It looks like the update may have brought over a bug causing systems to install the patch slower than usual. According to user reports on Reddit (the subreddit is currently restricted), KB5027215 is taking more than half an hour to install for some users, with clean-up process post-update taking most of the time. The issue has been reported by multiple users and is happening when trying to install the cumulative update along with Microsoft .NET updates.

Only unusual thing that I noticed which others might have experienced is the long “cleaning up” process post-update/pre-login on the reboot. That happens if you reboot for the cumulative update and the NET update at the same time.

Microsoft is yet to acknowledge the issue or share any information about the bug. Currently, there is no workaround to fix the problem and you should be prepared for a long wait time if you plan to go ahead and install the update. It should further be noted that turning off your system during the update is not a wise option and can harm your device. You should let the update install completely, even if it takes much longer than usual.

If you are facing issues with the latest Windows 10 update then you can follow the steps below to rollback:

1. Open the Settings app and navigate to Windows Update under Update and Security
2. Select Update History and click on Uninstall Updates
3. Select KB5027215 from the list and click on 'Uninstall'
4. Reboot your system to complete the rollback

Along with longer installation times, users have also reported issues installing the update, with some saying that the update did not install after the PC rebooted. On Feedback Hub, users have reported getting 0x80073701 error when trying to install the latest cumulative update.

If you are still using Windows 10 and do not want to install the new update then it might be a good idea to pause updates on the system. You can do so from the Windows Update section in the Update and Security category in the Settings app.

Windows 10 KB5027215 update is causing installation issues for some users

Intel had formally ended driver support for 6th Gen (Skylake) up to 10th Gen CPUs back in July of 2022. As such, this driver update does not have any major changes as Intel's development efforts have shifted to the newer generation families like Alder Lake, Raptor Lake, and its Arc discrete GPUs, which also makes sense.

Intel released a beta driver update for Arc yesterday and it once again brings big performance gains in some of the games optimized, a fairly common phenomenon nowadays, though the previous couple of driver updates for Arc did not feature any hefty performance gains.

KNOWN ISSUES:

• Vertical collage mode not functional using the Intel Graphics Command Center
• May observe two combined displays visible as not combined displays in the Intel Graphics Command Center

To download the Intel 31.0.101.2125 WHQL driver if you happen to be running one of such systems, head over to Intel's official driver page here.

Intel releases 31.0.101.2125 Windows WHQL driver for 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th Gen, and more

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1900 and Build 22631.1900 () to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22631.1835 = New features rolling out.
• Build 22621.1835 = New features off by default.

The new build tries to eliminate a lot of the annoying and distracting notification toasts by offering an option to disable and opt-out if users don't interact with them. The new release also brings better connection performance for Passpoint Wi-Fi. The full changelog is given below:

Changes and Improvements in Build 22631.1900

[General]

• To minimize distractions from notification toasts, we now detect if the user is interacting with toasts or not and provide a suggestion to turn the toast banners off for such apps. This will only stop the banners from appearing, and you can still find the toasts in the notification center. This feature is beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will see it right away.

[Networking]

• Passpoint Wi-Fi networks will now support enhanced connection performance and will display a URL in Quick Settings to provide information to users about the venue or event.

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

Windows 11 Beta build (KB5027301) lets you disable annoying notifications, boosts Wi-Fi

Almost two years after the initial Windows 11 release, Microsoft is raising a white flag and removing the Chat app from the operating system.

Starting with Windows 11 build 23481 (currently available in the Dev Channel), Microsoft no longer bundles the Chat app with its operating system. Instead, Windows 11 now comes with Microsoft Teams Free pinned to the taskbar by default. Unlike the original Chat app, it is a regular shortcut you can remove with a right-click.

Starting with this build, Chat is now Microsoft Teams – Free. Microsoft Teams – Free is pinned by default to the taskbar and can be unpinned like other apps on the taskbar. Stay tuned for more enhancements as we continue to enhance Microsoft Teams – Free with more features and improvements.

The end of the Chat app in Windows 11 is just another chapter of Microsoft's ever-going messaging apps for Windows saga.

It started with Windows Messenger on Windows XP then MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger, and Skype, then the failed Skype-powered Messages app for Windows 10/Windows 10 Mobile, and now Chat and Microsoft Teams Free. And do not forget that Skype still exists and regularly gets new features and improvements.

The latest preview update introduced integration with Microsoft Weather, better calling tabs, improved Bing Chat support, and many more.

Microsoft's messaging apps and services may still look confusing, but at least Windows 11 will soon be free of the app most users consider absolutely useless.

Microsoft ends another failed experiment with a built-in messenger for Windows

Outside of gaming, the new driver fixes a black screen issue with embedded WebView2 content. The full changelog is given below:

GAMING HIGHLIGHTS:

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

• Counter-Strike 2*
• F1 23*
• Aliens: Dark Descent*
• Forever Skies*

Game performance improvements versus Intel® 31.0.101.4382 software driver for:

• Counter-Strike 2* (DX11)
  • Up to 10% uplift at 1080p with Very High settings
  • Up to 8% uplift at 1440p with High settings
• F1 23* (DX12)
  • Up to 33% uplift at 1080p with Ultra High settings with Ray Tracing off
  • Up to 18% uplift at 1080p with Ultra High settings with Ray Tracing on
  • Up to 27% uplift at 1440p with High settings
• Destiny 2* (DX11)
  • Up to 11% uplift at 1080p with Highest settings

FIXED ISSUES:

Intel® Arc™ Graphics Products:

• Destiny 2* (DX11) may experience less than expected performance or stuttering during gameplay.
• A blank screen or error may be observed in certain applications when embedding content using WebView2.

KNOWN ISSUES:

• Intel® Arc™ Graphics Products:
  • 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.
  • Some users may experience a crash in F1 23 when changing the XeSS presets. Intel® and the developer are aware of the issue and a fix will be coming in a future game patch.
• Intel® Iris™ Xe MAX Graphics Products:
  • Driver installation may not complete successfully on certain notebook systems with both Intel® Iris™ X e + Iris™ X e MAX devices. A system reboot and re-installation of the graphics driver may be required for successful installation.
• Intel® Core™ Processor Products:
  • Total War: Warhammer III* (DX11) may experience an application crash when loading battle scenarios.
  • Call of Duty Warzone 2.0* (DX12) may exhibit corruption on certain light sources such as fire.
  • Conqueror's Blade* (DX12) may experience an application crash during game launch.
  • A Plague Tale: Requiem* (DX12) may experience application instability during gameplay.

