Find all the feature updates and how to enable them in the changelog below:

• Microsoft Edge sidebar. The Microsoft Edge sidebar lets users access Microsoft Edge features side-by-side with their browsing window. Available features include Discover, Bing search, Outlook, Office, Games, and Tools such as a unit converter and Internet speed test. Administrators can control the availability of the Microsoft Edge sidebar by using the HubsSidebarEnabled policy.
  • Search in the Microsoft Edge sidebar. Easily access an updated sidebar search via Microsoft Edge sidebar, including easy access to Microsoft Search in Bing for organizations.
  • Gaming for the Microsoft Edge sidebar. Play popular casual games for free. Administrators can control the availability of the Games menu in the Microsoft Edge sidebar by using the AllowGamesMenu policy
  • Discover in the Microsoft Edge sidebar. Discover content relevant to the page you’re browsing including summaries, source information, and more.
  • Get your favorite tools in the Microsoft Edge sidebar. Easily access commonly used tools while you browse the web, including Calculator, Internet speed test, and Unit converter.
  • Outlook in the Microsoft Edge sidebar. Quickly and easily access Outlook Mail and Calendar. Administrators can control the Outlook menu in the Microsoft Edge sidebar by using the OutlookHubMenuEnabled policy.
  • Office in the Microsoft Edge sidebar. Quickly and easily access Microsoft Office documents and apps. Administrators can control the Microsoft Office menu in the Microsoft Edge sidebar by using the MicrosoftOfficeMenuEnabled policy.

Aside from the new sidebar features, Edge 104.0.1293.63 also brings a security fix for a vulnerability tracked under ID CVE-2022-2856.

Microsoft Edge 104 latest Stable build brings Office, Outlook, gaming to Sidebar, and more

Frontpaged:   Microsoft Edge 104.0.1293.63

When Bandizip 7.0 introduced advertising and commercial versions, many users of the file archiver looked for alternatives. PeaZip was one of the applications that users switched to. First reviewed in 2010 here on Ghacks, PeaZip's developers released frequent updates throughout the years. The last major release, PeaZip 8.0, was released in mid 2021.

PeaZip 8.8.0 is already available for all supported operating systems. Existing users may select Help > Check for Updates to check for the new version; the project homepage lists downloads for all supported operating systems already as well.

The new version of the file archiver makes a handful of important changes to the application. One of the main improvements affects themes in the application. PeaZip users may go to Options > Settings, and then Themes, to display old and new theme-related options.

Here it is easy to switch between one of the five built-in themes, or to select custom to load a theme that has been created previously or downloaded. The minimal theme has been replaced in the release with the new Tuxedo theme.

PeaZip users have the following new options:

• Set the small icon size to either 16px or 32px.
• Select one of three tab bar styles: left-aligned, centered, links.
• Display address bar as a solid bar or blended in.
• Align toolbar buttons to the center or left.
• Assign colors individually to the address bar, tool bar and tab bar.

The application's Style button has been improved as well. New switches to toggle between large, medium and small tool bar sizes are now available, as well as other improvements.

Improvements have also been made to the program's core functionality, the extracting and archiving of files. PeaZip users may run tests now after the creation of archives to make sure that they are error-free.

The feature needs to be enabled in Options > Settings > Archive Manager > After archiving / extraction. Check the "Test archives after creation, if supported by the format" box to enable it application-wide.

On Windows, PeaZip supports the propagation of the Zone.identifier stream for 7z files. The stream is used by several applications to determine if additional protections need to be enabled when viewing the files. Microsoft Office uses the stream to determine whether macros need to be blocked automatically.

Other improvements include saving owner, group IDs and names when using Tar archives on Linux, a new timestamp precision option for ZIP and TAR/pax files, and an option to set a TAR standard (between GNU and PAX, with GNU the default).

You may check out the full changelog here in case you want to take a closer look at it.

Now You: which file archiver do you use currently?

File Archiver PeaZip 8.8.0 released with archive testing support and more

Frontpaged:   PeaZip 8.8.0

A right-click on an image lists the new Search image with Google Lens option, and no longer the Search Google for image option. Depending on the configuration, Chrome users may also see Search image with Google, which is powered by Lens as well.

Google Lens is an image recognition service that attempts to identify images using neural networks. The service has been available as an application for Android and iOS for years, but Google started to expand Lens recently.

While both image search technologies may look similar on first glance, some users may notice key differences between the two.

Chrome opens a sidebar with results when you use Google Lens to find out more about an image. A click on the fullscreen icon opens results in a new tab in the browser.

Lens in Chrome offers three core features:

• Identify an object in an image.
• Identify text in an image.
• Translate text in an image.

Controls are provided to highlight a different object in the image or change the dimensions. Google Lens may identify the object, e.g., a building, public figure or plant.

Lens displays visually matching images in its interface, but limits the output. There is a link to Google Search to look up the name, but no direct option to redirect the search to Google Images directly.

Google may display ads in the sidebar, depending on the object that Lens identified.

Google Images, on the other hand, looks at the entire image displays search results, including visually similar images.

Restore Google Images search in Chrome

If you prefer Google Images search in Google Chrome, you may restore the classic functionality for now. Please note that this is done by changing the value of an experimental flag; this flag will be removed by Google at one point, forcing all users to use Google Lens in the browser.

