Microsoft is letting everyone check out the new Bing on the web and on Edge by going to bing.com/new. Users will be able to use the expanded Bing search box for a limited number of queries to see how the chatbot works. A select few will also be able to get the full new Bing experience right away, and Microsoft will open that version up to millions of more users sometime in the coming weeks. Microsoft also plans to launch a mobile version of the new Bing upgrade.

As previously reported, Bing will now have the OpenAI-developed chatbot technology inside. Microsoft says it will include an improved language model, combined with some Microsoft services and tools that come under code name Prometheus. This new language model been made specifically for internet searches. The new Bing will be able to handle more complex questions and queries, such as shopping for a new TV, helping you write an email, planning a trip, and more. Microsoft says even basic internet searches in Bing will see improvements under this new version.

The new Bing with the OpenAI chat technology is being announced the day after its main rival Google revealed its own chatbot tech, called Bard. Even the China-based Baidu is working on its own AI technology, called Ernie Bot, that will launch sometime in March.

You can try out the new Microsoft Bing with OpenAI-powered search right now

During his speech as part of the event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that the web browser was a big reason for the rise of the Internet, and search engines helped to organize the web. Microsoft VP Yusuf Mehdi then took the stage, saying that AI will be the next generation of surfing and searching on the web. The company showed off the new version of Bing with a larger search box that can hold up to 1,000 characters, which is consistent with the previous leaks about the new Bing.

The company will also integrate a chatbot in Bing so people can ask it questions and get answers in natural language. For example, if you are planning a trip to Mexico, the chatbot can create a possible itinerary that you can use for each day of your trip. It can create a meal plan to your specifications or even create a trivia game for you. Users can also switch from the chatbot to normal Bing search results in a flash.

As far as the improvements coming to the Edge web browser, Microsoft stated it will integrate the Bing chatbot in the browser. You can use the AI chatbot to look at a website and get a quick summary of it. For example, it can be used to make a summary of a complex financial results news release. You can even compare the highlights with another business earnings report.

Other functions of this new chatbot include writing out a post for you in Microsoft's Linkedin social network, or even doing some code rewriting.

The company did not livestream the event, but media outlets like Engadget did have livebogs.

Update: You can try out the new Bing search right now in a limited form.

Microsoft announces new Bing search and Edge browser with OpenAI tech

The full announcement says:

We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 25290.1010 (KB50234461). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev Channel.

Hence, all the bug fixes and improvements that were announced with the earlier released Build 25290 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.

The official announcement can be found on Microsoft's website here.

Microsoft releases servicing pipeline build 25290.1010 (KB50234461) on Windows 11 Dev

The Image Properties dialog lets you check out file attributes, such as "last saved," "size on disk," and the image resolution. You can also change units (inches, centimeters, and pixels), colour mode, and image size. With the latest update, the Image Properties UI features Windows 11-like radio buttons, input boxes, better fonts, and an overall nicer-look aesthetic. The screenshot below lets you compare the old variant to its modernized successor:

You can download the latest Paint update from the Microsoft Store. Note that the redesigned Image Properties UI is only available to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

If you want to equip Windows 11's Paint with dark mode support, check out the recently published Windhawk mod. It enables dark theme in Paint with a single click, making drawing doodles and stickmen more comfortable during the nighttime.

Besides dark mode support, what do you want Microsoft to improve in Paint next? Let us know in the comments.

Paint gets a redesigned properties window in the latest Dev update

The new guidance on the Learn webpage has a description for each of the three programming languages, along with Microsoft's perspective on their popularity and use-cases. In terms of Microsoft's strategy for the long-term investment in the languages, not much has changed. The Redmond tech firm still remains committed to the trio of languages.

Being the most popular .NET language, C# will continue to receive support from Microsoft with an emphasis on innovation and performance while being "careful to stay within the spirit of the language". Backwards compatibility is also an area of importance, with the company noting that it will continue to be the custodian of design decisions.

When it comes to F#, Microsoft considers it a robust and performant language that works well in mixed-language solutions built in C#. Moving forward, the focus will be on language leadership and governance, as Microsoft will encourage the community to further enrich the language. The Redmond tech giant will also be ensuring interoperability with new C# features, along with working on tooling and documentation to lower the barrier of entry for incoming developers.