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.

To download the Intel Arc 31.0.101.4499 beta driver, head over to the company's official website here. The driver is compatible with Arc discrete GPUs, DG1 discrete GPU, and Intel Xe integrated graphics present inside 11th Gen and newer chips.

Intel proves us wrong with big driver update gains, fixes WebView2 black screen issue

Microsoft is preparing to remove its built-in Microsoft Teams client in Windows 11 nearly two years after the integration was first announced. The Chat functionality will be replaced with the more flexible free version of Microsoft Teams that’s also available as an app for Windows 10. Microsoft announced the changes in a new Windows 11 test build this week.

“Starting with his build, Chat is now Microsoft Teams – Free,” says Brandon LeBlanc, senior program manager at Microsoft, in a blog post.

“Microsoft Teams – Free is pinned by default to the taskbar and can be unpinned like other apps on the taskbar.” We asked Microsoft to comment on why Chat is being removed, but the company hasn’t responded in time for publication.

The original Teams integration in Windows 11, named Chat, was deeply woven into the operating system. Enabled by default, the Chat app was pinned to the taskbar and you’d have to dig into Settings to remove it. Chat offers consumers a way to use Microsoft Teams to contact friends and family. It was weirdly limited to just consumers though, making it useless for the vast majority of Microsoft Teams users that use the work version of the app. Windows 11 users could also end up with two confusing versions of Teams installed to handle work calls and personal ones.

The Chat icon on the Windows 11 taskbar Image: Microsoft

Up until today, Microsoft had been continually adding new features to Chat inside Windows 11, with improved video calling features in October and Discord-like communities and an AI art tool earlier this month. The built-in Chat functionality in Windows 11 was based on the Microsoft Teams 2.0 client, which served as the foundation for the new Microsoft Teams app that’s rolling out to businesses at the moment.

Microsoft’s decision to axe Windows 11’s built-in Teams client comes just days after the company announced plans to end support for Cortana on Windows 11 later this year. It’s nearly a new financial year for Microsoft and the company is clearly focusing its efforts elsewhere on new projects for Windows, including its AI-powered Windows Copilot tool.

Windows chief Panos Panay previously hinted at the importance of AI for Windows, claiming at CES earlier this year that “AI is going to reinvent how you do everything on Windows.” AI will undoubtedly play a big role in the next major version of Windows, too.

The changes to Teams also comes just months after Microsoft reportedly agree to stop bundling Teams with Office. The Financial Times reported in April that Microsoft will stop forcing Office customers to have to install Teams on their devices, in a move designed to appease EU regulators. Microsoft is trying to avoid a formal antitrust probe by the European Commission, after rival Slack filed a complaint in 2020 about Microsoft’s bundling of Teams.

Source

Almost two years after the initial Windows 11 release, Microsoft is raising a white flag and removing the Chat app from the operating system.

Starting with Windows 11 build 23481 (currently available in the Dev Channel), Microsoft no longer bundles the Chat app with its operating system. Instead, Windows 11 now comes with Microsoft Teams Free pinned to the taskbar by default. Unlike the original Chat app, it is a regular shortcut you can remove with a right-click.

Starting with his build, Chat is now Microsoft Teams – Free. Microsoft Teams – Free is pinned by default to the taskbar and can be unpinned like other apps on the taskbar. Stay tuned for more enhancements as we continue to enhance Microsoft Teams – Free with more features and improvements.

The end of the Chat app in Windows 11 is just another chapter of Microsoft's ever-going messaging apps for Windows saga.

It started with Windows Messenger on Windows XP then MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger, and Skype, then the failed Skype-powered Messages app for Windows 10/Windows 10 Mobile, and now Chat and Microsoft Teams Free. And do not forget that Skype still exists and regularly gets new features and improvements.

The latest preview update introduced integration with Microsoft Weather, better calling tabs, improved Bing Chat support, and many more.

Microsoft's messaging apps and services may still look confusing, but at least Windows 11 will soon be free of the app most users consider absolutely useless.

Source

There is no truth to the rumors that slow Internet was the cause.

But Da Vinci, a polymath who dabbled in botany, engineering, science, sculpture, and geology as well as painting, surely would have appreciated a new text-to-image generative vision transformer developed by Google Research.

Google's StyleDrop, as described in a June 1 paper on the arXiv preprint server, lets users describe objects and specify artistic styles they wish to have incorporated in the generated output.

StyleDrop returns images reflecting the user's specifications in about three minutes.

"The proposed method is extremely versatile and captures nuances and details of a user-provided style, such as color schemes, shading, design patterns, and local and global effects," Google said in its report "StyleDrop: Text-to-Image Generation in Any Style."

StyleDrop also creates typography that faithfully incorporates stylistic features of images.

For example, users could propose an image of a bridge, a letter and then specify a style of drawing. Such styles could be "melting golden rendering," "wooden sculpture," "3D rendering," "cartoon drawing" or any other preferred style. One's imagination is the only limit.

Credit: Google

StyleDrop will then generate impressive renderings of objects with a Dali-like dripping bridge, or perhaps a cartoon-like version, along with letters incorporating the same characteristics.

StyleDrop works in connection with Google's Muse, a generative vision transformer unveiled earlier this year that offers a remarkable degree of photorealism. Muse was trained on 3 billion parameters, ensuring capacity for high-quality image generation.

Researchers evaluated the accuracy and quality of StyleDrop's output using industry standard CLIP text and style scoring as well as user feedback. Evaluations found StyleDrop "convincingly outperforms" other leading image-and text-generation methods, including DreamBooth, Imagen and Stable Diffusion.

The developers see this program, which has no yet been released to the public, as an invaluable aid to art directors and graphics designers who can create photorealistic imagery of designated products or themes that include text reflecting the same colors, structuring and style.

For a new product campaign, say for a new soda brand, an artist could propose in just a few words a sleek-shaped glass bottle nestled amid thousands of tulips in a Dutch field, with accompany text featuring letters constructed of 3D rendered glass, in the style of Impressionist Monet.

In three minutes, with the right wording, a new ad campaign featuring a warm, brightly colored, scenic skyscape could be born.