For now, do the following to restore classic Google Images search:

1. Load chrome://flags/#enable-lens-standalone in the browser's address bar.
2. Change the state of the experimental flag from Default to Disabled.
3. Restart Google Chrome.

Once done, Google displays the classic Search Google for Image option in the context menu in the Chrome browser.

Extension alternatives

Google will remove the experimental flag at one point, which removes the option to restore classic reverse image searching in Chrome using Google Images.

Extensions may offer an alternative. These can't remove the Google Lens option from Chrome's context menu, but they may add their own actions to it or to Chrome's main toolbar.

• Quick Image Search uploads the selected image to Google Images search and returns the classic Google Image search results. It is a straightforward extension. Only downside is, that it has not been updated since 2020.
• Reverse Image Search adds a context menu item to Chrome to search for the selected image on Google, Yandex or IQDB.
• Search by Image expands the selection of reverse image search engines. It supports Google but also others, including Bing, TinEye, or Shutterstock. The extension adds a context menu folder to Chrome when it is installed, which lists all available search options.

Closing Words

Google Chrome users who prefer classic image search functionality may restore it for now in the browser natively. Once the option is removed, extensions may provide an alternative, even though multiple Google Image search entries may look confusing at first in the context menu.

When Google makes a fundamental change in Chrome, it is always a good idea to ask yourself whether it did so to improve the user experience or its own goals. The latter means increasing advertising revenue, usually.

In the case of Lens, it appears to be a bit of both. Lens does offer better identification options, especially since it allows users to pick an object in an image that they would like to identify.

Now You: Google Image Search or Lens, which do you prefer?

How to restore Google Image Search in Chrome

The official way to install Android apps on Windows 11 is via the Amazon App Store. To access it, users in Japan need to participate in the Windows Insider program and update the Microsoft Store to version 22206.1401.6 or higher. Microsoft also requires Windows 11 version 22H2 or newer running on devices that meet hardware requirements for Windows Subsystem for Android.

Although Microsoft officially supports Android apps only in Japan and USA, there are various tools and methods allowing users to sideload APK files and avoid installing the Amazon App Store. Also, enthusiasts even found a way to install the Google Play Services on Windows 11.

Besides expanding Android apps support to new regions, Microsoft recently introduced several notable improvements to how its operating system handles apps from another bandwagon. The latest Windows Subsystem for Android (available for insiders) adds gaming, scrolling, networking, and various quality-of-life enhancements.

Microsoft brings Android apps support on Windows 11 to Insiders in Japan

The new animations were part of A/B testing Microsoft often conducts before announcing a specific feature or shipping it to all Windows Insiders. Users quickly discovered that you can force-enable the zoom-in variant using Vivetool and 39072097 ID. Unfortunately, the config no longer works. Any attempt to enable 39072097 with or without additional variants results in Windows 11 returning to the default animation.

If you are still using Windows 11 build 25179, you can check out our guide describing how to enable the new taskbar animation. Microsoft has never acknowledged the updated taskbar in Windows 11, so we do not know whether the removed animation will ever return.

Another taskbar-related "feature" Windows Insiders have been actively discussing is rounded corners. Unfortunately, Microsoft representatives quickly debunked the theories and confirmed that the rounded taskbar in preview Windows 11 builds is nothing but a bug.

Microsoft removed new taskbar animations in Windows 11 build 25182

Microsoft removed quite a bit of functionality from the Windows 11 Start Menu. Folders, groups, the ability to display all apps and pinned items at the same time, live tiles, and options to resize the Start Menu were all removed in Windows 11.

The Windows 11 start menu separated pinned programs and recommended; Windows 11 users who preferred to disable the recommended items were left with a blank area that was of no use whatsoever. Room for pinned locations was limited, which made the removal of folder and grouping options precarious, as these could have improved the lack of room somewhat.

In a hurry? Here are the main changes:

• Folders return. Drag and drop a pinned item on another to create a folder. An animation provides hints in this regard.
• You may rename folders, rearrange apps inside folders and remove pinned apps from folders.
• Start Menu layouts are available. More Pins expands the Pinned section, while More Recommendations expands the recommendation section of the Start Menu.

The Start Menu in Windows 11 version 22H2

One of the goals of Windows 11 version 22H2 seems to be redemption, or at least, to bring back some of the features that were dropped in the initial release of Windows 11. Whether Microsoft had the intention to bring back these features all along, or decided to restore them based on user feedback is unknown.

Windows 11 users who open the Start Menu of Windows 11 version 22H2 for the first time won't notice many differences right away. It looks and feels like the original Windows 11 Start Menu on first glance.

Some may even miss the functionality that Microsoft restored, unless Microsoft plans to provide guidance on those.

One of the main points of criticism leveled at the original Windows 11 Start Menu was that Microsoft removed the ability to group pinned items.

The improved Start Menu supports the creation of folders. All it takes is to drag one pinned item over another to create a new folder or to add it to an existing folder. Dropping pinned items on a folder may be difficult at first, as Windows may mistake the attempt for one that moves a pinned items to a new position in the Start Menu.

A click or tap on a folder opens all included items in an overlay on the screen. From there, it takes another click or tap to execute one of the included programs. A click or tap outside the overlay area hides it again so that the full Start Menu becomes visible again.

