Both tools had issues that would have allowed hackers to possibly bring back data that users had previously cropped out of an image. Microsoft updated the Windows 11 Snipping Tool for Insiders in the Canary Channel to fix the problem on Thursday.

Now updates for both the Windows 11 Snipping Tool (10.2008.3001.0) and the Windows 10 Snip & Sketch tool (11.2302.20.0) are now available in the Microsoft Store.

In addition, Microsoft has issued a security note for the flaw, CVE-2023-28303. The note states that this alert has been labeled as "Low" because "successful exploitation requires uncommon user interaction and several factors outside of an attacker's control." Specifically, the note states:

• The user must take a screenshot, saved it to a file, modify the file (for example, crop it), and then save the modified file to the same location.
• The user must open an image in Snipping Tool, modify the file (for example, crop it), and then save the modified file to the same location.

Keep in mind that this issue does not appear in the default Snipping Tool in Windows 10, or any older versions.

The "Acropalypse" has been canceled: Microsoft updates Windows 10 and 11 snipping tools

Apple devices are set apart by their unique nature. They have an entire ecosystem of apps dedicated specifically to Apple devices and iMessage is one of these apps. Today we’ll talk about an app that's available for any Windows 11 PC. 

Initially, it was created to run on Intel-powered laptops but Windows Central has reported that it can be used on any windows 11 computer. The name of the system is Intel Unison. 

To set it up simply download the Window’s Intel Unison app then get a companion app for iOS. You can also do this with an Android device which will be an alternative to Microsoft's built-in “ Phone Link”. The Intel Unison app will then walk you through a couple of steps that will pair your phone to your PC. 

To complete the process the Unison app must be paired to your iPhone and PC with Bluetooth.

Once all this has been done you can then receive and send text messages from iMessage on your PC. Also use the app to view images, send files to your phone and also make calls via desktop as well as see your phone's notifications. 

Other Methods to Get iMessage on Windows 11

I also found a couple of unconventional ways  to get iMessage on your PC

1. Use Chrome Remote Desktop

This method requires that you have iMessage also installed on your Macbook.  Launch the Google Chrome browser on the MacBook and the windows 11 computer.  download the Chrome remote desktop extension on both systems. 

2. Use an iPadian Emulator

You can use an emulator to access software that is meant for a specific operating  system and not compatible with that software. The Windows operating system doesn't have an iMessage on Windows 11. Please also note the iPadian emulator isn't free,  you’ll have to pay a premium to use it. The emulator then simulates the IOS interface such as that of your iPhone. You’ll also need to install Adobe Air. 

 3. Do A Number Registration on iMessage

You’ll need a phone link app to access iMessage. The phone link app allows you to use iMessage on your PC. It allows iPhone users to connect their phone to a Windows 11 PC. 

The Limitations 

The other methods are a bit of a task when compared with the Unison app. The biggest limitation with the Intel-Unison app is that instead of syncing your full messages history it will only show the messages that you receive while the app is open. Although this doesn’t render the app useless as it still keeps you up to date with your latest messages. 

How to Get Apple iMessages on Windows 11

The recently released Microsoft Edge version 111 has brought a new Bing button to the browser. It sits where the main menu used to be and opens Bing Chat whenever you hover the cursor over it. Not everyone likes such behavior, so here is how to disable the Bing button in Microsoft Edge 111 and higher.

Before (up) and after (down)

How to remove the Bing button in Edge [update]

On March 25, 2023, Microsoft released an update for Edge 111. It brings a much more convenient single-click solution that no longer relies on enterprise policies (they are still available, as described below). Here is how you disable the Bing button in Edge:

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and go to edge://settings/help. Make sure you have version 111.0.1661.54 or higher.
2. Go to Settings > Sidebar and click Discover.
3. Toggle off the Show Discover option. It will remove the Bing button from Microsoft Edge immediately.

   

Disable the Bing button in Microsoft Edge

It is worth noting a few things before you start. The following guide relies on enterprise policies that manage different parts of Edge. Enabling one or more on a non-managed device will result in the browser showing a "Managed by your organization" message in the main menu and settings. Also, the current version of Microsoft Edge uses a single policy to manage the Bing button and Sidebar, which means getting rid of the Bing button disables the Sidebar too. Microsoft will separate those two features in future policy updates (via Dr.Windows).

1. Launch Windows Registry Editor by pressing Win + R and typing regedit.
2. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft. Using this path will turn off the Bing button system-wide, not only for the current user. If you want to disable Bing in Edge for your current Windows account, go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft. You can copy-paste the path to speed up the process.
3. Right-click the Microsoft key and select New > Key, then rename the new key or folder to Edge.

   

    

4. Click the new Edge key and right-click anywhere on the editor's right side.
5. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and rename the value to HubsSidebarEnabled.
6. Ensure the value's data is set to zero (it should be zero by default). Double-click the HubsSidebarEnabled value to check it.

   

    

7. Launch Microsoft Edge and go to edge://policy.
8. Click Reload policies and watch the Bing button go away.

   

How to restore the Bing button in Microsoft Edge?

You can turn on the Bing button by launching Windows Registry Editor and deleting the Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge or Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge key (depending on whether you used a system-wide key or a one for the current user only).

Thank you, @andrewbaker05 (Twitter), for the tip!

How to disable Bing button in Microsoft Edge? [Update]

The message from Jen was published in the Feedback Hub (clicking the link will launch the Feedback Hub if installed) under a report about the shutdown not working after upgrading to builds 25314 and 25324. Interestingly, the same bug causes green screens of death for some insiders when their PCs are asleep.

Thanks for taking the time to report this - we're investigating an issue where if you have a wired Xbox controller connected then shutdown will hang. This is the same root cause as some insiders seeing bugchecks (or rather green screens) when the PC is asleep. We're working on a fix.