Lastly, Visual Basic continues to enjoy the support of many developers as it is the most mature language out of the lot. Microsoft has pointed out that while Visual Basic does not support some workloads, customers can utilize C# instead in such cases. In terms of the future, Microsoft says that:

When C# or the .NET Runtime introduce new features that would require language support, VB will generally adopt a consumption-only approach and avoid new syntax. We do not plan to extend Visual Basic to new workloads. We will continue to invest in the experience in Visual Studio and interop with C#, especially in core VB scenarios such as Windows Forms and libraries.

Microsoft has emphasized that the success of its .NET languages depends on open and honest communication, and the new Learn page will serve this purpose.

Microsoft updates its .NET language strategy for the first time since 2017

It is worth noting that installing Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 10 is not for the faint of heart. It requires getting some files from Windows 11 (a free VM from Microsoft can help you with that), lots of patching, registering, and tinkering.

You can try your luck with the project by following a guide published in the project's GitHub repository (via Liliputing).

Those willing to install WSA on Windows 10 should also remember that Microsoft will not provide any support, and nobody will be to blame for failed experiments or damaged data. For some customers, downloading Bluestacks or similar software will be a much better, no-risk option.

In case you missed it, Microsoft recently upgraded WSA to Android 13. The latest release is currently available to Windows Insiders.

This patch brings WSA and Android apps support to Windows 10

Introduced in 2017, WhatsApp Status is now getting additional features as the company’s latest announcement suggests. Status on WhatsApp enables users to post GIFs, photos, videos, text, and more for a maximum of 24 hours for others to see.

There are five new features WhatsApp Status is getting. One of them is the “Private Audience Selector,” which allows individuals to select their preferred privacy settings by deciding who views their status. Before posting a new Status, users can update their privacy settings, while their "most recent audience selection will be saved and used as the default for your next status.”

WhatsApp is also bringing “Voice Status”, which lets users record and post voice messages of up to 30 seconds on Status. The company suggests that the capability could be ideal for sharing updates “especially if you feel more comfortable expressing yourself by talking rather than typing.”

Users are also getting “Status Reactions” which are a quick way to react and respond to statuses from other users. WhatsApp noted:

“This was the #1 feature users wanted, following the launch of Reactions last year. You can now quickly reply to any status by swiping up and tapping on one of eight emojis. You can of course still reply to a status with text, voice message, stickers and more.”

The fourth feature is the “Status Profile Rings for New Updates.” Whenever an individual posts a WhatsApp Status, a ring will form around their profile picture. The ring will be visible in chat lists, contact info, and group chat profiles. Lastly, the company is adding a “Link Previews on Status”. With this capability, a preview of the link the poster wishes to add will be displayed on the WhatsApp Status.

According to Meta, these capabilities will roll out globally in the following weeks to everyone.

WhatsApp adds highly requested Status Reaction feature along with more updates to Status

What is new in Files App 2.4.30?

Version 2.4.30 has an enhanced home page with a revamped Quick Access section. It now allows pinning and unpinning folders alongside your frequently accessed directories. Besides, the update enables Quick Access sync with File Explorer, allowing you to see the same content in both applications for a more seamless and consistent experience.

There is also a new Tags widget for faster access to all tagged files. The Tags widget replaces old Bundles, but the latter will remain in the app to give customers time for the transition.

The sidebar in Files now supports sync, ensuring your favorite folders and items appear in the Files App and File Explorer without the need to pin them manually in each application.

Files users can rename files and folders faster with an improved renaming experience. Press the Tab and Shift + Tab to switch between files and folders.

Shell extensions have been moved to a submenu when you right-click a file. The change improves the performance and makes the menu size more predictable. Note that you can restore the original behavior in settings.

A new credential prompt when connecting to an SMB allows you to enter the login information and save it in Windows Credential Manager to avoid entering it every time you connect.

Here is the complete changelog that also includes various fixes and other noteworthy changes:

• Show error when a shortcut can't be created
• Use the tab key to select the next file while renaming
• Added a file tags widget, this will eventually replace the bundles widget
• Added support for hiding the edit tags menu
• Added support for hiding the edit tags menu
• Sync pinned favorites with File Explorer
• Display file size in the tooltip when hovering over files
• Added bitrate info to the properties window for audio files
• Moved shell extensions to a sub menu when right clicking files, you can change this behavior from settings if you prefer having shell extensions in the main menu
• Moved shell extensions to a sub menu when right clicking files, you can change this behavior from settings if you prefer having shell extensions in the main menu
• Display recent folders in the folders widget
• Add support for Autodesk drive
• Prompt for credentials when connecting smb
• Fixed issue with showing a negative elapsed time in case of a future timestamp
• Fixed wrong date format when language was set to Default
• Fixed issue with environment variables not working for shortcuts
• Fixed issue with creating new archives in a library
• Fixed issue where multiselect broke open with single click
• Fixed an issue where the menu for adding pages to startup was empty
• Fixed a crash that would happen when copying files from 7zip

he official website. Alternatively, you can support the developer by purchasing the program in the Microsoft Store for $8.99. Those with the necessary skills can contribute to the project's development on GitHub.