The default name of a newly created folder is always folder, even when users create multiple folders. The name of a folder can be changed with a click on the "edit name" field when it is expanded.

Once done, the new name is displayed in the the Windows 11 Start Menu.

Folders have a few limitations. You can't drop a folder onto another to create subfolders or merge the two. There is also a limit of four pinned icons that each folder displays in the Start Menu, even if more pinned icons are stored inside. The icons of the first four pinned items are displayed as the folder icon in the Start Menu. You may reorder them to display different icons.

Another limitation is the inability to delete folders right away. You need to move each pinned item out of the folder first; the folder itself disappears into thin air once the last pinned item is removed from it.

Start Menu Layouts

Another criticism leveled at Microsoft was that the Windows 11 Start Menu had a fixed layout that could not be changed. Users who disabled the recommended section could not use the lower half of the Start Menu because of that.

Microsoft introduces Start Menu layouts in version 22H2. Three different layouts are supported: one of them is the default half-and-half layout, the other two give pinned items or recommendations more room in the Start Menu.

The "more pins" layout gives pinned items most of the available room. Recommended is reduced to a small section at the bottom.

Users who would have preferred an option to remove the recommended section entirely will be disappointed, as no such option exists in Windows 11 version 22H2.

Still, the new "more pins" layout unlocks more room for pinned items on the Start Menu, which means less scrolling for some users.

The "more recommendations" layout prioritizes recommendations over pinned items. It expands the recommended section of the Start Menu and limits the pinned section to two rows.

Options to show recently used apps and opened items need to be enabled in the Windows 11 preferences. It may take some time before recommendations are displayed in the Start Menu.

The pinned and recommended group titles in the Start Menu have a context menu now. Right-click on pinned to get a direct link to the Start Menu settings in the preferences app. A right-click on recommended displays the same link and an option to refresh the listing manually. Windows 11 refreshes recommended content automatically in intervals.

Closing Words

Microsoft restores some functionality to the Start Menu in Windows 11 version 22H2, which it removed in the original Windows 11 release. Folders give users more options when it comes to arranging and managing pinned items.

The Start Menu layouts address another point of criticism, but some users, especially those who disable recommendations, may argue that the changes do not go far enough. Microsoft could have added a switch to remove Recommendations entirely from the Start Menu to expand the pinned section even further.

Other missing features, including the ability to resize the Windows 11 Start Menu or create groups won't make a return in Windows 11 version 22H2. While there is still a chance that Microsoft may introduce them again in a future update, it is certain that Live Tiles won't make a comeback in Windows 11.

Now You: what is your take on these changes?

Windows 11 version 22H2: Start Menu changes

What is new in Edge Dev 106.0.1349.1?

New features: 

• Added new policies from upstream and corresponding downstream changes.
• Added History Date Filtering on the full page for History.
• Enabled the Password nickname feature.

Improved reliability:

• Disabled pinning options in the menu for a specific website, if the website is already pinned to the taskbar.
• Improved smart history searches (e.g.: “videos from last week”).
• Improved camera feature for websites on Android.

Changed behavior: 

• Fixed an issue where certain address bar instant answers were unnecessarily truncated.
• Fixed Narrator announcements in Settings.
• Fixed various crashes.
• Updated a Policy, so when signed into Microsoft Edge with a work or school account (AAD), feedback is associated with account and organization.
• Fixed an issue where feedback cannot be sent from within the side pane.
• Fixed an error when attempting to generate a QR code on Android.
• Fixed a crash when changing profiles on iOS.

Microsoft Edge Dev will automatically update itself the next time you launch the browser. Alternatively, navigate to edge://settings/help to force-update the browser. You can download Edge Dev for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android from the official Microsoft Edge Insider website.

The latest Edge Dev update lets you nickname passwords and filter history by date

Here is the complete changelog for the latest Microsoft Store update:

• Screenshots in search results. You can now view screenshots in search results to help improve your browsing experience. The Microsoft Store will display the first screenshot only, with no option to check other screenshots or videos without opening the listing first.

• Install games directly from the Microsoft Store app. One of the head-scratchers in the Microsoft Store (stable version) is the need to switch to the Xbox app to install a specific game. Microsoft has finally addressed this quirk, allowing users to install PC games easier and with fewer clicks.

These are not the only improvements the Microsoft Store recently received. Several days ago, developers revealed that they fixed a puzzling issue preventing the marketplace from displaying more than 2,000 reviews for a game or app. Also, the Store now features improved price tags and better game edition discoverability.

Microsoft finally lets you download games from Store without switching to Xbox app

The significant new features in this update are as follows:

GENERAL

• Support for WebP images and EMZ/WMZ files
• Help pages for the ScriptForge scripting library
• Search field for the Extension Manager
• Performance and compatibility improvements

WRITER

• Better change tracking in the footnote area
• Edited lists show original numbers in change tracking
• New typographic settings for hyphenation

CALC

• Support for 16,384 columns in spreadsheets
• Extra functions in drop-down AutoSum widget
• New menu item to search for sheet names

IMPRESS

• New support for document themes

As always, TDF has emphasized the work that has been put in to improve compatibility with Microsoft Office documents. It said that this release comes with many compatibility improvements and that users who need compatibility should check new releases often as progress on compatibility “is so fast”.