The renowned typographer Helmut Schmidt once said, "Typography needs to be felt. Typography needs to be experienced." StyleDrop may well help designers bring a greater degree of intimacy and connectedness to their work.

The report acknowledges, however, that copyright protection is a concern.

"We recognize potential pitfalls such as the ability to copy individual artists' styles without their consent, and urge the responsible use of our technology," the report stated.

And just what instructions would Da Vinci have used for StyleDrop? "Draw a picture of an attractive noblewoman, kind of smiling but not too much, sitting outdoors with mountains in the background. Draw in the style of … Da Vinci." With the job done in three minutes—instead of 16 years—Leonardo, who loved botany, would have had plenty more time to go out and smell those roses.

Source

A user with the name codesmitery posted the following complaint on the Malwarebytes forum:

Updating to June 2023 Update (KB5027231) prevents Google Chrome from displaying after loading. Chrome will be listed in the task manager but you cannot get it to display.

The only thing you can do is quite [sic] Malwarebytes.

If you are wondering whether Windows 10 is affected as well, it seems to not be the case as a user Porthos points out that their Windows 10 system is not experiencing the same bug:

That is ok. Staff responded with a workaround. I have Windows 10 and have no current issues with Chrome. Seems to be an 11 issue.

A Malwarebytes staff with the username Arthi confirmed that they are looking at the issue and provided a couple of workarounds. One of those involves setting Chrome as the default browser while the other option is to disable protection for Chrome in Malwarebytes:

    Thanks for posting. Like you mentioned this issue is being reported to us since today's windows update, we are looking into it.

    As a workaround, there are a couple of options that have internally worked for us

•        Try setting Chrome as a default browser

        OR

•         Turn off Chrome as a protected application in the Malwarebytes product. you can find this in Settings->Security tab

Other users have found that disabling "exploit protection" also works in case the above official workarounds don't work.

Another Malwarebytes employee with the username Erix has stated that the firm is working on an update that will address the issue. They write:

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    We are currently working on an update that will address this problem.

    Thank you so much.

    -Erix

We will keep you posted about the issue when there is any new development.

Source

What’s new in Build 23481

Improvements for Windows Ink

Windows Ink is being modernized to allow users to enable inking directly onto edit fields. In addition, we are improving the accuracy from the recognition technology and a scratch out gesture for when users need to make edits. The goal with Windows Ink is to let users use their pen and handwrite anywhere they can type on their Windows device.

Currently, these new Windows Ink improvements support English (U.S.) only but stay tuned for broader language support. This new experience can be managed via Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Pen and Windows Ink under “Shell Handwriting”. And please check out some of the known issues for Windows Ink below.

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

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Input and Language > Pen input.

Folder Options changes in File Explorer

We are removing a handful of old settings under Folder Options in File Explorer as part of an effort to clean up the number of settings for File Explorer. Many of these are legacy settings that have been around for ages and are not being regularly used by people on Windows 11.

The following settings will no longer appear under Folder Options in File Explorer:

• 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.

(Note: These settings can still be accessed via registry keys.)

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Files, Folders, and Online Storage > File Explorer.

New Widget: Focus Session

We are beginning to roll out a new Focus Session widget as part of a Clock app update (version 11.2305.6.0 and higher) via the Microsoft Store to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels. With this new widget, you will be able to quickly start and stop focus sessions on your device.

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

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Clock App.

Changes and Improvements

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Never combined mode, which enables you to see each window of your applications on the taskbar individually, and which began rolling out with Build 24366, is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

• Starting with his build, Chat is now Microsoft Teams – Free. Microsoft Teams – Free is pinned by default to the taskbar and can be unpinned like other apps on the taskbar. Stay tuned for more enhancements as we continue to enhance Microsoft Teams – Free with more features and improvements.

[File Explorer]

• The ability to tear out and merge tabs in File Explorer, which began rolling out with Build 23471, is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

[Voice access]

• The new text authoring experiences in voice access that began rolling out with Build 23466 is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

Fixes

[Dev Drive]

• Fixed an issue where filters beyond AV might be attached to your Dev Drive on reboot.
• Fixed an issue which could cause a bugcheck when using Dev Drive.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue where the icons in the File Explorer context menu could be blurry.
• Fixed an issue where sync status icons for files backing up to a storage provider were not reliably displayed.
• Fixed an issue for authentication errors on File Explorer Home where the ‘Please Sign-in’ button appeared but clicking on it did not pop-up the authentication dialog.
• Updated “Show files from Office.com” text in folder options to “Include account-based insights, recent, favorite, and recommended files”.
• Using CTRL + V to paste an image in Gallery will now paste the image into your default pictures folder (the default folder can be configured under Collection > Manage Collection in Gallery).
• If you hover your mouse over the details button in File Explorer, the tooltip should no longer block the close button for the window.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with the modernized address bar in File Explorer:

• Fixed the direction of the search icon within the tab when doing a search in File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue where tabbing or Shift + tabbing from the command bar wouldn’t land focus inside the current folder.
• Fixed an issue where if you set focus into the address bar (to edit the path), you wouldn’t be able to use tab to move focus out of it.
• If the current path is longer than the available space in the address bar, a bit of room now has been added so you can still click and go into edit mode.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer Home:

• Fixed an issue where hovering over folders in the Quick Access section of Home was causing the name to disappear and the icon to slide to the side if you had checkboxes enabled.
• Dragging and dropping into the Favorites or Quick Access sections should work again now.

[Search on the Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue where navigating the search flyout on the taskbar with the keyboard arrow keys did not work as expected.

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

Known issues

[Dev Drive]

• There might be variable performance on different hardware. If you notice slower performance on your machine, please file feedback!

[Search on the Taskbar]

• Text scaling may not work in the search flyout.

[File Explorer]

• Insiders may experience a File Explorer crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process.
• Thumbnail loading performance in Gallery for dehydrated cloud files and memory usage in large collections are known issues we are focused on improving. Please capture Performance traces in Feedback Hub for any performance-related issues. Rebuilding your Indexer can help if thumbnails are missing for cloud files; Search for “Indexing Options” and look in Advanced settings to find the rebuild tool.
• [NEW] The count shown for selected files in the details pane may be extremely large.

Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer Home that began rolling out with Build 23475:

• File Type icons are displayed in place of file thumbnails for ‘Recommended’ section (applicable to Enterprise users).
• Insiders signed in with an AAD account and try to navigate the Recommended section on File Explorer Home with the tab key on the keyboard may experience an explorer.exe crash.
• When navigating from another group to the Recommended section using a keyboard, focus does not appear on the group header or files appropriately.
• Files display file extensions with the Show file extensions setting disabled.

Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer address bar that began rolling out with Build 23475:

• Windows Insiders may notice missing craftmanship polish with the modernized address bar and search box. The team greatly appreciates the use of Feedback Hub to help call out important details to address.
• Users might experience lost keyboard focus and missing keyboard shortcuts. The team implemented improved tabbing with keyboard shortcuts that will be available soon.
• [NEW] If “…” shows in the address bar path, selecting it will crash explorer.exe.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer that began rolling out with Build 23403:

• Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).

[Notifications]

• The copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notification toasts (first introduced in Build 23403) is currently not working in this build. A fix is coming in a future flight.

[Dynamic Lighting]

• On first boot after installing this build and connecting a device, the “Use Dynamic Lighting on my devices” toggle is off in Settings. Device LEDs may not turn on automatically. Turning this toggle on in the all-device Settings page and in the per-device page(s) should turn on your device’s LEDs. If this doesn’t work, try restarting your Windows PC again.
• All-device settings changes are not propagating to per-device Settings.
• Device icons are missing from the device cards in Settings.
• Switching user accounts can turn off device LEDs.

[Windows Ink]

• [NEW] Users can’t use handwriting to erase text in Microsoft Edge.
• [NEW] The address box in Microsoft Edge might not work correctly.
• [NEW] Windows Ink does not convert handwriting to text into the main content (e.g., Word documents and Excel spreadsheets) in Microsoft 365 applications.
• [NEW] Search boxes in Microsoft 365 applications (e.g., Microsoft Word) might not work correctly.
• [NEW] Comment fields in Microsoft 365 applications (e.g., Microsoft Word) might not work correctly.

The official blog post can be found on Microsoft's site.

Windows 11 Dev build 23481 gets revamped File Explorer Folder options, never combine Taskbar

Update: June 9 - Microsoft has released its third small update this week for Windows 11 Insider members in the Canary Channel. The build number is 25387.1200. As with the update earlier this week, Microsoft says this release has no content and is being rolled out to test the servicing pipeline for the Canary Channel.

Update: June 7 - Microsoft released another Canary Channel update for Windows 11 Insiders with the build number 25387. However, Microsoft stated it did not get any release notes due to the fact that there were no notable changes in the release. However, it did put in some new features to the Microsoft Store for both Dev and Canary Channel users.

Original Story - Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 update for the members of the Insider program on the Canary Channel. However, those folks shouldn't get very excited. This new release is being pushed out to test Microsoft's systems.

According to the official Windows Insider Program Twitter account, the new build number for this update is 25381.1200. This specific update contains no new features, with Microsoft stating that this is being pushed out "to test our servicing pipeline."

This is the first time in a few months that Microsoft has released a Canary update with the intent to just test its systems. Microsoft previously released a major new Canary update last week. The build number for that update was 25381, and it made SMB signing a requirement for Enterprise editions as the default for the OS.

Microsoft made a separate announcement on the same date stating that this new SMB signing default would be added to "Pro, Education, and other Windows editions over the next few months, as well as to Windows Server." Microsoft said this change was "part of a campaign to improve the security of Windows and Windows Server for the modern landscape."

Microsoft updated the Beta channel for Insider users on June 1. It added WPA3 support to the Phone Link instant hotspot feature. On the same day, it also released a Dev channel update for Insiders. It had a few new additions, including adding a new button in the File Explorer Gallery for adding photos from a phone, and new natural voices in Spanish for the Narrator feature.

Windows 11 Insider Canary users get a small update for Build 25393 [Update]

PCMag recently published a piece titled "'Enhance Image' Function in Edge Browser Sends Image URLs to Microsoft." To PCMag's credit, the article does quote Microsoft's support document that clarifies the feature does not send user identifiers to Microsoft. But the headline leaves out some key information. A thread on the subject on Hacker News is much more negative.

So, what exactly is going on? Is Microsoft Edge sending all of the images you look at to a server at Microsoft? Well, yes and no. When the feature is enabled, Edge does send images to Microsoft servers to perform the enhancement, but none of your data is sent with the photo.

Microsoft explains this in a support document (emphasis added):

"To provide a better browsing experience, Microsoft Edge offers Image Enhancement by improving colour, lighting, contrast, and sharpness of images. When Image Enhancement is turned on, Microsoft Edge encrypts and transmits images to Microsoft servers to perform image enhancement. No user identifiers are included in the requests to the servers. The images are cached for 30 days to improve performance."

So, Microsoft is sending images seen on Edge to the company's servers, but the images are encrypted and don't get paired with any identifiers to specific users. To me, that doesn't seem to warrant the fear mongering seen around the web.

That being said, Microsoft should note the fact that it doesn't send user identifiers directly in Edge's settings rather than making people search for a support document to see how the feature works.

If you are uncomfortable with the setting or just prefer to not use it, you can disable it through settings. Search for "Enhance images in Microsoft Edge" and then toggle the option off.

Clickbait tries to stir up rage over Microsoft Edge image enhancement feature

Today, it announces the public availability of Groupy 2 with new features, Windows 11-like UI, improvements, and more.

Groupy 2 takes the original idea and supercharges it with new capabilities. With the latest version, you can create app groups, pin them to the taskbar, and launch them with a single click. Groupy 2 also combines applications on the taskbar, so apps inside a single window take less space and let you see the grouped programs at a glance.

Another new feature in Groupy 2 is Accents. It allows colouring your tabs for improved accessibility and association with specific tasks or applications.

With Groupy 2, you can customize the looks and behavior—select where the tabs appear, switch between the traditional and rounded variants, personalize taskbar grouping, customize backgrounds, and more.

The app matches Windows 11's aesthetic (and works fine alongside native tabbed apps like File Explorer and Notepad), so your tabs will offer you native-like visuals for a seamless experience.

Since launching the Beta just over a month ago, Stardock has added even more features listed below:

• Added option to enable the Mica-effect for focused and unfocused windows
• Added support for Cntrl+N to open a new doc/app
• New UI option to make tabs square for those who prefer that look.
• New drop-down menu in the tab bar makes it easier to group applications
• Option to hide left side Groupy icon added to advanced UI settings
• And lots of other tweaks to the UI

In addition, Stardock let us know they have also launched Groupy 2 for Business. This SKU of Groupy 2 features enhanced deployment tooling and centralized licensing management for $14.99.