If your computer is affected by the bug, try disconnecting your controller before turning off the PC. As a reminder, keep in mind that Canary builds may be highly unstable since Microsoft is using the Channel to trial early long-term platform changes. Switching to Dev, Beta, or Release Preview may be a more reliable option, with the ability to test feature updates before Microsoft pushes them to the general public. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to go "down" from Canary to more stable builds, so reinstalling the operating system is your only option. For that reason, Microsoft started offering Windows Insiders free USB thumb drives.

Microsoft confirms Xbox controllers can break shutdown in Windows 11 Canary builds

Furthermore, an auto dark mode feature is also available that you can activate with ease. However, some users find that the native dark mode does not work with some websites, and thus turn to extensions for a more customized experience. 

Extensions are preferred by some users because they can help darken websites that the native dark mode may not cover, and it is easier to toggle them on and off as needed. To optimize your browsing experience, we have compiled a list of the best dark mode extensions for Chrome that you can try out.

It is worth noting that the extensions recommended for Google Chrome may also work on Microsoft Edge, as Edge is based on the same Chromium architecture and supports Google Chrome extensions. Our team conducted a brief test on Edge and found that the extensions listed below seemed to function appropriately. 

Therefore, if you are an Edge user seeking to enhance your browsing experience with dark mode, these extensions may be worth considering. However, we recommend verifying compatibility before installation to ensure optimal performance.

Dark Reader

Dark Reader is a widely recognized and reliable dark mode extension that utilizes a simple colour inversion technique similar to that employed by many other extensions. Essentially, it flips the white colour scheme to a darker gray. The extension offers a contrast slider that enables users to adjust the shade of dark to their preference, with the option of selecting black if desired. 

Moreover, Dark Reader offers additional features such as Sepia and Grayscale options, and the capability to whitelist websites with their own native dark mode, thereby preventing the unwanted inversion back into white. While it may not be entirely flawless, Dark Reader is among the best options available for users seeking a more comfortable and customizable browsing experience.

Midnight Lizard

Midnight Lizard is undoubtedly one of the most versatile dark mode extensions available, offering extensive customization options for users seeking a personalized browsing experience. In contrast to other extensions that provide standard gray and black options, Midnight Lizard allows users to choose their preferred background colour and further customize the colour of links, text, and other page elements to suit their preferences. 

While the extension's user interface may be busier and more challenging to navigate than others, this should not significantly impact the user experience. While some users have reported issues with compatibility on certain websites, our testing yielded favorable results, and we experienced minimal issues. Overall, Midnight Lizard stands out as an excellent option for users who prioritize customization and personalization in their browsing experience.

Dark Theme & Night Shift Mode

Dark Theme & Night Shift Mode is an exceptional dark mode extension that we highly recommend for users seeking a tailored and easy-to-use browsing experience. The extension features user-friendly controls that allow for customization of the dark theme with a range of lighter or darker backgrounds. 

We particularly appreciate the scheduling feature and whitelist capability that turns the extension off on selected websites, ensuring compatibility with websites that have their own native dark mode. Additionally, our team conducted extensive testing and found the extension to be fully functional on every website, with minimal issues encountered. Therefore, based on our testing and analysis, we confidently recommend Dark Theme & Night Shift Mode as a top-tier extension for optimizing your browsing experience.

Super Dark Mode

Super Dark Mode is a highly dependable dark mode extension that provides a comprehensive range of customization options, including advanced features for users seeking a more tailored browsing experience. One noteworthy feature is its integration with existing dark modes on popular websites, eliminating the need to toggle the extension on and off constantly. For sites that the extension does not support, adding them to the whitelist is a quick and straightforward process. 

While some users may find it inconvenient that the extension icon acts as a simple on/off switch, requiring customization through the options menu, this should not detract from its reliability and usability. In our testing, Super Dark Mode performed exceptionally well and consistently delivered a high-quality browsing experience. Therefore, we confidently recommend Super Dark Mode as a robust and versatile extension for users seeking a reliable and customizable dark mode browsing experience.

Night Eye

Night Eye is a comprehensive extension that offers a range of features, including dark mode, blue light filtering, a dim feature, and an icon and image conversion capability. In addition to the standard AMOLED black mode and scheduling options, these additional features set Night Eye apart from other dark mode extensions. While this extension provides an excellent browsing experience, it is important to note that enabling all of its features may cause high CPU usage, especially on a browser that already uses significant resources. 

Despite this, our team found that Night Eye performed reliably on all the sites we tested, with a clean and intuitive user interface that makes customization straightforward. Overall, Night Eye is a great option for users looking for a full-featured extension that provides a customizable and personalized browsing experience.

A dark mode extension for every purpose

dark mode extensions offer users a highly customizable and personalized browsing experience, allowing them to reduce eye strain and improve their viewing comfort in low-light conditions. While there are numerous dark mode extensions available for Google Chrome, our analysis and testing have identified the five best options: Dark Reader, Dark Theme & Night Shift Mode, Midnight Lizard, Night Eye, and Super Dark Mode. 

These extensions vary in terms of their features, usability, and customization options, but each offers a reliable and high-quality dark mode experience that can enhance your browsing experience. Ultimately, the choice of extension will depend on your preferences and needs, but any of the recommended options would be an excellent choice to help you browse the web in comfort and style.

Top 5 Dark Mode Extensions for Google Chrome in 2023

Think of it as the tab equivalent of virtual desktops. Each workspace contains tabs and users may switch between the available workspaces to only display these tabs in the Vivaldi tabbar.

