottom. Here is how to enable the updated Snap Layouts and toggle between available configurations.

How to enable Snap Layouts suggestions in Windows 11 build 23493?

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

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files using the CD command. For example, if you have ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:42500395 /variant:1 and press Enter. The command enables Snap Layouts suggestions with recommendations at the bottom.
6. Type vivetool /enable /id:42500395 /variant:2 and press Enter to move suggestions to the top.
7. Restart your computer. If the commands do not work, execute the following and try again: vivetool /enable /id:42105254,41655236,39146010,44470355.

The updated Snap Layouts feature is expected to be a part of the upcoming Windows 11 23H2 update. Microsoft allegedly plans to release it in a few months, bringing Windows 11 users many improvements. Check out our recent article covering five great features coming soon to Windows 11.

Credits for the IDs go to @PhantomOfEarth on Twitter.

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Microsoft introduced the badge without a public announcement a couple of builds ago. After enabling a feature ID using the ViVeTool app, Windows 11 would place a "Microsoft" tag next to some of the stock applications.

Since the feature was never announced, at this point, we can only guess the reasoning behind it. However, in build 23493, Microsoft changed the badge from "Microsoft" to "System," giving users a better distinction between stock programs and other software.

Still, not all default apps have the tag—File Explorer, Tips, and Settings have it, but Snipping Tool, Quick Assist, Terminal, and other applications do not. This might indicate a work in progress, so the best bet is to wait for Microsoft to share more detail. And no, the badge is for non-removable programs since you can delete the Tips app.

Here is how to enable the new "System" tag with the ViVeTool app.

Enable the "System" badge in Windows 11 build 23493

1. Download and install Windows 11 build 23493 from the Dev Channel.
2.  Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder.
3. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin).
4. Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile with the Ctrl + Shift + 2 shortcut or by clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window.
5. Navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
6. Type vivetool /enable /id:44571814,44573982 and press Enter.
7. Restart your computer.

If you change your mind and want to disable the "System" badge, repeat the steps above and replace /enable with /disable in the command on step 5.

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On July 3, 2023, Kontos announced on the official Waterfox blog that the browser has turned to its independent roots again.

Kontos, who remained lead developer of the Waterfox browser after the System1 deal, remains in charge of the independent project. He mentions that the change allows him and the community to "shape the browser's future direction".

System1 must have had some say in the development of the browser after it made the acquisition, based on that statement. Kontos reiterates that the development focus remains on privacy, customization options and performance. Upcoming versions of the Waterfox browser will have online security and also the digital autonomy  of users as a priority.

He writes: "s we embark on this new chapter, Waterfox’s dedication to privacy, customisation, and performance remains. I am committed to delivering a browser that prioritises your online security and respects your digital autonomy. With this change, I have the opportunity to accelerate development, introduce new features, and focus on the user experience".

Kontos plans to focus on improvements in Waterfox that " enhance privacy, boost performance, and expand customisation options" according to the announcement.

New versions of the G5 version of Waterfox were released regularly, but the changelogs on the project's GitHub website don't reveal much about the changes that went into any of the releases. The browser's own changelog offers more information, which users may access here.

Kontos does not reveal additional information about the change in the blog post or specifics about the deal with System1. The newfound independence could act as a catalysator, Kontos certainly makes it sound that way. Users who migrated to a different browser after the deal with System1 in 2020 might come back or take another look at the browser at the very least.

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What you need to know

• A new concept video shows what Windows 12 could look like.
• While it's known that Microsoft is working on a new version of Windows, the company has not confirmed a name for its upcoming OS.
• The concept video shows a revamped Start menu, a flexible widgets board, and new ways to customize the look of a PC.

Windows 12 isn't official yet, but it's the name many have given to the next version of Microsoft's operating system. We know that Microsoft is hard at work on an OS that's codenamed Hudson Valley. Leaks, rumors, and reports have already started to emerge about the upcoming update to PCs.

Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden gathered together everything he knows about "Windows 12," including the fact that it's expected in the second half of 2024. Microsoft is reportedly working on a new lock screen, login screen, and notification center.

While all of that is exciting, it's not a look at what Windows 12 could actually look like. That's where a new concept video from YouTuber AR 4789 comes in. While the video is just a dream of what Windows 12 could look like, it gives a chance to discuss the future of Windows.

The Start menu shown in the video looks like a merger of the Windows 11 and Windows 10 menus. It has transparency effects and is centered like the Start menu on Windows 11, but it has the all-apps menu on the side as seen in Windows 10.

The recommended section of the Start menu has been replaced with a Recent items list that you can scroll through to see more.

The widgets board from Windows 11 lives on in the Windows 12 concept, but with some major improvements. Widgets can be dragged and dropped onto the desktop. They can also be rearranged freely within the panel in a similar manner to Live Tiles on Windows 10.

There are also some handy new widgets, like an app launcher.

In what many would consider a welcome change, the concept's widgets board lacks ads and the MSN feed.

Some new theming options appear in the concept video as well. They aren't as dramatically different as those seen in the widgets board, but they give some new ways to customize the look of your PC.

As we move toward the release of Microsoft's next operating system, we're bound to see more fan concepts appear. What do you think of this imagining of Windows 12? Let us know in the comments below.

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The support article for the new KB5027318 update says:

KB5027318: Setup Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 22H2:

Summary

This update makes improvements to Setup binaries or any files that Setup uses for feature updates in Windows 11, version 22H2.

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

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

Content acquired includes:

• Setup Updates: Fixes to Setup binaries or any files that Setup uses for feature updates.

• Safe OS Updates: Fixes for the "safe OS" that are used to update Windows recovery environment (WinRE).

• Servicing Stack Updates: Fixes that are necessary to address the Windows 10 servicing stack issue and thus required to complete the feature update.

• Latest Cumulative Update: Installs the latest cumulative quality update.

• Driver Updates: Latest version of applicable drivers that have already been published by manufacturers into Windows Update and specifically targeted for Dynamic Update.

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

The Dynamic update is available only via Microsoft Update Catalog. You can download it by visiting this link. Windows 11 21H2 also got its Dynamic update under KB5027317 which you can find here.

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