Groupy 2 for consumers is now available on Stardock's official website. You can get the app with a one-time purchase for $9.99, and those owning Object Desktop from Stardock can download Groupy 2 for free. Finally, there should be an upgrade discount if you have the original standalone Groupy.

Disclaimer: Neowin's relationship with Stardock

Groupy 2 exits Beta, brings Mica and customizable app tabs to Windows

The driver supports EA Sports' new F1 23 racing sim game, which launches on June 16. That includes support for NVIDIA DLSS 2 at launch and NVIDIA DLSS 3 support to be added in a post-launch update.

NVIDIA added:

All GeForce RTX gamers will also receive the highest possible frame rates when activating immersive ray-traced reflections, shadows and ambient occlusion thanks to dedicated ray tracing cores on each GeForce RTX GPU. And GeForce GTX 900 Series and newer gamers can make F1 23’s racing even more responsive with NVIDIA Reflex.

The driver is also Game Ready for Aliens: Dark Descent. The top-down tactical sci-fi game, set in the Aliens movie universe, is developed by Tindalos Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment and will launch on June 20.

The new driver also add support for GeForce Experience’s Optimal Settings for seven recent games:

• Diablo IV
• Starship Troopers: Extermination
• Street Fighter 6
• System Shock
• The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum
• The Outlast Trials
• Voidtrain

Finally, eight new monitors have added support for NVIDIA's G-Sync technology:

• ASUS PG38UQ
• ASUS VG27AQ3A
• ASUS VG279QM1A
• ASUS VG27AQML1A
• LG 27GR83Q
• LG 32GR93U
• Panasonic MZ1500
• Panasonic MZ980Y

The new driver also fixes a few bugs:

Fixed Gaming Bugs

• [Microsoft Flight Simulator] Game may randomly crash when playing in DX12 mode after updating to driver 531.41 [4051526]
• [Red Dead Redemption] Game shows random stability issues [4140319]

Fixed General Bugs

• Fast sync caps the game FPS to the monitors maximum refresh rate [4114157]
• Surface Book/Surface Studio stuck at lowest clock speeds when running on battery [4063597]
• When using multiple monitors which support adaptive sync, users may see random flicker on certain displays when G-SYNC is enabled after updating to driver 535.98 [4138119]
• [ON1 Photo RAW] Application crashing [4114127]

You can download the new NVIDIA GeForce 536.23 WHQL graphics driver for desktops directly from the company's site. The notebook driver can be found here while release notes are here.

NVIDIA GeForce 536.23 WHQL graphics driver adds F1 23 and Aliens: Dark Descent support

What is new in Microsoft Edge 115 Beta?

• Enhanced security mode improvements. Enhanced security mode provides an extra layer of protection when browsing the web and visiting less familiar sites. Enhanced security mode is turned on by default to Balanced mode for x64 Windows, x64 macOS, x64 Linux, and ARM64 systems. Note: This feature is a controlled feature rollout in Microsoft Edge Beta 115. If you don't see this feature, check back as we continue our rollout.

Also, administrators have two new policies to manage the Enhanced security mode user experience:

EnhanceSecurityModeIndicatorUIEnabled and

EnhanceSecurityModeOptOutUXEnabled.

For more information, see Browse more safely with Microsoft Edge.

• Microsoft Edge management service. Microsoft Edge management service is an area in the Microsoft 365 admin center where admins can manage the Microsoft Edge browser. It's a simple and easy-to-manage experience. Admins are able to configure all Microsoft Edge browser policies for their organization in a configuration profile and set-up the browser to use these settings. For more information, see Microsoft Edge management service. Note: This experience is in public preview. We'll start rolling out this experience on June 9 and expect to finish the rollout by next week. You need to set up a Targeted release to opt in and view this experience in the M365 admin center.

You can download Microsoft Edge Beta from the official Edge Insider website. The browser is available on Windows 10 and 11 (older versions are no longer supported), macOS (10.13 and newer), Linux, and Android. All Microsoft Edge preview versions can run side-by-side with the Stable release, scheduled to get version 115 on the week of July 20, 2023.

Source

Cybercriminals are using pirated copies of Windows 10 to deliver malware that’s capable of stealing people’s cryptocurrency, a new report from cybersecurity experts Dr. Web has claimed.

In the researchers’ report, it was said that ISO files of multiple versions of the operating system (OS) were discovered on various torrent sites. An ISO is an archive that serves as a virtual optical disk. By using specialized software, users can “mount” the optical disk and use it just as they would use an actual disk - either to install software or as a backup/archive.

So far, these are the .ISO files that were identified to come with a crypto hijacker:

•     Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.2728 + Office 2021 x64 by BoJlIIIebnik RU.iso
•     Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.2846 + Office 2021 x64 by BoJlIIIebnik RU.iso
•     Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.2846 x64 by BoJlIIIebnik RU.iso
•     Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.2913 + Office 2021 x64 by BoJlIIIebnik [RU, EN].iso
•     Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.2913 x64 by BoJlIIIebnik [RU, EN].iso

The crypto hijacker is planted in the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) partition, a small part of the disk usually holding the bootloader and other files that run before the operating system. These files are considered essential for systems that run on UEFI instead of the old BIOS. After installing the OS, if the victim tries to paste any cryptocurrency wallet address in any app or service, the malware will replace that clipboard entry with an address belonging to the attackers, resulting in the irretrievable loss of assets.

Analysis: Why does it matter?

Cryptocurrencies are a growing industry that is, at press time, valued at more than a billion dollars. Arguably, however, the majority of its users are tech-savvy individuals who often use pirated software. One might also argue that tech-savvy individuals would have antivirus software installed and would know how to identify a potential threat.

However, standard antivirus tools don’t normally scan the EFI partition. Furthermore, by having malware run before the OS, the chances of any endpoint security systems picking it up are extremely slim. Also, the researchers discovered that the malware will scan the operating system for any analysis tools, and if it discovers some, it won’t run and give itself away.

The most realistic way a victim might realize something’s amiss is if they double-check the wallet address they’ve just pasted into a wallet or crypto service, prior to pressing the send button. Furthermore, Dr.Web’s researchers are saying the malware uses EFI just as a storage space for the components of the hijacker.