If you’re interested in trying out the new update, just head over to the LibreOffice download page and download the version you require, as well as applicable language packs.

LibreOffice 7.4 arrives with WebP image support and performance improvements

Frontpaged:   LibreOffice 7.4.0

People in India are struggling to download the iconic VLC Media Player, with no official reason released so far.

VideoLAN, the Paris-based company behind the open-source video player, confirmed that its official site has been blocked in India since February 13.

The news was discovered when the site saw a drop in traffic of 80% across the South Asia market, the company's president and lead developer Jean-Baptiste Kempf told TechCrunch.

VLC Player ban

"The weirdest [thing] is that some ISP are blocking it and some are not. So why is that the case? Are some ISP not listening to the government?" wrote Kempf on the Hacker News forum.

Users who have already downloaded the media player can keep using it without any issues as it doesn't need to be connected to any of their servers to function. And, while VLC is still available to download on Apple Store, Google Play and mirrored sites, people might need an India VPN to be able to do so on its official site.

VideoLAN is now asking for assistance on social media, hoping to be able to have some answers to the matter.

Why has VLC Media Player been banned?

As mentioned above, the Indian government has so far failed to give an official reason for its decision.

Digital rights advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation confirmed in a tweet (opens in new tab) that the India Ministry of Electronics and IT responded to its inquiry on July 14 saying that "No information is available."

 If you are in India, please help us. https://t.co/rOpIjlx0q9August 12, 2022

VideoLAN said that 10% of all VLC users worldwide are based in India.

More and more internet users are now calling the India Ministry of Electronics and IT on social media to lift the ban.

Source

The new build does not add any new features but brings a ton of bug fixes and general improvements. The full changelog is given below:

Fixes

[General]

• We fixed the issue that was causing devices with low disk space to receive download error 0x80070001 in Windows Update trying to install the latest Dev Channel build.

• Fixed an issue leading to some Insiders experiencing a decrease in FPS when playing certain games in recent flights due to the wrong graphics card being used.

   

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue which could lead to the taskbar overflow flyout unexpectedly appearing on the opposite side of the screen. This was incorrectly noted as fixed in Build 25179.

• We fixed an issue that was causing the animation on the taskbar that plays when a user switches from using a device in tablet posture to desktop while in overflow to incorrectly show when logging in.

• Fixed an explorer.exe crash which could happen when determining if the taskbar overflow should display. This could happen when switching out of a full screen game.

   

[Start]

• Fixed a Start menu crash that could prevent apps from launching from Start.

   

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue causing the left-half of the File Explorer title bar to not be draggable via mouse or touch for some Insiders.

• We fixed an issue causing Home, Documents, Pictures, and potentially other folders to become unexpectedly duplicated in File Explorer’s navigation pane or appear on the desktop.

• Selecting multiple folders and then using the context menu option to open them in a new tab will now actually do that, rather than opening the first folder in a new tab and all the others in a new window.

• Updated the logic for Narrator so that if you navigate to a OneDrive folder using the navigation pane in File Explorer, Narrator will now explicitly say it’s a OneDrive folder, and not just something like “YourName – Personal”.

   

[Other]

• Fixed an issue which could cause the camera light on a laptop to get stuck on after logging into your PC.

   

• Fixed an issue believed to be the root cause of some Insiders seeing bugchecks when opening and copying files from network locations.

   

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

Here are the known issues in build 25182:

[General]

• Some games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bugcheck.

• We’re looking into reports that audio stopped working for some Insiders after upgrading to the last flight.

• We’re investigating reports of a few different apps having started crashing in recent builds.

• [NEW] A small percentage of Insiders are experiencing repeated explorer.exe crashes after attempting to access certain folders on your system on Builds 25179+. Insiders who have the Xbox Dev Kit installed will hit this. We’re working on a fix for this in a future flight.

   

[File Explorer]

• The up arrow is misaligned in File Explorer tabs. This will be fixed in a future update.

• We’re working on the fix for an issue where the search box background in File Explorer might be the opposite color of your current mode.

• We’re working on the fix for an issue causing the delete key to unexpectedly not work on files in File Explorer. If you encounter this, you should still be able to use the context menu to delete.

• We’re working on the fix for an issue where the taskbar isn’t able to display if File Explorer is maximized and you have the taskbar set to auto-hide.

   

[Widgets]

• Notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar.

• In some cases, the notification banner for some badging will not appear in the widgets board.

   

[Printing]

• We’re working on the fix for an issue in recent Dev Channel flights causing lines to not be included when printing tables from certain apps.

   

Camera App: Privacy Shutter Support

With the latest release (Version 2022.2207.29.0) available to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel, Camera can now understand the state of the privacy shutter on supported hardware, like the Microsoft Modern Webcam or the integrated camera on many new Windows 11 laptops. If the shutter is blocking the view or if the laptop lid is closed, Camera app will inform you and offer guidance.

We’ve also improved the Camera app experience on Arm64 devices. You’ll see faster and better performance when you use the app.

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

Microsoft Store Update

We are beginning to roll out a Microsoft Store update (version 22207.1401.x) with the following improvements:

Screenshots in search results: You can now view screenshots in search results to help improve your browsing experience.

Install games directly from the Microsoft Store app: When you find a game you like, we install it right from the Microsoft Store, without switching apps.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.