Vivaldi displays a new Workspaces tab next to the Vivaldi Menu icon and to the left of open tabs. The first click provides an explanation of the new feature -- "Declutter your tabs by separating your social, work, and hobbies into workspaces" -- and a button to create the first workspace in the browser.

This workspace may contain all open tabs at the time, but this is optional. Each workspace may have a unique name, and all future workspaces start with zero tabs.

A click on the Workspaces button in the Vivaldi tabbar displays all workspaces and the number of tabs each contains. A click switches to that workspace in Vivaldi, and displays only the tabs of that workspace.

Vivaldi engineers implemented several functions to manage tabs and workspaces. A right-click on a workspace displays a content menu with several options.

These options enable users to delete or rename workspaces, open a workspace, and all of its tabs, in a new window, copy all links, or hibernate an entire workspace. Hibernation unloads tabs and frees up memory.

Tabs can be moved between workspaces by right-clicking on them and selecting the Move context menu option. This works for individual tabs that are selected, and for selections of multiple tabs. Vivaldi users need to hold down the Ctrl-key on the keyboard and left-click on tabs to select multiple ones.

Each workspace and the tab that it contains is also listed in Vivaldi's sidebar, when users select the "windows" icon there. Moving tabs between workspaces is probably most comfortable there.

Deleting a workspace will close all tabs that it contains. There is no option currently to have the tabs moved to another workspace automatically, or close all workspaces and go back to a single Vivaldi tabbar.

Closing Words

Workspaces is an interesting new feature that is in testing currently. It may help users keep an overview of open tabs in the browser, without having to save and close tabs regularly, or use different browser windows for that. The feature lacks data separation options, like those provided by Firefox's Container feature, but that is probably not its main purpose.

Vivaldi is the browser with the most powerful tab stacking functionality already. The new workspaces feature gives Vivaldi users another tab management option, which they may combine with the tab stacking feature, for even more tab management goodness.

Now You: do you use tab management features in your browser?

First look at Vivaldi Browser's innovative Workspaces feature

Microsoft Edge Sidebar Improvements. The Microsoft Edge sidebar lets users access productivity tools side-by-side with their browsing window. In this release, the sidebar has been enhanced to increase productivity and improve user experience. As communicated in our last release (Microsoft Edge release notes for Stable Channel), the sidebar now includes a toolbar button by default to access the experience. If admins enable the Discover app, hovering and clicking the toolbar button will invoke both the sidebar tower, and the new discover experience. With this release, admins now have the ability to disable the Discover app and still keep the Sidebar. In this situation, the Sidebar tower will always be shown. If a user would like to hide their sidebar from always showing, they can do this in their Sidebar settings (edge://settings/sidebar). Additionally, Enterprise users can choose to 'always show' or 'auto hide', when an admin 'enables' the Sidebar. More customization options for the sidebar toolbar button are planned in future versions of Microsoft Edge. For more information, see Manage the sidebar in Microsoft Edge.

The new release also has two new security updates that add fixes from the Chromium project:

• CVE-2023-28286 (Moderate)
• CVE-2023-28261(Low)

You can find the official release notes here.

Latest Microsoft Edge 111 stable lets admins disable the Discover app in the sidebar

Like every other WDE release, this one has a new expiration date. You can use the virtual machine until June 14, 2023. After that, Windows will start nagging you to enter a license key.

The Windows Development Environment is available in four variants: VMWare, Hyper-V Gen2, Parallels, and VirtualBox. Those virtual machines are prebuilt and do not require any extra setup. After turning on the VM, you can access the Windows 11 Enterprise SKU, Visual Studio 2022 Community Edition, Windows Subsystem for Linux, Ubuntu, and Developer Mode. All those developer tools are available immediately, with no extra installations necessary.

You can download Microsoft's official virtual machines for a free evaluation on the official website. However, remember that the built-in "free" license is available for 90 days. You can still personalize the operating system and use its full capabilities within the specified period, but removing the timebomb will require entering a valid Windows license key.

You can now test Windows 11 Moment 2 update using Microsoft's free virtual machines

If you are wondering about the release date of Windows 12, a recent rumor regarding Intel's 14th Gen Meteor Lake-S desktop CPUs claimed that Microsoft's Windows 12 will be supported by the next-gen Intel CPUs. The rumor was interesting regardless if it's true or not. However, it may end up being the latter, as there appears to be some lack of evidence that supports the existence and arrival of Meteor Lake-S.

Rumors from December suggested that launch plans for Meteor Lake-S were canceled (via Raichu on Twitter), and a more recent (now-deleted) report from Benchlife also echoed similar sentiments. The report claimed (via Wccftech) Arrow Lake-S will be superseding the canceled Meteor Lake-S:

There may have been some changes in Intel’s product planning for desktop computers. The previously rumored Meteor Lake-S, which was expected to launch in the first half of 2024, may be renamed Arrow Lake-S and paired with the Intel 800 series chipset. Both Meteor Lake-S and Arrow Lake-S use the Intel LGA 1851 socket. According to the source, Arrow Lake-S will maintain a maximum 8P+16E core configuration, while the 6P+16E configuration for MTL-S will be canceled.

HWiNFO, which can often reliably leak upcoming CPU or GPU products / SKUs, does not seem to feature anything regarding Intel's Meteor Lake-S (MTL-S). Version 7.3.2 does however mention " Metero Lake" only. Meanwhile, the most recent pre-release version (v7.41, Build 5020) of the software has already added preliminary support for Arrow Lake-S. Although it is possible that Meteor Lake-S gains HWiNFO support later on after Arrow Lake-S, it is a bit unlikely.