Given the pseudonymous nature of the blockchain, the researchers were able to determine just how successful the attack is, and it turns out - it works relatively well. By the time Dr. Web released their research, the attackers have made roughly $19,000 in various cryptocurrencies.

However, the exact sum might be even bigger, the researchers warn, as they can’t conclusively say if they managed to identify all of the wallets belonging to the attackers.

When sending money through a bank or other intermediary, the transaction can be stopped mid-journey if the sender finds out they’ve been scammed. With blockchain, however, that is impossible, and once the send button is pressed, there is no going back. Cybercriminals are well aware of this fact and have been actively targeting crypto users with social engineering attacks, phishing, and malware.

What have others said about it?

Clipboard hijackers are a common occurrence and have been around for many years. Back in 2021, The Record reported on a clipboard hijacker that earned its creators more than half a million dollars. It was discovered by cybersecurity researchers from Avast and was described as “ridiculously simple”. Back then, the threat actor took to Telegram to share “hacking tools”, which were nothing more than malware. The hijacker came preconfigured with more than 100 different cryptocurrency addresses, which resulted in the threat actor, going by the alias “Hack Boss”, receiving bitcoin, ether, Dogecoin, and others. Given that people also sent Monero, the researchers believed the final sum was even greater than the reported $560,000.

On forums such as Reddit, users have been advising their peers to always be careful when copying and pasting sensitive information. Given that cryptocurrency wallet addresses are a string of random characters, many users only check the first and last couple of characters. Some Reddit users have also warned that there are clipboard hijackers with advanced features that can make sure only the middle part of the wallet address differs, tricking even those that inspect the pasted address before hitting send.

On Twitter, MetaMask shared a few tips on how to stay safe from clipboard hijackers. MetaMask is one of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency wallets, whose Twitter following counts more than 76,000 people. In a short Twitter thread, MetaMask explains that users should always keep their wallets updated, only install trusted antivirus software, be mindful of what they copy and paste, and regularly clear their clipboard.

Go deeper

If you want to learn more, start by checking out our buying guides for the best bitcoin wallets, as well as best mining rigs. Also, make sure to check out our list of the best antivirus programs, and best endpoint security solutions right now.

Source

Microsoft previously announced the new features for .NET Framework 4.8.1 back in August 2022. The biggest new addition is native support for Arm64 for Windows 11 users only. Microsoft also added some more accessibility features with this release, including changes to tooltips. You can check out the full release notes below:

Native support for Arm64

• Add native Arm64 support to the .NET Framework family to leverage the benefits of running workloads natively on Arm64 for better performance when compared to running x64 code emulated on Arm64.

Accessible Tooltips

• Tooltips now comply with the guidelines set forth in the WCAG2.1 content on Hover or Focus guidance. The requirements for tooltips require the following:
• Tooltips must display either via mouse hover or by keyboard navigation to the control.
• Tooltips should be dismissable. That is, a simple keyboard command like the ESC key should dismiss the tooltip.
• Tooltips should be hoverable. Users should be able to place their mouse cursor over the tooltip. This enables scenarios like using magnifier to be able to read the tooltip for low-vision users.
• Tooltips should be persistent. Tooltips should not automatically disappear after a certain time has elapsed. Rather, the tooltips should be dismissed by the user moving their mouse to another control, or by dismissing the tooltip as described above.

Windows Forms

• Added support for the UIA Text Pattern to enable assistive technology to traverse the content of a TextBox or similar text-based control letter by letter.
• Fixed high contrast issues in several controls and have changed the contrast ratio of selection rectangles to be darker and more visible.
• Fixed several DataGridView issues:
• Updated the scrollbar names for consistency.
• Fixed an issue where Narrator was unable to focus on empty DataGridView cells.
• Enabled developers to set the localized control type property for Custom DataGridView cells.
• Updated the link colour for DataGridViewLink cells to have better contrast with the background.

.NET Framework 4.8.1 will be available in the near future via Windows Update for Windows 11 21H2, Windows 10 21H2 (LTSC), and Windows 10 22H2. It will also be available via Microsoft Update Catalog for Windows 11 21H2, Windows 10 21H2 (LTSC), Windows 10 22H2 and Windows Server 2022 (Desktop, Azure Editions), Azure Stack 21H2 and Azure Stack 22H2.

Microsoft releases .NET Framework 4.8.1 to Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel

In fact, here are three of the standout new features coming to macOS and iPadOS later this year, that I'd love to see Microsoft steal for the next major version of Windows, or even for an update to Windows 11.

Live screensaver wallpapers

I'm a stickler for small pleasantries in UX design, and subtle live screensaver wallpapers like the ones Apple just introduced with macOS 14 are the exact kind of thing I'd love to see make their way to Windows at some point soon.

Windows has supported live wallpapers before, with Windows Vista Ultimate's "dreamscenes" coming to mind, but that feature was very short lived and abandoned by the time Windows 7 rolled around. This was in 2008, and when PCs were pretty lame and rendering live wallpapers in the background was a wasted resource.

We've come a long way since then, and PCs are very much capable of handling niceties like that. So, with it now showing up on macOS, I see no reason why Microsoft couldn't implement a similar feature in the next version of Windows. Apple's wallpapers are screensavers that slowly transition into a still image, which I love the idea of.

When on the lock screen, the wallpaper will slowly be moving, but once the user logs into the desktop, the wallpaper comes to a gentle stop. It's the perfect way of implementing live wallpapers, though I would love an option on Windows to keep the wallpaper moving once on the desktop if that's what the user prefers.

The good news is we might not have to wait long for a feature like this to land on Windows. We already know Microsoft is working on dynamic wallpapers, a feature that will use AI to create parallax wallpapers for use on the desktop. It's not exactly "live" screensaver wallpapers like described above, but it will offer an added layer of depth to your desktop, which will be nice to see.

Widgets on the desktop

(Image credit: Windows Central)

This is an obvious one, and it comes from a place of envy, if only because Microsoft could have had this already with Windows 11's widgets, or even live tiles from the Windows 8 and Windows 10 era. We've been asking Microsoft for years to put live tiles onto the desktop, and we've been asking for widgets on the desktop since Windows 11 launched in 2021.

macOS 14 brings this capability, undocking the widget from the dedicated macOS widget panel and allowing the user to place it anywhere on the desktop. It's also optimized for performance, fading out and being put to sleep when an active window is present on screen. 