Files App 2.4.30 is out with favorites and recents sync, tags widget, and better renaming

When Firefox users type in the address bar, Firefox displays a list of suggestions automatically. These come from a variety of sources, including the browsing history and bookmarks, but also from the default search engine, provided that it supports suggestions.

Sometimes, Firefox users may want to remove certain suggestions, especially if they come up regularly. While there is no option to remove search engine suggestions, other than turning off the feature, it is different when it comes to Firefox Suggest entries.

Experienced Firefox users know that they may remove these entries using the arrow-keys on the keyboard and the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Delete (on Mac, Cmd-Delete). Executing the shortcut removes the selected Firefox Suggest entry from the history. It is deleted from history and won't be returned anymore after the removal.

The keyboard shortcut is not highlighted by Firefox and most Firefox users are probably unaware of it. Mozilla plans to change that by adding a new icon to entries that are pulled from the browsing history of the browser.

Hovering the mouse cursor over such an entry displays a three-dots icon. A click on that icon displays the "remove from history" option, which Firefox users may then activate using the mouse button.

The new option improves the visibility of the removal option and makes the feature accessible to more Firefox users as a consequence.

Managing the history in Firefox

Firefox users may also open the history manager of the browser to remove individual browsing history records. This is done with a click on the main menu, selecting History and then Manage History from the menu that opens.

Firefox opens a new window that lists history records. A search is provided, and filters are provided to display only records of the day, month or other periods.

A right-click on an entry displays a larger context menu with two delete options. The first, delete page, removes the individual entry from the browsing history. The second, forget about this site, removes any record of the site from the browsing history. Selection of the second option displays a confirmation prompt. Unlike the removal of individual entries, it will also remove cookies, cache and content preferences linked to the selected site in question.

Selecting forget proceeds with the deletion. Firefox notes that passwords and bookmarks of the site remain, but that the other data is removed when forget is selected by the user.

Closing words

The new removal menu is available in Firefox Nightly only at this point. If things go well, it could land in Firefox 111 at the earliest, which will be released in March.

Now You: have you removed browsing history entries in the past? (via Sören Hentzschel)

Firefox: menu to remove Firefox Suggest address bar entries is coming

Here’s a quick rundown of discussions as they happened in chronological order.

The first item that CEO Satya Nadella addressed was how ChatGPT has taken everyone by storm. Almost every business is talking about it now and the effect of AI on everyone’s lives. From what he was saying, it was clear that he believes the OpenAI software will shape the future for everyone.

Not long after this introduction, Nadella finally indicated the work Microsoft is doing with the AI system, specifically as it relates to search engines.

“And so we want to show you some of this innovation starting with how it’s going to reshape the largest software category on planet earth, which I’ve been working on for a long time and which we are very excited about, search.”

What caught so many of the audience members by surprise was the indication of a co-pilot mode. In effect, the search engine (Bing) will be able to take over some of the tasks for you, effectively helping you with your research. There’s also a new version of Bing on its way with the new AI model in place. 

Image courtesy of Jordan Novet | CNBC

The Bing homepage will also be AI-powered, which will provide several benefits. First, it will be able to answer your queries with the same power as ChatGPT. It will also be able to make an itinerary for your next journey, but you’ll need to specify where you’re traveling to and for how long. You’ll also be able to ask follow-up questions to continue the conversation.

OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, stepped up to the plate next to discuss the new raw power of Bing. He clarified that it’s not ChatGPT behind it, but rather, the integration of the search engine with OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 technology. Altman himself was happy to help Microsoft reach this point, stating that he’s waited about twenty years for something like this to happen.

Surprisingly, the new version of Bing will release today on desktop, but it will only have limited functions and views. You’ll only be able to ask a few questions to rest responses, with more rolling out soon. There was also mention of a waiting list for the complete version, with millions receiving it over the next week. What’s exciting was the mention of a mobile Bing with these AI capabilities.

It looks like there are exciting times ahead for Microsoft, Bing, and OpenAI. I’m sure we’ll hear more announcements in the weeks to come as the search engine becomes more powerful, and a strong competitor to Google’s Plans.