While it is possible that Windows 12 arrives alongside Meteor Lake mobile, instead of the Meteor Lake-S desktop CPUs, that would be a difficult thing to happen as Windows 12 will then have to release either by the end of this year or early next year. This is because, on multiple occasions, Intel has reiterated that its Meteor Lake CPUs, which are being built on the Intel 4 node, were already manufacturing-ready by the second half of 2022. In a recent statement to The Verge, Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford reassured that such plans remained unchanged and 2023 is when Meteor Lake sees the light of day.

Similarly, a 2023 launch for Windows 12 also does not align with the previous report which suggested that the Redmond giant was moving back to a three-year launch cycle for new OSs since in that case, a 2024 2H launch becomes more plausible.

Regardless though, Meteor Lake would probably require some extra optimization just like Alder Lake did. That's because Intel is going for a tiled architecture with Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake. This approach is very similar to AMD's chiplet design and hence Intel would be able to employ different process nodes across the different tiles inside its CPUs.

According to Intel's process node roadmap, Intel's 20A process, which will be used by Arrow Lake, is going to be ready for manufacturing in the first half of 2024. This also happens to be the year when Windows 12 is most likely to release given the reports we have had.

Lack of Intel Meteor Lake-S evidence calls into question Windows 12 release date rumors

Microsoft Edge Workspaces are now available to all willing to try the feature in version 111.0.1661.51 or newer. The preview is limited to five people per customer, and Microsoft promises to expand the trials to more users through the Spring.

You can sign up for testing Edge Workspaces by clicking this link. After accepting the invitation, you will spot a new workspaces button in the upper-left corner of the windows (you can also remove it using right-click). Click it, give a new workspace a name and colour, and then share the link with others. You will spot people's profile icons after they join a workspace in Microsoft Edge. Once everything is set, people in the workspace will access the same set of tabs on each supported device, with changes happening in real-time.

Like with other public preview features, Microsoft encourages testers to share their feedback and help the company shape Workspaces. You can let Microsoft know what you think using the Alt + Shift + I shortcut in the browser.

Edge Workspaces bring collaborative browsing to all consumers

Please note that the official Windows Insider Program Twitter handle has made a slight error in the build number as it has written build 25324.1011 as 25314.1011.

Hence, all the bug fixes and improvements that were announced with the earlier released Build 25324 to the Dev Channel are carried over into this. Interestingly, while there are no new changes made in this build, servicing test builds like these before have been known to break some features. For example, in the previous version of Windows, on Windows 10 Build 21292.1010 specifically, it caused issues for x64 emulation on ARM PCs.

Microsoft testing Canary pipeline with Windows 11 build 25324.1011 (KB5025849)

Twitter user Xeno noticed that Microsoft has now updated the ReFS file system in build 25324 to version 3.10 from previous version 3.9. Compared to New Technology File System or NTFS, ReFS promises more resiliency, more performance, like on virtual machines (VMs), and higher data size support (up to 35PB vs 256TB on NTFS), among other benefits.

In case you missed it, Microsoft has been making some progress in terms of adding ReFS support on Windows 11. The company is working on allowing OS installations on ReFS volumes too, the feature is still hidden and requires a special velocity ID to enable.

Aside from that, Microsoft is also adding the option to create ReFS-based "Dev Drive" or devvol (presumably Developer Volume) from inside the Settings app (which is seeing a lot of improvements lately). These Dev Drives are likely meant to act as developer environments and will seemingly allow developers to create virtual hard disks (VHD). If you think about it, ReFS-based VHD/VHDx developer volumes make a lot of sense as the file system is optimized to accelerate VMs.

In this latest Canary build, the Dev Drives can be enabled using ViveTool (latest version 0.3.3). In addition to the previous Developer Volumes, there is also a new "Dynamic Developer Volume" now in the new build. These can be enabled using velocity IDs through the steps below:

Caution: Unannounced features are often raw, unstable, or borderline unusable. Back up important data before enabling them with the ViveTool app. Remember that using stable Windows 11 is the best way to ensure your system remains as bug-free as possible.

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 with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:40347509,41878171,42866187 and press Enter.
6. (For PowerShell try: .\vivetool /enable /id:38613007)
7. A system Restart may be required.

To restore the previous state, repeat the steps above and replace /enable with /disable in the commands on steps 5 and 6.

Via: PhantomOcean3 (Twitter)

Microsoft silently updates Windows 11 ReFS file system version in latest Canary build

Microsoft understands that constant commotion on the taskbar will not help you stay focused. Therefore, Windows 11 will play the animations only when you hover or click the Widgets button.

Another thing worth noting is that not all animations support motion—some will remain static until Microsoft's designers produce more animated variants. For now, only several weather and finance icons are supported.

Animated icons for Windows Widgets are rolling out gradually, so not all insiders can try them after installing build 25324. You can fix this using our favorite ViVeTool app (via @PhantomOfEarth on Twitter), which recently got updated to version 0.3.3 with ARM64 support and other changes.

Caution: Back up important data before using ViveTool. Also, prepare for potential bugs and instabilities after enabling hidden or experimental features in early Windows 11 builds.

How to enable animated Windows Widgets icons in Windows 11 build 25324

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 with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:42934589 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.

The new animations are not the only Widget-related change in recent Windows Insider builds. A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced theme-aware icons to improve Widgets' accessibility.

Microsoft is testing animated Widgets icons in Windows 11, here is how to enable them

In addition to the general forecast, weather on Microsoft Start provides extra information, such as suggestions, alerts, air quality index, and other essential data you may need to plan your activities during the day. The company was even recognized by the Director of NOAA's National Weather Service for its contribution to public safety.

You can access the "most accurate weather forecast" from Microsoft on the Microsoft Start portal, the new tab page in Microsoft Edge, Widgets in Windows 11, and News and Interests in Windows 10. In addition to refining the algorithms used to generate forecasts, Microsoft is improving the overall user experience. For example, the weather widget in Windows 11 recently released better theme-aware icons and subtle animations. Interestingly, the dedicated Weather app in Windows 10 and 11 still uses data provided by Foreca, which scored notably lower than the weather in Microsoft Start.