Luckily, this is once again a feature we know Microsoft is already working on, we just don't know when it'll be ready for use. I reported earlier this year that Microsoft was working on the ability to pin Windows widgets directly on the desktop, so while Apple has beaten them to the punch, it hopefully won't be long before we can experience the same functionality.

One thing Windows did have over macOS and iPadOS until the new releases was interactive widgets. Widgets from day one have been interactive on Windows 11, but macOS and iPadOS only just got that functionality. 

Customizable lock screen

(Image credit: Future)

I love customization. I love the idea of making software personalized so that it matches my needs and aesthetics. In the past, this was a primarily reason for why I didn't enjoy Apple software, because there was very little to customize unlike with Android and Windows.

But that has started to change over the last few years, with the introduction of widgets and lock screen customization, home screens and desktops on iPhone, iPad, and macOS are starting to become fun playgrounds for customization, and Windows is falling behind. 

One area where Windows is really suffering is in the lock screen department. The Windows lock screen is abysmal, with very little settings or customization options present. You can't even change the font or position of the date and time or check missed notifications! The only things you can change are the wallpaper and the single app that can present "at a glance" info such as a missed email, calendar event, or weather.

I'd love to see Microsoft copy the iPadOS lock screen, with its ability to add widgets and view missed notifications along with customization options for the date and time. Being able to change the size and font of the date and time is a small thing, but one that really makes an OS feel personal to each user.

The 3 features that Windows 12 should STEAL from macOS Sonoma and iPadOS 17

Highlights

• This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.

Improvements

• This update addresses a known issue that affects 32-bit apps that are large address aware and use the CopyFile API. You might have issues when you save, copy, or attach files. If you use some commercial or enterprise security software that uses extended file attributes, this issue will likely affect you. For Microsoft Office apps, this issue only affects the 32-bit versions. You might receive the error, "Document not saved."
• This update addresses a compatibility issue. The issue occurs because of unsupported use of the registry.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Kernel. This issue is related to CVE-2023-32019. To learn more, see KB5028407.

Known issues

To get this update, just run Windows Update and apply the latest updates. If you want to install this on an offline machine then you can download it from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

The release notes for Windows 11 21H2 Patch Tuesday update KB5027223 are largely the same, just with a different known issue. You can grab this update from Windows Update of the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Windows 11 June Patch Tuesday update KB5027231 arrives

The major highlight of the release as usual is security updates for Windows 10.

Highlights

This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.

And as is generally the case, the Redmond company has also listed the known issues in the update, which is always handy. Here are the symptoms and their respective workarounds:

Some of the older Windows 10 versions have also received updates today which have been listed below with their respective release notes (KB) linked as well as links to download them at Microsoft's Update Catalog:

It is noteworthy here that Windows 10 20H2 and Windows 10 1909 reached the end of servicing.

Windows 10 June 2023 Patch Tuesday (KB5027215) out — here's what's new and what's broke

As the name implies, Windows 10 version 21H2 arrived in the second half of 2021 with a modest list of changes. It received 18 months of active support for Home, Professional, Professional Education, and Professional for Workstations SKUs. Business-focused editions, Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise, and Enterprise multi-session, will continue receiving updates for one more year—Microsoft plans to drop their support on June 11, 2024.

Microsoft released Windows 10 version 21H2 alongside the original version of Windows 11. Back then, it was already apparent that Windows 10 users should not expect new features or notable changes as the company has changed its focus to Windows 11. Now Windows 10 is in "maintenance mode," and only receives monthly cumulative updates with minor changes and security fixes. For some, that makes it the perfect operating system, free of worry about questionable changes and new features breaking things.

Those still running Windows 10 21H2 should prepare for a forced upgrade. Microsoft will move your PC to version 22H2 using a small enablement package. Windows 11 remains optional but only for those with supported hardware. Interestingly, the original Windows 11 release, version 21H2, has a longer lifespan, and its end of support is coming on October 10, 2023.

Windows 10 version 21H2 is not the only product Microsoft put to its rest this year. Not so long ago, the company stopped supporting Windows 10 version 20H2 and the second-generation Surface Book. Microsoft also confirmed that Windows 10 22H2 is the final Windows 10 version, with the end of support scheduled for October 2025.

Windows 10 version 21H2 is no longer supported

Debian 12 Bookworm is designed to cater to a wide range of computing needs. Whether you’re using it for a compact netbook or a powerful cluster system, the versatility of Debian 12 ensures that it fits like a glove. But that’s not all! If you’re wondering how the Debian Project managed to deliver such a diverse solution, let’s delve a bit deeper into the details.

The new Debian version comes with an expansive software repository. It includes over 64,419 packages, adding more than 11,089 new ones into the mix. You will be pleased to know that obsolete packages have been cleared, with over 6,296 being pruned. The Debian team has updated a whopping 43,254 packages in this release alone.

Enhancing the User Experience

Do you fancy a sleek interface? Debian 12 Bookworm has you covered. It ships with a choice of desktop environments, ranging from Gnome 43 to KDE Plasma 5.27, LXDE 11, LXQt 1.2.0, MATE 1.26, and Xfce 4.18. Each environment provides a unique user experience, letting you choose the one that suits your workflow best.

For all the international users, this release has more translated man pages than ever before. Languages include, but are not limited to, Czech, Danish, Greek, Finnish, Indonesian, Macedonian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Russian, Serbian, Swedish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. German users will especially appreciate the full translation of systemd man pages.

Simplifying Firmware Handling

In line with its 2022 General Resolution on non-free firmware, Debian introduced a separate archive area in Debian 12 Bookworm. This enhancement simplifies the segregation of non-free firmware from other non-free packages, creating a cleaner, more streamlined system.

Debian 12 Bookworm hasn’t forgotten the professionals and hobbyists out there. Debian Med Blend, for instance, introduces shiny-server, a package that facilitates the creation of scientific web applications using R. Similarly, Debian Astro Blend offers a one-stop solution for astronomers, with new software packages and improvements.

Secure Boot Support for ARM64

If you’re using UEFI-capable ARM64 hardware and you’ve been missing Secure Boot, you’ll be pleased to know that Debian 12 Bookworm reintroduces support for this feature. The Debian team recognizes the value of maintaining high-security standards in modern computing environments.