Source: CNBC live as it happened

Source

If you sat down to work this morning and attempted to do something as routine as check your emails with Outlook, you'd be bang out of luck.

According to outage tracker DownDetector, reports began coming in of users facing a 500 error and being unable to send, receive or search email through Outlook.com from about 4am UTC, peaking at 8 and 9am as Europeans reached their desks.

Microsoft confirmed the outage on its service health website, saying: "We're applying targeted mitigations to a subset of affected infrastructure and validating that it has mitigated impact. We're also making traffic optimization efforts to alleviate user impact and expedite recovery."

It added that extra "Outlook.com functionality such as Calendar APIs consumed by other services such as Microsoft Teams are also affected."

At the time of writing, the blackout appears to be ongoing. As for what caused it, the Microsoft 365 Status Twitter account said: "We've confirmed that a recent change is contributing to the cause of impact. We're working on potential solutions to restore availability of the service."

In plain English, Microsoft tweaked something and the house of cards came tumbling down, so they'll probably have to revert the change. It offered the reference number EX512238 to track in the admin center and otherwise directed users to watch the service health page for any updates.

Until then, you have The Register's blessing to slack off – just check with your boss that you don't have anything outstanding that can be done without the aid of Outlook.

As ever, Microsoft's legendary approach to quality control is incredibly poorly timed because today the company is supposed to host a super-duper mystery event at Redmond that is thought to include a relaunch of its search engine Bing, now with added ChatGPT from OpenAI!

Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI and is already spraying its wares all over its own products, including Teams and Azure. Let us hope that Microsoft didn't prematurely flip the AI switch on Outlook, like this Twitter user suggested.

Another said to forget about AI and ML, "We need better HI.. Human Inteligence [sic] to prevent global outage on a weekday."

Once again, Microsoft proves that the 365 branding was a terrible choice that will come back to haunt them again and again. If we add the global outage from January to this Outlook wobble, we're probably down to Microsoft 364 already and it's only the first week of February.

Maybe just go with 360, like the Xbox, and add the additional days as another paid tier. Wait, that might give someone at Microsoft ideas... ®

Source

Ever since the game's launch, enthusiasts have been testing the tech inside Forspoken, trying to better grasp the benefits and see if it has drawbacks too. The verdict has generally been positive, and by a large margin too. Game and game level loading times have improved tremendously. Even for a title as heavy and intense as this, navigating between the menu and the game has been a breeze it seems.

For those looking towards performance improvement aspects of the feature like in framerate terms, there are positives to share here as well. The frame timings have been smoothened out in the game, which will lead to much tighter percentile low figures. In real life, this should translate to smoother gameplay even when textures and other assets are streaming in and out of disk.

However, it looks like the biggest benefit of this technology will be seen at lower resolutions like at 1080p. Game tester and YouTuber Compusemble noticed this interesting behavior. They noted that at Full HD resolution, the frametimes were much better due to better CPU utilization when DirectStorage was enabled. This might have to with GPU decompression working behind the scenes and it is known to reduce CPU overhead.

Compusemble writes in the video description

At 1440p and higher resolutions, DirectStorage has virtually no impact on frame rate. When CPU limited at 1080p, however, DirectStorage can have a significant positive effect on frame rate, frame time consistency, and GPU utilization.

Hence, DirectStorage looks like a big reason to be excited for in the case of SSDs. However, not every NVMe related news is positive. If you recently brought a Samsung NVMe drive to take advantage of this technology, we may want to consider flashing the firmware if you have a 980 Pro or a 990 Pro SSD.

Microsoft DirectStorage continues surprising as Windows 11's gaming gets explored further

Note: Participation in Valve's Hardware & Software Survey is optional, and the company picks participants randomly. Therefore, the final data is not 100% accurate. The survey's primary goal is to provide developers with data representing platform-average software and hardware preferences.

Windows 11's growth on Steam is directly related to Windows 10's decline. The latter remains the most popular OS among the gaming audience, but its market share lost 1.96 points in January 2023. Windows 10 holds approximately 63.46% of all Steam customers. Windows 11, on the other hand, gained 1.91% points. This allowed the operating system to cross the 30% mark and reach its all-time high of 30.33%.

Despite being out of support since 2020 (no paid security updates since January 2023), Windows 7 still has 1.6% of all Steam users. In January 2023, its 64-bit version lost 0.06 points.

Overall, 96.02% of all Steam customers use Windows (0.13). macOS is second with 2.61% (+0.13), and Linux is third with 1.38% (no changes last month).

Regarding hardware preferences, the only notable change is the Nvidia RTX 3060 (laptop) becoming the third most popular GPU. Other hardware configurations remain relatively unchanged compared with December 2022.

You can find more information on the survey's official page.

More than 30% of Steam users now run Windows 11

Getting to Windows 11's desktop on a virtual machine with 196MB of RAM was made possible by the recently published Tiny11 modification. Tiny11 removes unnecessary components to debloat the operating system, reduce its footprint to less than 8GB, and lower the memory requirement to only 2GB. As shown by @XenoPanther, 2GB is still too much—real enthusiasts go to the Windows 98-era levels.

Very few will want to use a PC with Windows 11 and 196MB of RAM. Booting the operating system took more than 30 minutes (and several BSODs), plus 15 minutes more to open Task Manager and witness the abomination. Of course, Microsoft's operating system has built-in tools for compressing memory and working at low RAM levels, but launching with so few resources and remaining in a relatively working state is undoubtedly impressive.

If your computer cannot run Windows 11 but has a more impressive amount of RAM, Tiny11 might be your ticket to the world of Microsoft's latest operating system. Just mind the potential risks of using unofficial Windows ISOs, plus make sure you have a valid key (you can still activate Windows 11 with old Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and 7 keys). Tiny11's developer has recently published a mini FAQ to address some of the users' concerns.

196MB of RAM is apparently enough to run Windows 11

Up until now, anything and everything around Moment 3 revolved around the Dev Channel. However, things are now starting to spill over to the Beta Channel as well, indicating that future Moment 3 features are now moving in slightly closer to the general availability. Twitter user and Windows enthusiast Xeno noticed mentions of future Beta channel builds 23141 and 23145 in the recent Beta channel releases. They speculate that the new build numbers are indicative of Windows 11 Moment 3. The mentions were found in the Microsoft Symbol Server which may be hinting at the ongoing debugging and development efforts by the company.

This makes sense as earlier reports had suggested that Windows 11 22H2 Moment 3 could be out in May this year. Further reports suggest it will be followed by Moment 4 later in the year (Windows 11 version 23H2). That said, it is important to understand that this is only speculation for now until we get official confirmation from Microsoft.

Microsoft apparently begins work on Windows 11 Moment 3 release later in 2023

NVIDIA explained that the technology upscales resolutions between 360p and 1440p with a frame rate of up to 144Hz.

The company published an introductory video on YouTube that showcases the new technology. In the video, NVIDIA compares 1080p upscaling to its RTX Video Super Resolution upscaling to 4K.

Designed to improve video streaming on devices with NVIDIA video cards, the technology "ses AI to improve the quality of any video watched in a browser by removing blocky compression artifacts and upscaling video resolution".

The upscaling technology should improve a video's sharpness and clarity, according to NVIDIA. It will also help people watch content on high resolution displays in native resolution.

RTX Video Super Resolution is only available on PCs that run an RTX-30 or RTX-40 series GPU. Upcoming graphics cards will support the feature as well, and NVIDIA's Product Line Manager for Content Creators, Gerardo Delgado, revealed that the feature will also come to RTX-20 series at a later point in time.

RTX Video Super Resolution depends on support in web browsers or other tools as well. Google added the feature to its Chrome Early Stable 110 browser and has enabled it by default in the browser. Chrome engineers who added the commit to the source of the browser noted that the feature is controlled in the NVIDIA Control Panel app. It is turned off by default at this point, and needs to be enabled manually by users first before it becomes available in Google Chrome. Microsoft plans to implement similar functionality in the company's Edge browser.

The technology  may become available in other web browsers and applications as well, but no plans have been announced so far regarding this.

NVIDIA RTX Super Resolution requirements

• Video cards: NVIDIA RTX-30 or RTX-40 series. Later, RTX-20 series.
• Apps: Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Other browsers or apps may follow at a later point.
• Driver: A yet to be released NVIDIA driver that adds a preference for the feature to the Control Panel.
• Display: A display suitable for displaying ultra high resolutions, e.g., 4K.

Now You: have you watched upscaled video in the past?

NVIDIA RTX Super Resolution Takes Chrome and Edge to a Whole New Level

Windows systems with the "receive updates for other Microsoft products" setting enabled receive the update via the operating system's built in updating system. The initial version of the support page revealed little details on the update, other than that it would help "Microsoft identify the number of users who are running out-of-support (or soon to be out-of-support) versions of Office, including Office 2013, Office 2010, and Office 2007".