You can find more information about ForecastWatch's research and analysis in a document available here.

Weather from Microsoft Start declared most accurate global forecast provider

Aside from opening access to more tokens, Transak also introduces lots of payment options for buying tokens. Payment methods include Visa and Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, UPI, Mobi Kwik, AstroPay, and Maya. All of these payment options make it easier for people in more countries to buy things in the Brave Wallet.

Commenting on the news, Sami Start, CEO and Co-founder of Transak, said:

“Brave browser has always been on the forefront of supporting Web3 and is enabling so many users to securely interact with the ecosystem. Therefore, we are very proud to be supporting Brave Wallet in its mission to onboard more and more users to Web3. Our integration will enable these users to easily buy crypto via their locally supported payment methods and deposit directly to their Brave Wallet.”

To use the new feature, follow these instructions:

• Open the Brave browser, and then open Brave Wallet.
  • You can either visit brave://wallet, click the wallet icon in the address bar, or select Wallet from the browser options menu.
• Select “Buy” in the wallet panel or wallet page.
• Select a network in the “All Networks” dropdown menu, and then search your desired token.
• Pick Transak from the list of available on-ramp partners.
• Follow the steps to complete the purchase with Transak.

While some people may consider a browser crypto wallet to be bloat that’s not needed, Brave says that the Brave Wallet removes the need for wallet browser extensions, this boosts security and doesn’t use as much CPU or memory. The native integration also makes it more seamless to use Web3 DApps, which could become more popular in the future.

Source

We took ChatGPT offline earlier this week due to a bug in an open-source library which allowed some users to see titles from another active user’s chat history. It’s also possible that the first message of a newly-created conversation was visible in someone else’s chat history if both users were active around the same time.

The bug is now patched. We were able to restore both the ChatGPT service and, later, its chat history feature, with the exception of a few hours of history. As promised, we’re publishing more technical details of this problem below.

Upon deeper investigation, we also discovered that the same bug may have caused the unintentional visibility of payment-related information of 1.2% of the ChatGPT Plus subscribers who were active during a specific nine-hour window. In the hours before we took ChatGPT offline on Monday, it was possible for some users to see another active user’s first and last name, email address, payment address, the last four digits (only) of a credit card number, and credit card expiration date. Full credit card numbers were not exposed at any time.

We believe the number of users whose data was actually revealed to someone else is extremely low. To access this information, a ChatGPT Plus subscriber would have needed to do one of the following:

• Open a subscription confirmation email sent on Monday, March 20, between 1 a.m. and 10 a.m. Pacific time. Due to the bug, some subscription confirmation emails generated during that window were sent to the wrong users. These emails contained the last four digits of another user’s credit card number, but full credit card numbers did not appear. It’s possible that a small number of subscription confirmation emails might have been incorrectly addressed prior to March 20, although we have not confirmed any instances of this.

• In ChatGPT, click on “My account,” then “Manage my subscription” between 1 a.m. and 10 a.m. Pacific time on Monday, March 20. During this window, another active ChatGPT Plus user’s first and last name, email address, payment address, the last four digits (only) of a credit card number, and credit card expiration date might have been visible. It’s possible that this also could have occurred prior to March 20, although we have not confirmed any instances of this.

We have reached out to notify affected users that their payment information may have been exposed. We are confident that there is no ongoing risk to users’ data.

Everyone at OpenAI is committed to protecting our users’ privacy and keeping their data safe. It’s a responsibility we take incredibly seriously. Unfortunately, this week we fell short of that commitment, and of our users’ expectations. We apologize again to our users and to the entire ChatGPT community and will work diligently to rebuild trust.

Technical details

The bug was discovered in the Redis client open-source library, redis-py. As soon as we identified the bug, we reached out to the Redis maintainers with a patch to resolve the issue. Here’s how the bug worked:

• We use Redis to cache user information in our server so we don’t need to check our database for every request.

• We use Redis Cluster to distribute this load over multiple Redis instances.

• We use the redis-py library to interface with Redis from our Python server, which runs with Asyncio.

• The library maintains a shared pool of connections between the server and the cluster, and recycles a connection to be used for another request once done.

• When using Asyncio, requests and responses with redis-py behave as two queues: the caller pushes a request onto the incoming queue, and will pop a response from the outgoing queue, and then return the connection to the pool.

• If a request is canceled after the request is pushed onto the incoming queue, but before the response popped from the outgoing queue, we see our bug: the connection thus becomes corrupted and the next response that’s dequeued for an unrelated request can receive data left behind in the connection.

• In most cases, this results in an unrecoverable server error, and the user will have to try their request again.

• But in some cases the corrupted data happens to match the data type the requester was expecting, and so what gets returned from the cache appears valid, even if it belongs to another user.

• At 1 a.m. Pacific time on Monday, March 20, we inadvertently introduced a change to our server that caused a spike in Redis request cancellations. This created a small probability for each connection to return bad data.

This bug only appeared in the Asyncio redis-py client for Redis Cluster, and has now been fixed.

Actions we’ve taken

As our investigation wraps up, supporting and informing our users is our top priority.

We have taken the following actions to improve our systems:

•     Extensively tested our fix to the underlying bug.

•     Added redundant checks to ensure the data returned by our Redis cache matches the requesting user.

•     Programatically examined our logs to make sure that all messages are only available to the correct user.

•     Correlated several data sources to precisely identify the affected users so that we can notify them.

•     Improved logging to identify when this is happening and fully confirm it has stopped.