Software Packages

The new Debian version includes a plethora of updated software packages, offering the latest and greatest in open-source technology. For instance, it brings you Apache 2.4.57, BIND DNS Server 9.18, Cryptsetup 2.6, the GNU Compiler Collection 12.2, and the Linux kernel 6.1 series, to name just a few.

In conclusion, Debian 12 Bookworm embodies Debian’s commitment to providing a Universal Operating System. If you would like to improve your computing experience, this might just be the system upgrade you’re looking for. Simply follow the steps provided by the Debian Project to enjoy the benefits of Debian 12 Bookworm.

Source : D12B

Source

Although the changelog mentions new capabilities for Edge on Android and iOS, these two platforms will get the build later.

What is new in Microsoft Edge 115.0.1901.5?

New features:

Android:

• Added Voice search in Discover.
• Added edit wallpaper option in the NTP page layout menu and New Tab Page setting.

Reliability improvements and fixes:

• Fixed browser crash related to site permissions.

• Fixed browser crash when leaving or deleting a Workspace.

• Fixed browser crash when trying to install a site as an app.

Android:

• Fixed browser crash when loading a page.

Other changes:

• Fixed the missing title bar on Devtools and windows.
• Fixed STATUS_BREAKPOINT error message when loading a page.
• Fixed Favorites showing blank in Workspace.

iOS:

• Fixed the missing Suggest password option when creating a password.

Android:

• Fixed Send to Microsoft Edge Drop permission issue.

WebView2:

• NavigationKind API has now been promoted from the experimental stage to public.

Enterprise:

• Fixed the missing profile picture when switching tabs on iOS.

If you are not familiar with how Microsoft Edge works, the browser installs updates automatically in the background. However, you can force-update Edge by heading to Menu > Help & Feedback > About Microsoft Edge or edge://settings/help. Those wanting to try early Microsoft Edge builds can download the latest Beta, Dev, or Canary release from the official website.

Note that preview channels (except for Beta) are not officially supported and often come bundled with bugs and various instabilities. Therefore, we do not recommend using Dev or Canary as your primary browser on a mission-critical device.

Microsoft plans to release Edge 115 in the Stable Channel on the week of July 20, 2023.

Edge Dev 115.0.1901.5 is out with various fixes and new features for Android

What is new in Files 2.5?

Files 2.5 restores the previously missing Acrylic material for the app's backdrop, so now you can switch between Mica Alt and Acrylic. For those unaware, Mica Alt uses only your desktop wallpaper to generate the background, which remains unchanged regardless of what you place behind the window. Acrylic, on the other hand, is more dynamic (and resource-taxing) and can react to other objects on the screen.

Here is what The Files App looks like with Mica Alt and Acrylic and a File Explorer window behind:

Mica Alt

Acrylic

Another change in version 2.5 is gestures support. You can now swipe left or right to navigate back and forward on touch-enabled PCs and laptops. Gestures support is one of those strange omissions in the default File Explorer, so The Files App now provides a much better experience in this regard.

Developers will be happy to learn about a couple of new Git features that make it easier to work with repositories:

• The branch name is now displayed on the status bar
• Checkout remote branches, and switch between local branches from the branches flyout
• Pull commits from remote repositories using the ‘Pull’ button on the status bar
• Create new branches
• Track changes with the Git columns in the details layout

The developer says more Git features are planned, so stay tuned for future updates.

Finally, the latest update befriends the app with SeerPro, a third-party tool that lets you preview files by pressing the Spacebar key. You can learn more about SeerPro on its official website.

Here is the rest of the changelog for The Files App 2.5:

Changes and Improvements:

Preview and Details Pane:

• The preview and detail panes are now separated into two. Users can switch between the two panes using the new pivot control. Additionally, the preview will now stretch to fill the available space in the pane.
• Improved the layout when the preview pane is in the horizontal orientation.

Display and edit metadata of multiple files:

• Display and edit metadata of multiple files in the properties window. Previously it was only possible to edit metadata for a single file at a time.

Bug fixes:

Fixed issue with network locations not appearing on the sidebar

• Fixed crash when previewing large html or svg files
• Fixed crash when previewing PDFs in RTL languages
• Fixed issue where the progress bar overlapped the title in ongoing operations
• Fixed issue where the icons and names of libraries were not displayed in the details layout
• Fixed issue with some date formats not reflecting the language settings
• Fixed issue where the delete confirmation sometimes took a while to open
• Fixed issue where pinned favorites were sometimes displayed twice
• Fixed issue where right clicking an empty space didn’t clear the selected files
• Fixed issue where extracting files sometimes failed
• Fixed issue with the focus sometimes flickering in the column layout
• Fixed issue with pasting folders from Remote Desktop
• Fixed issue where the tab sometimes had the wrong icon
• Fixed contrast issues with the preview pane icon
• Fixed issue where the details pane would sometimes fail to load
• Fixed issue where renaming folders in the columns layout would open the folder
• Fixed issue with selecting multiple items in the column layout
• Fixed issue where add item was disabled in column layout
• Fixed position of ongoing operations flyout
• Fixed crash with the properties window

You can download The Files App from the Microsoft Store. Those wanting to trial early updates can navigate to the project's official website to download the preview release.

Files App 2.5 brings Acrylic backgrounds, navigation gestures, and more

The option, if available, will be listed at the bottom of the screen during any video call, and works in a similar manner to Microsoft Teams where it allows for either the entire desktop or a specific window to be shared with all participants of the call, including to users connected via mobile devices.

This feature was previously added to the Android beta channel with version 2.23.11.19, which was released last month. The update allowed screen sharing from Android devices with a few limitations based on the device that is using it, and the number of participants in the call. However, it doesn't appear that the Windows version will have any of these limitations.

WhatsApp has been implementing many new features to its Windows app in recent months, with major group updates being implemented as well as supporting video calls with up to 8 users at a time and audio calls with up to 32 groups, with support for bigger displays being a development priority for Meta.

Furthermore, with the recently announced Channels feature, and a drive from Meta for people to start utilizing WhatsApp for businesses, this feature is a logical next step for it to become a fully featured business communication tool, potentially taking on the likes of Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Slack.

Screen sharing is currently rolling out in a limited capacity to beta testers. However, some lucky users are reporting that the option is available to them on the most recent stable version of WhatsApp for Windows.

Source: WABetaInfo

WhatsApp Beta 2.2322.1.0 for Windows begins rolling out screen-sharing for video calls