Microsoft has also noted that starting with build 25182, the expiration date is September 15, 2023. The previous date correspondingly is September 15 of this year. You can find the official blog post here.

Windows 11 Dev build 25182 fixes bugs in Windows Update, Taskbar, Start menu

With the latest Web Experience Pack update, Windows 11 will show more relevant and live content on the taskbar. Besides the weather forecast, users will notice information from other widgets, such as sports, finance, or breaking news. The taskbar will continue displaying weather most of the time, changing from time to time to other widgets as something important happens. If the user does not interact with notifications, the taskbar will return to displaying the weather forecast.

Microsoft says getting the updated version of the Windows Web Experience Pack will take a few days or weeks because the company rolls out new features gradually, not to all customers at once. If you are new to Windows 11 and its widgets, check out the official documentation describing the capabilities of Windows Widgets, personalization options, notifications, and other features.

Widgets notifications are a fine addition to the existing Windows 11 capabilities, but many users agree that Windows Widgets need more polish. Feedback Hub is full of ideas (and complaints) from users, and you can find the top 10 features and changes customers want for Windows Widgets in our dedicated post.

Microsoft brings Widget notifications to all Windows 11 users

According to The Register (via Bleeping Computer) and many reports on Microsoft Forums, Reddit, and Twitter, Windows 11 asks customers to enter the recovery key on the BitLocker recovery screen. Fortunately, the bug does not affect the stored data, which means users can regain access to the system by entering their keys stored in Microsoft Accounts or Active Directory. Those unfamiliar with the procedure can check out the official documentation describing how to locate the BitLocker recovery key.

Another annoying bug users report after installing KB5012170 is disk configurations changing from RAID to AHCI. Luckily, like with the BitLocker recovery bug, users can safely switch the affected systems back to RAID without losing any data. Still, many are upset that another botched update caused IT admins and regular users to waste their time and efforts on fixing what should not be broken.

As customers try to hide their pain, Microsoft is yet to confirm the new bug in KB5012170. For now, the only acknowledged issue in this release is the Security update for Secure Boot DBX failing to install without a UEFI update on select systems.

Users report KB5012170 is causing their PCs to boot into BItLocker recovery

What is new in Microsoft Edge 105 Beta?

Feature Updates:

• Improvement to the Cloud Site List Management experience for IE mode. You can restore to one of the last 3 published versions of your site list in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. For more information, see Restore a previous version of a site list
• Improvements to the Cloud Site List Management experience for IE Mode now available in GCC. You can identify gaps in your enterprise site list by configuring reporting of site feedback with the InternetExplorerIntegrationCloudUserSitesReporting and InternetExplorerIntegrationCloudNeutralSitesReporting policies. You can view local site list URLs from users and potentially misconfigured neutral site URLs in the Microsoft Edge site lists experience in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. For more information, see View site feedback on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Also, you can configure session cookie sharing between Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer for IE Mode on your site list in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. For more information, see Cookie sharing between Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer.

Policy Updates:

• ExemptFileTypeDownloadWarnings - Disable download file type extension-based warnings for specified file types on domains
• InternetExplorerIntegrationAlwaysWaitForUnload - Wait for Internet Explorer mode tabs to completely unload before ending the browser session
• MicrosoftEditorProofingEnabled - Spell checking provided by Microsoft Editor
• MicrosoftEditorSynonymsEnabled - Synonyms are provided when using Microsoft Editor spell checker
• PrintPdfAsImageDefault - Print PDF as Image Default
• UnthrottledNestedTimeoutEnabled - JavaScript setTimeout will not be clamped until a higher nesting threshold is set

In addition to the changes above, Microsoft Edge 105 brings support for Encrypted Client Hello—a new TLS extension that prevents metadata leaks during encryption key exchange between a client and server. You can learn how to enable this feature in our dedicated guide.

Microsoft plans to release Edge 105 for all users in the Stable Channel on the week of September 1, 2022. Meanwhile, you can download Edge 105 Beta from the Edge Insider website. The browser is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

Microsoft Edge 105 arrives in Beta Channel with minor changes

According to a PR in PowerToys's GitHub repository, PowerOCR supports copying text from a rectangular region, clicking a word, and right-clicking any image file. As of now, PowerOCR is in its early stage, meaning developers have a lot of work to complete before shipping the tool to the public. Meanwhile, users can see the tool in action in the following GIF:

PowerOCR will be a fantastic addition to PowerToys, especially when you consider that similar capabilities exist on the system level in other operating systems. For example, iOS allows grabbing text from any picture, and the upcoming iOS 16 release will extend these capabilities to videos.

You can follow the development process of the PowerOCR tool on GitHub via this link.

PowerToys will soon get an OCR tool to copy text from any image

Mossab Hussein, chief security officer from the cybersecurity firm SpiderSilk, which found the issue, told Vice that it is becoming more difficult to identify in time accidents from source code and credential leaks. He said:

 "We continue to see that accidental source code and credential leakages are part of the attack surface of a company, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to identify in a timely and accurate manner. This is a very challenging issue for most companies these days"

Azure, being Microsoft's cloud computer service, is similar to Amazon Web Services. The leaked credentials were related to an official Microsoft tenant ID. A tenant ID is a unique identifier linked to a particular set of Azure users.