Missing KB5021751 information added

An update of the support page provides some of the missing details. According to the updated section, KB5021751 is gathering data from "registry entries and APIs" and won't leave traces behind after it has retrieved the information.

Microsoft claims furthermore that it would not collect data on licenses, users or third-party products using the update. As Microsoft states in the updated details for KB5021751, the company values, protects and defends its customers' privacy.

Microsoft emphasizes in the update description that old Office versions pose a potential security risk, and that old Office installations may "face performance and reliability issues over time". The company fails to provide specifics regarding the issues that users of Office 2007, 2010 or 2013 may encounter.

It is also unclear what Microsoft means when it states that it collects the data to "determine how best to support and service these systems". Office 2007 and 2010 are no longer supported by Microsoft, and Office 2013 reaches end of support in April 2023.

Microsoft could use the data to develop and publish critical security updates for out-of-support versions of Office, if the population is large enough to warrant that. Microsoft makes no such promise, on the other hand, and there are certainly other, less user-friendly possibilities regarding the data.

Microsoft could, for example, advertise Microsoft 365 to these users, or an upgrade to Office 2021 to stay supported.

Another thing that is unclear is whether Microsoft would limit the offers to still supported versions of Windows. Quite a few Office 2013 and earlier installations are run on Windows 8.1 or older versions of Windows. Upgrade offers to Microsoft 365 or Office 2021 would not help these customers, as their operating systems are no longer supported by Microsoft.

It is also unclear if Microsoft would limit security updates for out-of-support versions of Office to Windows 10 and newer systems.

Now You: what is your take on the development?

Discover the Real Reason Behind Microsoft's Release of Office Sniffing Update KB5021751

I don't have to tell you that Twitter is, increasingly, an unpleasant place to be, which is why I've mostly quit the site. I'm a lot happier now. Sometimes, though, a friend sends me a Twitter link and I want to know what it is. The problem: If I open Twitter I'm going to notice some notifications, start scrolling, and notice I'm in a bad mood a half hour later when I still haven't stopped scrolling.

That's why I'm a fan of Nitter, a free service that lets you quickly look at a tweet, thread, or profile without getting sucked in. This is a lightweight, private front-end—basically you can replace any Twitter URL with a Nitter one and the tweet will open without any ads, tracking, or other nonsense.

For context, here's how my Twitter profile looks in Twitter:

Twitter via Justin Pot

And here's how it looks with Nitter:

Nitter via Justin Pot

Twitter's sidebar, filled with accounts to follow and trending topics, are gone. So are the pop-ups asking me to enable notifications, the advertisements, and the view counts on all tweets. It's like a breath of fresh air, and it's perfect for looking at tweets without getting pulled into the Twitter rabbit hole. Even better: It generally loads faster than Twitter itself.

Here's how to set up your computer or mobile device to redirect any and all Twitter links you open to Nitter instead.

Install an Extension or App

You can easily change any Twitter URL to a Nitter URL by simply replacing "twitter.com" with “nitter.net”—for example: Instead of twitter.com/WIRED, you would type nitter.net/wired. This, of course, is tedious, which is why I recommend installing a tool that does the job for you automatically.

Nitter's GitHub page offers a list of extensions. For Chrome users I recommend starting with Nitter Redirect. Firefox users can check out Twitter to Nitter Redirect. Android users can install twitter2nitter. Mac Safari users, as well as iPhone, and iPad users, can install the $2 Privacy Redirect (if you'd prefer a free option, there's a Shortcut you can configure instead, you just need to do some work to get it working the way you want).

After installing, all Twitter links you click should open in Nitter instead of Twitter.

Not Working? Try a Different Instance

Nitter sometimes gets overwhelmed, which will result in error messages like "Tweet not found" for tweets you know exist. In these instances I recommend switching to a different Nitter "instance," which is essentially just a different server running the service. There's a list of Nitter instances on Nitter's GitHub page that is regularly updated. Copy one from the country you live in, or just one with a URL you like, then head to your redirecting browser extension or app of choice. This should solve the problem in almost all instances.

Of course, there's always a chance that Twitter attempts to shut down Nitter the way they did other third-party apps. This will be hard, though, because instead of relying on an API the way those apps did, Nitter just scrapes the Twitter website, and anyone with the relevant skills can quickly set up their own instance. If it does stop working, though, we could always hang out on Mastodon instead. 