•     Improved the robustness and scale of our Redis cluster to reduce the likelihood of connection errors at extreme load.

Where we go from here

The Redis open-source maintainers have been fantastic collaborators, swiftly addressing the bug and rolling out a patch. Redis, along with other open-source software, plays a crucial role in our research efforts. Their significance cannot be understated—we would not have been able to scale ChatGPT without Redis. We’re dedicated to continually supporting and contributing to the Redis community.

Source

Things is still being added and tweaked, and the latest improvement brings an option to switch to a Cloud PC. There will be two ways to access it, a full-screen desktop via Task View, or as an App window. Options to add accessories and ports to the Cloud PC have also been added.

Hence, users may not need a dedicated app. The latest Dev build 23419 enables these options via the new "settingshandlers_cloudpc" DLL file (spotted by Xeno on Twitter).

Although the integration of Cloud PC options inside Settings may not appear exciting at first, it makes sense in the grand scheme of things as Microsoft's Panos Panay has already stated that the next-gen Windows 11 and Windows 12 experience will be optimized to harness the power of the cloud and artificial intelligence (AI). The latter is also making steady progress as the AI-powered Bing Chat experience is now available from the taskbar. There are also reports of AI-powered desktop backgrounds too.

Source: Albacore (Twitter)

Source

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1470 and Build 22624.1470 (KB5023780) to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22624.1470 = New features rolling out.
• Build 22621.1470 = New features off by default

The new version adds a few new features, including a new USB4 Settings Page, and more changes, improvements and fixes. You can check out the changelog below:

What’s new in Build 22624.1470

USB4 Settings Page

We are adding a USB4 hubs and devices Settings page for users under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 Hubs and Devices. USB4 enables new productivity scenarios for docking, high performance peripherals, displays and charging. The USB4 settings page provides information about the system’s USB4 capabilities and attached peripherals on a USB4 capable system. These insights are meant to assist with troubleshooting in case users need support from their device manufacturer (OEM) or system administrator. The features provided by this page are:

• View the tree of connected USB4 hubs and devices.
• View attributes and capabilities associated with the USB4 domain.
• Copy the details into the clipboard so it can be shared with customer support or system administrators for troubleshooting.

If the system does not support USB4 with the Microsoft USB4 Connection Manager, this page will not be displayed.

To confirm whether your system is USB4 capable or not, check for “USB4 Host Router” populating in the Device Manager.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Buses.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22624.1470

[General]

• Users will now see a copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notification toasts from apps installed on the PC or from phones linked to the PC. We make a best effort to determine if a notification toast has an authentication code but please send us feedback if we got it wrong or if we failed to detect the code in a notification toast.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• We have added a glanceable VPN status into the system tray when connected to a recognized VPN profile. The VPN icon, a small shield, will be overlayed in your system accent colour over the active network connection.

• In response to user feedback, we are introducing the capability to show seconds in the clock on the system tray. This feature can be enabled by toggling the option listed under Settings > Personalization > Taskbarin the Taskbar behavior section. You can also right-click on taskbar to quickly get to taskbar settings. We are beginning to roll this change out so not all Windows Insiders will see this change right away, but we hope to make it available to everyone soon.

Changes and Improvements for BOTH Build 22621.1470 & Build 22624.1470

[Search on the Taskbar]

• The search box on taskbar will be lighter when Windows is set to a custom colour mode. Specifically, when the Windows 11 mode is set to dark, and the app mode is set to light under Settings > Personalization > colours you will see a lighter search box on taskbar.

Fixes in Build 22624.1470

[Live captions]

• We fixed the issue causing live captions to not work for Chinese Traditional on Arm64 devices.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1470 & Build 22624.1470

• Fixed rendering issues when using the touch keyboard with the search box on taskbar.
• Fixed an issue when double clicking the search highlight glyph in the search box makes it disappear.
• Fixed an issue where the search box would randomly disappear.
• Fixed an issue where the search icon flips incorrectly for right-to-left (RTL) languages.
• Fixed on issue where you might have seen some text flicker in the search box when you click into it.
• Fixed an issue where the search box might disappear on one monitor if you are using multiple monitors.
• Made some accessibility fixes to the settings for search under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

Known issues

[Live captions]

• On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
• Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
• When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
• Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

You can check out the official blog post here:

Windows 11 Beta build 22624.1470 restores seconds in systray clock, and more

What’s new in Build 25324

Evolved Widgets Board

We are beginning to preview a revamp of the widgets board experience with a larger canvas (3-columns if supported by the device) and dedicated sections for widgets and feed content with a clear separation between them. This will provide users with quick access to glanceable content from their apps and services as well as enable users to take a high-value break with personalized news content.

Example of updated widgets board with larger canvas and dedicated sections for widgets and feed content.

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

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

USB4 Settings Page

We are adding a USB4 hubs and devices Settings page for users under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 Hubs and Devices. USB4 enables new productivity scenarios for docking, high performance peripherals, displays and charging. The USB4 settings page provides information about the system’s USB4 capabilities and attached peripherals on a USB4 capable system. These insights are meant to assist with troubleshooting in case users need support from their device manufacturer (OEM) or system administrator. The features provided by this page are:

• View the tree of connected USB4 hubs and devices.
• View attributes and capabilities associated with the USB4 domain.
• Copy the details into the clipboard so it can be shared with customer support or system administrators for troubleshooting.

USB4 Settings page with details shown.

If the system does not support USB4 with the Microsoft USB4 Connection Manager, this page will not be displayed.

To confirm whether your system is USB4 capable or not, check for “USB4 Host Router” populating in the Device Manager.

USB4 Host Router as shown in Device Manager.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Buses.