According to Vice, Microsoft refused to elaborate on what systems the credentials were protecting when asked multiple times. No sensitive data was accessed from this leak, and the company has taken more secure measures to prevent credential sharing.

Source

Here are the major highlights in the new update:

• New! We gave IT admins the ability to remotely add languages and language-related features. Additionally, they can now manage language scenarios across several endpoint managers.
• New! We compressed a file regardless of its size if you have configured Server Message Block (SMB) Compression.
• New! We enhanced Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s ability to identify and intercept ransomware and advanced attacks.

And here is the full list of fixes:

• We fixed an issue that causes ServerAssignedConfigurations to be null in a few full configuration scenarios.
• We fixed an issue that affects the automatic high dynamic range (Auto HDR) feature for cross-adapter resource scan-out (CASO)-capable GPU drivers.
• We fixed a known issue that causes Microsoft Edge to stop responding when you use IE mode. This issue also prevents you from interacting with a dialog.
• We fixed an issue that prevents virtualized App-V Microsoft Office applications from opening or causes them to stop working.
• We fixed an issue that might cause the deployment of the Windows Hello for Business certificate to fail in certain circumstances after you reset a device.
• We fixed multiple issues related to USB printing, such as:
• A printer malfunctions after you restart or reinstall it
• Being in the wrong mode after you switch from an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) Class Driver to an independent hardware vendor (IHV) driver
• Experiencing bidirectional communication issues that prevent you from accessing device features
• We fixed an issue that affects the ProjectionManager.StartProjectingAsync API. This issue stops some locales from connecting to Miracast Sinks.
• We fixed an issue that degrades BitLocker performance.
• We fixed an issue that prevents Windows 11 SE from trusting some Microsoft Store applications.
• We fixed an issue that prevents HyperVisor Code Integrity from being enabled automatically on systems that have Arm64 processors.
• We fixed an issue that stops non-Windows devices from authenticating. This issue occurs when they connect to a Windows-based remote desktop and use a smart card to authenticate.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Resultant Set of Policy tool (Rsop.msc) to stop working when it processes 1,000 or more “File System” security settings.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Take a Test app to remove all policies related to lockdown enforcement when you close the app.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Settings app to stop working on server domain controllers (DCs) when accessing the Privacy > Activity history page.
• We fixed an issue that might cause certain Bluetooth audio headsets to stop playing after a progress bar adjustment. This issue affects modern systems that support Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) offload.
• We fixed an issue that prevents devices from receiving an offer from Windows Update for the same extension driver when that extension driver is already installed without the base driver.
• We fixed a race condition that causes the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) to stop working on Active Directory domain controllers. This issue occurs when LSASS processes simultaneous Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) over Transport Layer Security (TLS) requests that fail to decrypt. The exception code is 0xc0000409 (STATUS_STACK_BUFFER_OVERRUN).
• We fixed an issue that affects a lookup for a nonexistent security ID (SID) from the local domain using read-only domain controller (RODC). The lookup unexpectedly returns the STATUS_TRUSTED_DOMAIN_FAILURE error instead of STATUS_NONE_MAPPED or STATUS_SOME_MAPPED.
• We fixed an issue that might cause the Local Security Authority Server Service (LSASS) to leak tokens. This issue affects devices that have installed Windows updates dated June 14, 2022 or later. This issue occurs when the device performs a specific form of service for user (S4U) in a non-Trusted Computing Base (TCB) Windows service that runs as Network Service.

Microsoft did not disclose any Known Issues for this build.

The company also released an update for Windows 10 22H1 build 19044.1947 in the Release Preview Channel yesterday with KB5016688 that also contained a new remote language management and enhanced Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.

The official blog post is linked here.

Windows 11 build 22000.917 (KB5016691) in Release Preview Channel contains a ton of fixes

What's new in WhatsApp Desktop

The app is faster, and you can tell it right from the get-go. That's basically because it is not an Electron app anymore. The performance improvements are welcome, as are the notification badges. Speaking of which, notifications arrive instantly in the new app, and you don't need the program running in the background either. The interface of WhatsApp Desktop has been revamped, it now resembles a native Windows 10 program. The app has a light theme and a dark theme that you can switch to from the Settings.

The old version of the messaging app would only work if your phone was online, it was a requirement to synchronize your chats between the devices. This limitation was also true for the WhatsApp Web version that is accessible via web browsers. The new WhatsApp Desktop app is a proper standalone program, it no longer requires your phone to be connected to the internet, in other words it supports multiple devices just like its rival, Telegram. Your chats are still end-to-end encrypted, which is a good thing.

Note: There is a device limit, you can use WhatsApp on up to 4 linked devices and a phone at the same time.

Download the WhatsApp Desktop app from the Microsoft Store. It requires Windows 10 14316.0 or higher. New users will need to scan a QR code using WhatsApp on your phone, to sign in on your PC. If you already have the Electron app installed on your computer, it will be upgraded to the UWP version. You can use it alongside the beta version, but you may want to disable notifications in one of the apps, otherwise you will be bombarded with double notifications for every message that you receive.

WhatsApp for macOS

WhatsApp states that a native app for macOS is in development. If you have a Mac, you can opt in to the Testflight program to participate in the beta. Unfortunately, the slots in the beta are full already, so you may have to wait for a while to try it.