This Tool Makes Twitter More Bearable to Read

(May require free registration to view)

What is new in Skype Preview 8.94.76.302?

New features:

• Native Skype App for the M1 build on Mac. You asked, and we delivered! Check out the Skype app speed improvement on Apple M1 Mac. Please test it and let us know what you think!

Fixed bugs:

• Issues with reading and opening files, i.e. PDFs on iOS
• Names hidden in some chats on Android, MSIX, iOS
• Skype notifications blocked in the Edge browser
• Native call screen continuously displayed even when Skype was dropped on iOS
• App crashing when going to gallery and switching to web links on iOS

You can download the latest Skype Insider update from the official website. If you are willing to test Skype's early releases, be sure to file your feedback and share ideas with Microsoft on the official Skype User Feedback website. Those who do not want to risk testing pre-release software will receive the update in the coming weeks.

In case you missed it, Microsoft recently released a massive feature update for Skype across all platforms. In our dedicated coverage, you can learn about the new capabilities, such as real-time video calls translations with a natural voice.

Microsoft finally delivers native Skype client for Apple Silicon Macs

However, as we say in every part of the "Top 10 features users want" series, the job is far from over. File Explorer, probably the most popular area in Microsoft's operating system, still needs improvements. Here is what it needs the most, according to those using Windows 11 and willing to share their thoughts with Microsoft using the Feedback Hub.

1. Improve the performance of common actions in File Explorer - 4645+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

We're continually working to improve your experience based on this feedback. We've made some changes and more are on the way.

2. Revamp the Properties dialog to make it more modern and with dark mode - 2225+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

We've got this.

3. Support more compressed files types (rar, 7z, etc) - 2179+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

Looking into it. Thank you for your suggestion and feedback. It's great to see so much enthusiasm for supporting more compressed file types natively in Windows. While we can't promise to ship every suggestion that gets submitted, we have passed this feedback on to our team to make them aware that this is a top file explorer issue reported by customers. Keep those suggestions and votes coming! We'll keep you updated here if there are any updates in this area.

4. Improve design consistency and add more redesign bits - 1974+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

We've got this.

5. Redesign the disk storage usage indicators in File Explorer - 1430+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

We've got this.

6. Make File Explorer display how much space each folder takes - 1312+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

We've got this. Thanks for your suggestion and feedback. It's great to see so much enthusiasm from customers about file explorer! While we can't promise to ship every suggestion that gets submitted, we hear your concerns and have passed this feedback on to our team to make them aware that this is a top issue reported by customers. Keep those suggestions and votes coming! We'll keep you updated here about any future changes we make to this feature.

7. Allow dragging FIle Explorer tabs between windows - 1295+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

Appreciate the feedback - this isn't currently supported, however your interest has been shared with the team for future consideration. We'll let you know if there are any changes to share.

Note: This feedback is already addressed in the latest Windows 11 Dev build, albeit in a way too buggy form, so expect an announcement soon with improvements in upcoming updates.

8. Merge context menus to remove the "Show more" option - 1203+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

We've got this.

9. Add the "Refresh" option to the context menu - 868+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

We've got this. Appreciate the feedback - it's been shared with the team for future consideration.

While Refresh isn't currently a top level option when right clicking a folder in File Explorer, for what it's worth, you can click the refresh button directly in the address bar without having to open the context menu at all (and for those who prefer keyboard access, you can press F5 to refresh a folder).

10. Let users set "Show more options" as the default menu variant - 861+ upvotes

Response from Microsoft:

We've got this. Thanks for reaching out about this - there isn't currently an option to make it the default on right click, however pressing Shift+F10 or the keyboard menu key (which is available on certain keyboards) will directly open the Windows 10 context menu in File Explorer.

With Build 22572 (which just went live for the Dev Channel), we've added an option so that Shift + Right-clicking in File Explorer and the Desktop will now open the “Show more options” context menu.

Those are the most popular requests Windows customers want Microsoft to address. Less upvoted posts ask Microsoft to unify tab design across products (Edge, File Explorer, Terminal, Notepad), add rounded corners™ to the address and search bar, and more. Hopefully, Microsoft will consider what users want in its upcoming File Explorer redesign. It would be great for the company to implement changes and features users want, not only recommended content.

Do you agree that Microsoft should make those a priority? Maybe Microsoft should improve other areas of File Explorer? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Also, upvote feedback from other customers or file yours in the Feedback Hub.

Top 10 features and changes Windows 11 users want for File Explorer

Prior to this, when a user tried running Memtest86+ on a PC with Secure Boot enabled, a "Secure Boot Violation" message would be displayed. The developer of the utility discussed the issue in the software's FAQ section:

I can't boot because of a "Secure Boot Violation"

- The Memtest86+ binary is not signed by Microsoft, so you need to temporarily disable Secure Boot in your BIOS options. We're working on a better solution.

Apart from Secure Boot support, there are other improvements as well including headless UEFI support, BadRam issue fix, and more. The full changelog is given below:

This release mainly add support for Secure Boot Signing

Complete changelog:

• Add support for Secure Boot Signing

• Add support for Headless EFI system

• Add various command line options

• Add support for legacy ATI SB400

• Fix an issue related to BadRAM pattern

• Fix disabling SMP using F2 at startup

• Fix crash on SuperMicro X10SDV

• Various bug fixes and optimizations

You can download Memtest86+ v6.10 from the official website or from GitHub.

Via: Phoronix

Windows 11 ready systems can finally run Memtest86 Plus thanks to new Secure Boot support

It's not clear what 'good content' is defined as at the moment, however Musk clarified when the free tier was removed that it is currently being abused and not adding value to the platform.

The fact that the new version of the free tier will only be write-only means that those who utilised the API for educational research, development and study will have to pay for the ability to access areas of the API they previously could get to for no cost.

Twitter will enable a free tier of API access, but there's a catch

Called "Discover," the feature is Microsoft's new attempt to impose recommended content in Edge, and everything about this feature is 100% wrong. For starters, it sits where the menu button used to be, and an attempt to open the browser's menu (or close Edge) will result in annoying misclicks.

Questionable visuals are another thing that will grind customers' gears. Microsoft Edge is a minimal-looking browser with simple icons that do not attract unnecessary attention and do not get in your way. The "Discover" button looks like an absolute afterthought that will distract you with its bright purplish icon. Even though it is similar to the rest of the sidebar (assuming you are using it), the main problem is not getting any smaller. And a funny coincidence is that the only button you cannot reposition or remove from the toolbar is the one responsible for showing ads recommended content.

And there is the worst offender, the fact that "Discover" opens on hover, not when you click it. Remember Windows users hating Microsoft for making News and Interests (Windows 10) and Windows Widgets (Windows 11) open on hover? Tons of negative feedback caused Microsoft to reconsider its choices and add the option to open widgets on click. Unfortunately, the company is not learning its lessons—the "Discover" tab opens on hover or click, and you can't do anything about it.

Edge insiders already hate the new "Discover" tab, and the Edge Insider forums are slowly filling with heated comments. One can only hope Microsoft will come to its senses and realize that it needs to give users at least the option to hide or disable the "Discover" button. Otherwise, frustrated users will jump ship to other browsers, leaving Edge stagnated with its 11% market share.

Edge is about to get way more aggressive with recommended content and annoying UIs

What is new in Edge Dev 111.0.1660.0?

New features:

• Added Move All Tabs to New Workspace option.

Enterprise:

• New policy: (Note: Updates to documentation and administrative templates may not have occurred yet)
  • Added Automatic HTTPS policy.

Reliability improvements:

• Fixed browser crash when copying or pasting text in the search bar.
• Fixed browser crash related to WebAuthn Conditional Mediation request.
• Fixed browser crash related to Sidebar.
• Fixed browser crash when opening Outlook Sidebar.

iOS:

• Fixed browser crash when opening Favorites, Collection, or History.
• Fixed browser crash when visiting the account settings page.

Android:

• Fixed browser crash when opening the download page.

Other changes:

• Fixed the blank Appearance setting page.
• Fixed scrolling issues on the Share Workspace dialog.
• Fixed the Follow button in the address bar not displaying in certain scenarios.

Android:

• Fixed unable to close the keyboard when using the search bar.

WebView2:

• Permission Management API has now been promoted from the experimental stage to public.
• ScriptLocale API has now been promoted from the experimental stage to public.
• SharedBuffer API has now been promoted from the experimental stage to public.
• Fixed the black screen issue in certain scenarios.

Enterprise:

• Fixed print margin settings from resetting back to the default value when using the PrintPreviewStickySettings policy.

You can download Microsoft Edge Dev for Windows (only 10 and 11), macOS, and Linux from the official website. The version for Android is available from the Google Play Store. Microsoft plans to release Edge 111 to all customers on the week of March 9, 2023.

Edge Dev 111.0.1660.0 is out with improved Workspaces and bugfixes