Unsafe password copy and paste warnings

Starting in Windows 11, version 22H2, Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen helps protect Microsoft school or work passwords against phishing and unsafe usage on sites and apps. We are trying out a change starting with this build where users who have enabled warning options for Windows Security under App & browser control > Reputation-based protection > Phishing protection will see a UI warning on unsafe password copy and paste, just as they currently see when they type in their password.

Example warning dialog on unsafe password copy and paste.

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

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security and Privacy > Microsoft Defender SmartScreen.

Introducing SHA-3 Support

Starting with this build, we are adding support for the SHA-3 family of hash functions and SHA-3 derived functions (SHAKE, cSHAKE, KMAC). The SHA-3 family of algorithms are the latest standardized hash functions by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Support for these functions has been enabled through the Windows CNG library.

• Supported SHA-3 hash functions: SHA3-256, SHA3-384, SHA3-512 (SHA3-224 is not supported)
• Supported SHA-3 HMAC algorithms: HMAC-SHA3-256, HMAC-SHA3-384, HMAC-SHA3-512
• Supported SHA-3 derived algorithms: extendable-output functions (XOF) (SHAKE128, SHAKE256), customizable XOFs (cSHAKE128, cSHAKE256), and KMAC (KMAC128, KMAC256, KMACXOF128, KMACXOF256).

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Developer Platform > API Feedback.

Changes and Improvements

[Widgets]

• We are beginning to roll out animated icons for Widgets on the taskbar. The animation triggers when you hover or click on the Widgets taskbar entry-point or when a new widget announcement is displayed on your taskbar. Currently, only a few weather and finance icons are supported.

[Search on the Taskbar]

• Once you have access to the new Bing, the search box on the taskbar will include a button that opens the Bing chat experience in Edge. If you don’t have access to the new Bing, the search box on the taskbar will feature a dynamic search highlight button. We’re beginning to roll this out to Insiders, not everyone will see it right away.

[Input]

• We have updated several simplified Chinese fonts and the Microsoft Pinyin IME to support GB18030-2022. With this update, you can enter and display characters from conformance level 1 or 2 via the additions to Microsoft Yahei, Simsun and Dengxian. Unicode Extensions E and F are now supported in our Simsun Ext-B font to meet the requirements for level 3.

[Settings]

• As part of the deprecation of Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) and MSDT Troubleshooters, we have begun redirecting some of the troubleshooters found under Settings > System > Troubleshoot and in other areas of the OS to the new Get Help troubleshooting platform.
• If you have multiple cameras that support Windows Hello, you can now select your preferred camera under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options.

Showing a new dropdown in sign-n settings for your preferred camera, saying “let Windows choose” or letting you pick the camera.

[File Explorer]

• Made some changes which should noticeably help improve the performance of the “calculating” phase when sending a large number of files at once in File Explorer to the recycle bin.

You can find the official blog post here.

Microsoft debuts SHA-3 with Windows 11 Canary build 25324, boosts File Explorer performance

Meta has noted that the new app has aesthetics that will be familiar to both WhatsApp and Windows users. This revamp also brings better performance in order to ensure a smooth experience while navigating the app. You'll also notice improvements to device linking and syncing across different platforms and hardware.

Additionally, the WhatsApp for Windows client can now host group video calls with up to 8 people and audio calls with up to 32 people. Meta says that it will continue working to increase these limits to facilitate connectivity between larger social groups.

Support for bigger displays seems to be a focus area for the company recently. It has already announced a new experience for Android tablets and is working on launching a new app for Mac with faster performance too. It is currently in beta with the time frame for general availability currently unknown. In the meantime, you can download WhatsApp for Windows from the Microsoft Store here.

WhatsApp for Windows is now faster with improved calling capabilities

As per usual, there's no full changelog between builds to speak of, so it's unclear what's new in the bits that relate to Server, for a full changelog of the build 25324 client, go here. As you may have noticed, the Windows Server Preview now aligns with the new Canary channel, which might indicate we won't see a new Server version until next year when Windows 12 is expected to be released.

Branding has not yet been updated and remains as Windows Server 2022 in the preview. In addition, Microsoft is encouraging Insiders to give feedback in the Windows Server category and then the appropriate subcategory. The company asks to indicate the build number you are providing feedback on along with the title as shown in the example below:

• [Server #####] Title of my feedback

What's New

RESOLVED: While using Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) or in doing a clean install, users may encounter rendering issues which create difficulty in using these processes. Build-to-build upgrade is unaffected.

RESOLVED: Installing the Languages and Optional Features preview will put the Server in a state where SCONFIG does not reliable start up after login, and Remote Desktop functionality into the Server fails inconsistently. If you depend on either Remote Desktop or SCONFIG, you may wish to avoid installing the Languages and Optional Features preview.

Known Issues

This build has an issue where archiving eventlogs with "wevetutil al" command causes the Windows Event Log service to crash, and the archive operation to fail. The service must be restarted by executing "Start-Service EventLog" from an administrative command line prompt.

If you are have Secure Launch/DRTM code path enabled, we do not recommend that you install this build.

Available Downloads:

• Windows Server Long-Term Servicing Channel Preview in ISO format in 18 languages, and in VHDX format in English only.
  Windows Server Datacenter Azure Edition Preview in ISO and VHDX format, English only.*
  Microsoft Server Languages and Optional Features Preview

Note: Downloads to certain countries may not be available. See Microsoft suspends new sales in Russia - Microsoft On the Issues

Keys are valid for preview builds only:

• Server Standard: MFY9F-XBN2F-TYFMP-CCV49-RMYVH
• Datacenter: 2KNJJ-33Y9H-2GXGX-KMQWH-G6H67
• Azure Edition does not accept a key

To download, registered Insiders can head over to the Windows Server Insider Preview download page here. You can also check out the Getting Started with Server page here on the Windows Insider for Business portal to register for the Windows Insider Program in case you aren't already registered.

Microsoft also notes that this Preview will expire on September 15, 2023.

You can download the build here, and find the official announcement here.

Windows Server vNext build 25324 out with systray clock seconds, and more

As previously revealed, NVIDIA will add DLSS 2 support for the Diablo IV open beta, which begins on Friday and will offer DLSS 3 support for the full game when it launches on June 6.

That's not all this new driver version adds, however. NVIDIA states:

Further support for new titles leveraging DLSS 2 technology include The Last of Us Part I, Smalland: Survive the Wild, and Deceive Inc. Additionally, this Game Ready Driver supports Resident Evil 4 and the addition of DLSS 3 technology to Forza Horizon 5. Lastly, this Game Ready Driver offers full support for the technology preview of Cyberpunk 2077’s Ray Tracing: Overdrive Mode.

The driver also has some bug fixes for various games and other apps:

• Adobe application stability issues using 531.18 [4008751] 
• Enscape crash at startup with 531.18 [4008190] 
• Beamr - Issue with AV1 encoding in PTD=0 mode [3981172] 
• Derivative TouchDesigner - NVAR: crash when using multi-person tracking [3808674] 
• [Forza Horizon 5] Rainbow like artifacts in game after driver update [3839021] 
• [Portal with RTX] "Background application max frame rate" setting is getting engaged while game is in focus [3897352] 
• Disable Horizon Zero Dawn Resizable Bar profile on Intel platforms [3759681]

There are also some known issues with this driver release:

• Toggling HDR on and off in-game causes game stability issues when non-native resolution is used. [3624030] 
• Monitor may briefly flicker on waking from display sleep if DSR/DLDSR is enabled. [3592260] 
• [Halo Wars 2] In-game foliage is larger than normal and displays constant flickering [3888343]
• [GeForce RTX 4090] Watch Dogs 2 may display flickering when staring at the sky [3858016] 
• Increase in DPC latency observed in Latencymon [3952556] 
• Applying GeForce Experience Freestyle filters cause games to crash [4008945] 
• Assassin’s Creed Origins stability issues using 531.18 [4008770]

You can download the NVIDIA GeForce 531.41 WHQL driver at the links below:

Desktop GPUs:

• GeForce Game Ready Driver Download: Windows 11, 10 – DCH [en-US version]

Notebook GPUs:

• GeForce Game Ready Driver Download: Windows 11, 10 – DCH [en-US version]

You can view the release notes for the driver here (PDF).

NVIDIA 531.41 WHQL driver adds Diablo IV open beta support with DLSS 2 and more

The fix is available in version 11.2302.20.0 (the current stable version is 11.2302.4.0), and you can download it from the Microsoft Store. Those not participating in the Windows Insider program can get the update by sideloading the application. Download version 11.2302.20.0 from Google Drive at your own risk (credits for getting the msixbundle file go to @XenoPanther on Twitter) and launch the file to update Snipping Tool to the latest release. It should work on stable Windows 11 versions, not only preview builds.

Here is how you can test if the vulnerability is fixed after installing the latest Snipping Tool version (by @wdormann on Twitter, via Deskmodder😞

1. Make a screenshot using Snipping Tool and save the image.
2. Create a copy of the image and open it in Snipping Tool.
3. Crop the image and save it.
4. Compare file sizes. Unpatched Snipping Tool will keep file sizes unchanged.

There is no information on when Microsoft plans to roll out the patched Snipping Tool to all users. Hopefully, the company will not take too long to deploy the fix.

Microsoft updates Snipping Tool for insiders to fix screenshot-recovery vulnerability

WSATools is a third-party app for sideloading Android applications on Windows 11. It makes the process easier and more user-friendly, removing the need for installing ADB and learning its commands. With WSATools, you can install your favorite Android applications with a single click. It is an excellent tool for those wanting to use Android apps unavailable in the Amazon App Store.

According to the developer, APK bundle support was the most requested feature among WSATools users. APK bundle is a publishing format for Android apps that reduces the app size and simplifies the publishing process in the Google Play Store. APK bundles allow the marketplace to deliver optimized packages tailored for a specific device configuration, language variant, or feature set.

Another significant change in WSATools 1.0.0 is ARM64 support. Customers with ARM-powered computers, such as the Surface Pro 9, can use the app to sideload android applications and games using WSATools. Finally, the update shifts the project from UWP to WinAppSDK, which enables more freedom and stability for WSATools.

You can download WSATools from the Microsoft Store for free. Note that you must download and install Windows Subsystem for Android and toggle on Developer Mode in Windows 11 Settings before attempting to sideload Android applications using WSATools.

WSATools 1.0.0 brings APK bundle and ARM64 support to Windows 11

• Easier to read exceptions
• Built against .NET Framework 4.8.1 with ARM64 support
• /query and /fullreset can now be filtered by priority
• Support for new priorities (fixes #78)
• Support for installs with uninitialized LKG mechanism (fixes #77)
• Feature dictionary update (data as of 3/22/2023)
• Updated Newtonsoft.Json dependency to 13.0.3

You can download the ViVeTool 0.3.3 app from its GitHub repository.

If you are not familiar with the app, ViVeTool is a third-party command-line Windows utility that allows enabling, disabling, or modifying a wide range of features, including those hidden by default. One such change is the new shortcut key for screen recording using Snipping Tool in the latest Windows 11 Dev build.

Note that enabling experimental and hidden features in Windows 11 involves potential risks, so remember to back up important data and prepare for instabilities, bugs, and other wonders of pre-release software.

ViVeTool 0.3.3 is out with ARM support, fixes for the fullreset command, and more