I've been using the regular beta app for a few months on my MacBook, it's based on Electron (web-based) and looks similar to the Windows version, except for some visual elements such as the colors and button styles. Its performance, however, is quite poor, it's slow to open, and there is a delay while messages are synced between devices, and notifications don't arrive immediately.

WABetaInfo says that the new WhatsApp macOS beta version is built on Catalyst technology, which means the app is actually a port of the iPad version. So, we can expect it to offer better performance while using fewer resources. The app has a refreshed design that introduces a new sidebar to quickly access Chats, Calls, Archived Chats, Starred Messages, etc.

Do you use WhatsApp on your computer?

WhatsApp Desktop gets a native UWP version on Windows; macOS app in the works

In the entry on the official Microsoft 365 roadmap, the company notes that @mentions can be used to "create, assign and track tasks within your workbook." The entry indicates the feature has a General Availability (GA) date of October 2022. However, the feature has already been added to the "rolling out" cycle. This means some users who have updated their Microsoft Office suite may already be able to use the feature to tag people.

It is important to note that only the desktop iteration of Microsoft Excel will get the feature for now. However, the feature will be rolled out to users across the world.

Microsoft decided to develop the ability to tag people in the spreadsheet software way back in January 2021. It is not clear why it took the company a year and a half to build and deploy the feature. Microsoft Office’s rival Google Workspace has long had the @mentions feature which allowed users to tag their colleagues or co-workers, both within an organization and outside.

The update is just of several that Microsoft is developing to help improve online collaboration between teams. The company seems to be offering a simpler and more productive software suite to support hybrid working.

Via: TechRadar

Microsoft Excel to get @mentions to tag team members and assign tasks

As it turns out, our guesstimation was probably pretty spot on, as there are now multiple reports alleging that Microsoft is going to be making Windows 11 22H2 (codenamed Sun Valley 2 or SV2) public on the 20th of September. It will be apparently be served via the Windows Update option in the Settings.

For those on Windows 11 21H2, which is the original release, it should be a seamless upgrade process as the system requirements haven't changed.

Here is a quick rundown of all the features users can expect on the next Windows feature update:

• App folders in Start menu
• Resizable pinned area in Start menu
• Drag and Drop on the Taskbar
• Focus Assist integration with Notification Center
• New “spotlight” wallpaper feature
• New Voice Access accessibility feature
• New Live Captions accessibility feature
• New gestures and animations for touch users
• New snap layouts bar when moving app windows
• New Task Manager app
• New “Suggested Actions” feature when copying dates/numbers
• Tabs in File Explorer
• Better OneDrive integration with File Explorer
• Numerous UI improvements and consistency updates

If you want a more in-depth look at all the new stuff you can expect, check this article here.

Source: Windows Central via The Verge

Report: Windows 11 22H2 "Sun Valley 2" apparently going public on September 20

This week, manual updates from Thunderbird 92 to 102 were enabled in the client, with automatic updates following soon. Thunderbird, which follows the Firefox ESR release schedule, will see smaller releases in the coming months.

The next big release Thunderbird 114 will be released in 2023 to the public. Like Thunderbird 102, it will not be offered as an in-client upgrade at first, but as a standalone installer.

Thunderbird 114: the major changes

Here is the list of improvements that the Thunderbird development team plans to integrate in Thunderbird 114. While the team aims to deliver all the features in Thunderbird 114, it is possible that some may be postponed or dropped entirely.

• Firefox Sync support -- Thunderbird is based on the same core as the Firefox browser. The introduction of syncing support via Firefox Sync allows users to sync email accounts, preferences, tags and filters between all desktop versions and the Android version.
• Unified Toolbar -- A toolbar that is visible all the time in the application acting as a "simple interaction point for searching, interacting with the app menu and tab management".
• App Menu -- A single menu that replaces the Hamburger-style menu.
• Redesign of Mail tab -- Improve the mail tab with new features such as multi-line message list support and conversational threads.
• Conversational View -- Thunderbird will see messages in a thread as conversations. Features of this view include collapsing and expanding individual messages. The view takes into account messages in all folders to unify them under a single view.
• Global Message Index -- Conversation View needs to keep track of messages everywhere, and that means that Thunderbird needs a database that acts as an index of all messages.
• 3Pane -- replaces XUL tree.
• Drop Window -- unknown at this point.
• Link Preview Card improvements -- will become "more useful and visually appealing".
• Account Setup Hub -- Thunderbird 114 gets a central location to set up accounts, get new email addresses, import existing profiles, set up calendar, chat or feeds.
• Customizable shortcuts.
• Calendar UI -- unknown at this point.

Closing Words

No word on the Android client in the roadmap. One possible scenario is the joined release of Thunderbird 114 and the release of the first stable Thunderbird for Android client; this would give Sync a good push right from the get-go.

Now You: any features that you are looking forward to?

Thunderbird 114 roadmap: Sync, global message index, conversational view and more

Folks at BetaNews asked Midjourney, an AI-based text-to-image generator similar to the famous Dall-E, to produce stock wallpapers for Windows “12.” The result is trippy yet surprisingly authentic-looking wallpapers that combine the Windows 10 logo with whacky backgrounds and gradients.

Here are all the Midjourney's Windows “12” wallpapers in the upscaled 4K resolution:

If you want something more conventional and made by humans, check out the new Windows 365 wallpapers or macOS Ventura-inspired mod of the stock Windows 11 wallpapers.

What do you think about these Windows “12” AI-generated wallpapers? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Source: BetaNews

Here are some AI-generated 'Windows 12' wallpapers

The 120 Megabyte download is hosted on Mediafire and not the project website. While that may reduce trust in the project, a check on Virustotal returned 0 hits.

Note: ScreenStyler is beta software. It is not recommended to install it on production systems yet. Beta software may contain bugs or issues. In any event, it is recommended to create a backup before proceeding with the installation of the application.

The program installs RocketDock and suggests to install Rainmeter during installation. The wallpaper functionality is powered by ScreenStyler, widgets come from Rainmeter, and the dock from RocketDock.

ScreenStyler

The main interface links to a "learn the basics" tutorial, which links to a video hosted on YouTube. It is a good watch for users who are new to the project, as it provides a top level overview of the functionality that is provided.

Styles are at the center of ScreenStyler. A style consists of wallpapers, widgets, a dock and, in the future, other applications.

When you start using the program, you may create your own style from scratch or use an existing style and customize it to your liking. There is no option to import the existing layout, e.g. the icons that are on the desktop, so that they are included automatically in the dock or elsewhere.

The three main tools to do so that found on the left sidebar. There is Wallpaper, to change wallpaper related settings, widgets, to add, customize or remove widgets from the screen, and dock, which displays or hides the dock.

ScreenStyler supports a number of different wallpaper types. You may select one of the included wallpapers, use a solid color or gradient, use one of the linked wallpaper resources -- wallhaven is supported only at this point -- to download new wallpapers, or use a wallpaper from the local system. Layered wallpapers will be supported in the future, and you may check out two demo wallpapers to explore the feature.

The application lacks support for animated wallpapers. Check out Lively or AutoWall if you want those.

Widget functionality is powered by Rainmeter. ScreenStyler supports a number of widgets, including clock, calendar, buttons to enable functionality such as mute or dark mode, system information and more.

Icons may also be placed on the desktop. These may be placed on the desktop or the dock, and include support for websites and programs.

The Dock is disabled by default. Once enabled, you may select its position the side or top/down location, its size and style. Use the icons section to add program or website icons to the dock.

ScreenStyler has a couple of extra options in the settings. Note that some of these, like the ability to place the Windows taskbar at the top or sides, may not work on Windows 11 at the time of writing.

Other options include overriden High DPI settings and the aspect ratio, changing the screen corner roundness, and switching time, date and weather metrics.

New styles can be saved, exported and applied to the current system.

Closing Words

ScreenStyler is a powerful program for Windows that combines functionality of its own with what the popular programs Rainmeter and RocketDock have to offer.

The program is not compatible with Windows 11 officially, but most functions do work on Microsoft's new operating system.

The homepage needs more information on the company that is behind the program, as there is little information about it at the time of writing.

All in all, it is a promising program, but it needs to get out of beta and support Windows 11 to attract a larger audience.

Now You: do you use desktop customization programs?

Landing page:   https://screenstyler.com/

First look at ScreenStyler, a Windows customization tool

Every bit of information I provide for people, I do so with the lowest common denominator in mind. It's a common misconception that everyone who joins or browses a tech site is a techie. Some people are just looking for guidance. That is why for some, these tech tips may seem a bit too simplistic but they are educational for others.

Did you know, when doing a Google search, that you can use the Site: option to perform a Google search inside a particular website? For instance, if you wanted to do a Google search on Neowin.net for Windows 11 you would type site:neowin.net Windows 11.

Now all the search results are for Neowin.net

If you want to read the official Google page on the subject, you can find it here.

Happy Computing!

If you learned something today, great! If not, maybe share your own tech tip in the comments below!

How to use Google to search inside specific websites on Warwagon's Tech Tip Tuesday!

The installation will work using a simple apt install command for .NET 6 that will download the necessary packages. In a blog post, Canonical explains how it will work:

.NET 6 users and developers can now install the .NET 6 packages on Ubuntu with a simple apt install dotnet6 command. Optimised, pre-built, ultra-small container images are also now available to use out of the box.

The blog post also highlights the efforts taken by both Microsoft and Canonical to make this possible:

.NET as an Ubuntu .deb package is the result of a close collaboration between Microsoft and Canonical. The two companies are working together to deliver timely security patches and new releases to Ubuntu. This is the foundation for more capabilities to follow for the open-source framework on Ubuntu, for hosts and minimised container images.

Overall, the companies are promising a hassle-free installation, timely security patches and updates, smaller Open Container Initiative (OCI)-compliant containers, and more. For example, the Chiseled Ubuntu image here is going to be 100MB smaller than they are typically known for.

Here is a quick run down of the most important highlights about this release:

• .NET developers are now able to install the ASP.NET and .NET SDK and runtimes from Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with a single “apt install” command

   

• Canonical releases new, ultra-small OCI-compliant appliance images, without a shell or package manager, for both the .NET 6 LTS and ASP.NET runtimes

   

• Microsoft and Canonical are collaborating to secure the software supply chain between .NET and Ubuntu and to provide enterprise-grade support

   

You can find more details on Canonical's and Microsoft's blog posts.

Microsoft and Canonical bring native .NET 6 to Linux starting with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS