- Why Darius Slay Does Not Want Taylor Swift to Attend Week 11’s Eagles-Chiefs Game Sports Illustrated
- Donna Kelce on meeting Taylor Swift amid rumored relationship with Chiefs star Travis Kelce: ‘It was okay’ Fox News
- Chiefs’ Travis Kelce says Taylor Swift relationship won’t impact focus – ESPN ESPN
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce aren’t just having a good time — they’re bringing America together New York Post
- Taylor Swift had DOUBTS about ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn’s long-term potential? Reports PINKVILLA
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: 11s
Windows 11’s 2022 Update: We Love These Upgraded Features
Microsoft has given Windows 11 a major update. Released on Sept. 20, the first big update to the operating system is now available for download on your laptop or desktop. You may be wondering, though, should you install the upgrade? With all the new security, productivity, accessibility and gaming features, the answer is likely yes.
The operating system is fast approaching its first anniversary in early October. At launch, the new operating system brought dozens of new features to life, including a redesigned interface, widgets, a more accessible Microsoft Teams experience, multiple desktops and Snap Layouts and Groups, as well as Android apps.
Here’s what you can check out today.
The Windows 11 update makes your PC easier to use
The new Windows 11 update adds a faster, more accurate search to the Start menu, Quick Settings, as well as better local and current events coverage on your Widgets board. In October, Windows 11 will get a long-requested feature — tabs in File Explorer.
Windows 11 now has more productivity tools
Windows 11 launched with features geared towards multitaskers and users who wanted more organization. With this new update, Snap Layouts, which neatly arrange open Windows on your desktop, are more versatile with improved touch navigation and the ability to snap multiple browser tabs in Microsoft Edge.
To minimize distractions, the update introduces Focus sessions and a Do Not Disturb mode to minimize distractions. According to Microsoft, when you start a new Focus session, Windows automatically turns on Do Not Disturb. This silences notifications, turns off taskbar badges and app notifications in our task bar. Focus also improves the Clock App with timers to help you focus and remember to take breaks.
Bring together groups of apps and windows with Snap Layouts, and easily maximize and minimize the entire bunch with Snap Groups in Windows 11.
Microsoft
The Windows 11 update adds new accessibility features
Narrator, Windows 11’s built-in screen reader, will receive more natural voices, improving the text-to-speech function.
In addition, new system-wide live captions will go beyond individual apps’ live caption features. System-wide live captions will display at the top of the screen and under the camera by default, but users can switch up the caption location to the bottom of the screen or a separate floating window. Also, by capturing microphone audio, live captions can now transcribe in-person conversations.
Voice access, still in preview, improves on already existing voice commands by allowing you to control your PC and author text vocally. The first time you use voice access, you’ll go through an interactive tutorial on completing common tasks with your voice. The tool also provides real-time feedback if it doesn’t recognize a word.
Watch this:
This Windows 11 feature minimizes distractions and helps…
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Smart App Control and security
Smart App Control should give you more confidence when downloading apps on Windows 11, according to Microsoft. The tool blocks untrusted or unsigned apps, script files and potentially malicious macros from invading your machine. Essentially, the tool predicts the safety of an app in real-time. The feature, built on the same AI used in Windows Defender Application Control, is available for personal use or business use.
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen can now identify when you’re entering your Microsoft credentials on a malicious app or hacked website, and send an alert.
The update also enables Hypervisor-protected code integrity, or HVCI, and the Microsoft vulnerable driver block list by default on all new Windows 11 devices. Microsoft has also enhanced identity protection and simplified password management in the update.
Better video calls and creator content tools
At launch, Windows 11 made Microsoft Teams more accessible. The latest update introduces Windows Studio Effects, which can improve audio and video calls. The new Windows Studio camera uses Voice Focus to filter out background noise, a background blurring tool, Eye Contact, for making it look like you’re always looking at the camera, as well as Automatic Framing that keeps the camera with you as you move.
The new Windows 11 update also adds video-editing app Clipchamp.
Gaming and Android apps
The new Gaming hub in Microsoft’s updated Edge browser.
Microsoft
The Windows 11 update makes accessing games easier with the new Controller bar. This also provides an updated view of the Xbox Game Bar for quicker access to recently played games and launchers. According to Microsoft, the update will also boost gaming performance optimizations that improve latency and unlock Auto HDR and Variable Refresh.
Gamers can also view a new homepage in Microsoft Edge that features personalized stories, easy access to the Xbox Cloud Gaming library and recently played games. There’s also a built-in feature called Clarity Boost for sharper graphics in cloud gaming.
When Windows 11 launched, the new OS’ partnership with Amazon brought Android apps to Windows PCs. This update expands the Amazon App Store preview and raises its total count of Android apps and games to 20,000.
Watch this:
Windows 11 won’t let a low battery catch you by surprise
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Greener features
The latest Windows 11 update aims to make it easier to reduce your device’s carbon emissions. For example, when devices are plugged in, turned on, connected to the internet and if regional carbon intensity data is available, Windows will schedule updates at points in the day that may result in lower carbon emissions. Microsoft said that it also tweaked the default power setting for Sleep and Screen off to help reduce emissions when PCs are idle.
For more Windows 11 information, check out how the latest OS differs from Windows 10 and how to download Windows 11.
Downloading Windows 11’s Latest Update Just Might Make You More Productive
Microsoft released the first big upgrade for Windows 11 just a couple weeks before the operating system’s first anniversary. The update enhances Windows 11 security features, productivity and accessibility tools, as well as gaming features.
It may be tempting to put off installing the update, especially if you have a million tabs and documents open and don’t feel like restarting your computer. But trust us — this upgrade sounds like it’s worth it for the productivity enhancements alone. Find out more about Windows 11’s new 2022 features.
And read on to for step-by-step guidance on how to bring your device up to speed with the new update.
How to download the Windows 11 2022 update
1. Open Settings on your laptop or desktop.
2. Choose Windows Update from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
3. You should see an option at the top of the screen that reads (something like) “2022-09 Cumulative Update for Windows 11.”
4. Click Install.
5. Next you’ll be prompted to restart your device or schedule a restart. If you’re ready, click Restart Now.
6. After your computer reboots, you can verify that you’ve completed the process by clicking Check for Updates.
After you’ve completed your Windows 11 OS upgrade, your device will tell you that you’re up to date.
Shelby Brown/CNET
For more Windows 11 news, check out how Windows 11 differs from Windows 10 and Windows 11 features you should be using now.
Watch this:
Microsoft Unveils New Features for Windows 11
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Windows 11’s new taskbar overflow is perfect for people who keep all their apps open
Microsoft is bringing a new taskbar overflow feature to Windows 11, designed to make it easier to find your open apps once you run out of taskbar space. It’s perfect for power users or people who love to keep all of their apps open all the time. The new taskbar overflow is a three-dot menu that appears once you’ve run out of taskbar space, and neatly hides all the apps that can’t fit on the taskbar all at the same time.
Currently, if you open too many apps in Windows 11 and Windows 10, then the taskbar creates an overflow area that only shows the most recent app that has been used or open. This means that if you’re an app connoisseur, it can get difficult to navigate between lots of programs on smaller laptop screens (especially if you don’t use alt+tab and other multitasking features).
The new overflow menu matches the Windows 11 design, and includes all the taskbar features you’d expect to see like pinning apps and jump lists. “After invoking overflow, the menu will quietly dismiss once you click outside of it or navigate to an application,” explains Amanda Langowski, head of Microsoft’s Windows Insider program.
Microsoft’s new overflow changes come just days after the company revealed it’s testing a new UI for the Windows 11 taskbar. The software giant is experimenting with bringing back the familiar search bar from Windows 10, alongside notification badges for the Widgets section in Windows 11.
Windows 11 testers can try this new overflow feature in the latest Dev Channel build released this week. Microsoft is also testing improvements to the AirDrop-like “nearby sharing” feature in Windows 11. The built-in share window now supports UDP to find nearby devices, which means you’ll now be able to quickly find nearby PCs to quickly share files. If you share local files through the share interface, Microsoft is also adding OneDrive integration to make it quick and easy to upload and share files to the cloud.
Finally, the Microsoft Store is also getting an update this week that makes it easier to see prices for games, apps, or movies. It’s also now easier to see different editions of a game, so you can quickly see the prices between standard and deluxe editions of games.
USB installer tool removes Windows 11’s Microsoft account requirements (and more)
Enlarge / The Rufus tool will offer to modify your Windows 11 install media when you create it. The workaround for the Microsoft account requirement is new to the 3.19 beta.
Andrew Cunningham
One of the new “features” coming to the Windows 11 22H2 update is a Microsoft account requirement for all new installs, regardless of whether you are using the Home or Pro version of the operating system. And that’s too bad, because the 22H2 update corrects a few of Windows 11’s original shortcomings while adding some nice quality-of-life improvements.
An easy workaround for this requirement is the Rufus USB formatting tool, which can create USB install media for Windows and all kinds of other operating systems. Rufus has already offered some flags to remove Windows 11’s system requirement checks from the installer, removing the need for clunky Windows Registry edits and other workarounds. But the beta of version 3.19 will also remove the Microsoft account requirement for new installs, making it easy to set up a new Windows PC with a traditional local account.
When setting up Windows 11, make sure not to connect your PC to the Internet before creating your user account. This trick worked to circumvent the Microsoft account requirement in Windows 11 Pro and some of the later versions of Windows 10 but is being removed entirely from Windows 11 22H2. The Rufus tool merely reverts to the pre-22H2 status quo.
If you’re using Rufus to avoid Windows 11’s system requirements, your system will still be “unsupported” once you have Windows 11 up and running. That means putting up with periodic reminder messages about unsupported hardware and the vague threat that Microsoft may eventually stop providing updates and security patches for unsupported systems. On the other hand, Rufus doesn’t keep Windows 11’s TPM and security features from working once the OS is installed, so if you want to create a single USB installer that will cover both supported and unsupported hardware, Rufus makes that possible.
Microsoft provides its own media creation tools for people who want to make USB install drives for Windows 10 or Windows 11, but it obviously doesn’t offer the same circumventions for the company’s requirements.
Listing image by Getty Images
Microsoft backtracks on Windows 11’s controversial default browser changes
Microsoft is backtracking on changes it made to Windows 11 that made it more difficult to switch default browsers. A new test build of Windows 11 now allows users of Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers to set a default browser with a single button, which is a far simpler process.
Rafael Rivera, developer of the excellent EarTrumpet Windows app, discovered the new Windows 11 changes earlier this week. Instead of having to change individual file extensions or protocol handlers for HTTP, HTTPS, .HTML, and .HTM, Windows 11 now offers a simple button that lets people switch default browsers in a similar way to Windows 10.
Microsoft has confirmed the changes are intentional and are currently being tested. “In the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22509 released to the Dev Channel on Wednesday, we streamlined the ability for a Windows Insider to set the ‘default browser’ to apps that register for HTTP:, HTTPS:, .HTM, and .HTML,” explains Aaron Woodman, vice president of Windows marketing, in a statement to The Verge. “Through the Windows Insider Program you will continue to see us try new things based on customer feedback and testing.”
Microsoft originally defended its decision to make it more difficult to switch defaults, telling The Verge earlier this year that it was “implementing customer feedback to customize and control defaults at a more granular level.” Rival browser makers weren’t happy with the changes, however, and Mozilla, Brave, and even Google’s head of Chrome and Android criticized Microsoft’s approach to default apps.
While Windows 11 does currently offer a prompt when a rival browser has been installed, it’s only triggered when you click a link from outside a browser, try to open an HTML document, or attempt to access browser protocols and files. The prompt lets you open a file or link in a different browser, with a checkbox to always use this program. If you forget to check the box, you’ll have to dig into the settings app in Windows 11 and manually configure a bunch of options.
Microsoft is still testing these new Windows 11 changes that make it easier to switch default apps and browsers, but it’s not clear when they will be available to all users. We’re expecting to see these debut with a larger update to Windows 11 next year, but Microsoft hasn’t announced a release date and some features and updates are appearing ahead of the big annual drop of features.
Still, it’s encouraging to see Microsoft listen to the criticism and feedback around its Windows 11 changes. This u-turn comes amid anger over a new built-in “buy now, pay later” tool in Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft’s efforts to dissuade people from downloading Chrome.
Preview builds begin to fix Windows 11’s Start menu and taskbar
Enlarge / The new Start menu kills Live Tiles and puts the All apps view on a separate screen. Like the taskbar, it’s cleaner-looking but also less customizable and flexible than before.
Andrew Cunningham
Microsoft may have given the taskbar and Start menu a fresh coat of paint in Windows 11, but the updated look also came with new limitations. Microsoft appears to be listening to at least some of the ensuing complaints because the latest preview build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders in the Dev channel includes some improvements to both the taskbar and the Start menu, among many other tweaks.
For example, the Windows 11 version of the taskbar won’t show the time and date on all monitors in a multi-monitor setup, only on the primary monitor; in this preview build, the time and date show up on all monitors again. Hooray!
Enlarge / Different Start menu view options.
Microsoft
In the Start menu, users will be able to shift the balance between pinned apps and “recommended” items depending on what they want to see more of. “More pins” adds another row of pinned apps while shrinking the Recommended field to just a couple of entries, while the “more recommendations” view removes a row of app icons and displays up to eight recommended items.
Dev channel Windows Insider builds are all especially subject to change, and some of the features that Microsoft tests in these builds never see the light of day. But hopefully, these and other taskbar and Start menu improvements will make it into the stable version of Windows 11 when its first major update rolls around next fall (if not before).
Other changes of note: Microsoft is still slowly migrating things from the old Control Panels into the Settings app, and this build moves over some advanced file sharing settings, some Printers & Scanners settings, and a few more network settings. And if you turn on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth while in airplane mode, Windows will now remember that setting the next time you turn airplane mode on. Separately, Microsoft has also tweaked the color picker and resize menu in the Paint app to better match Windows 11’s design.
Listing image by Andrew Cunningham
Windows 11’s new emoji isn’t as 3D as Microsoft promised
Microsoft originally promised new 3D emoji for Windows 11 and various other products earlier this year. Now the company has gone for a 2D flat look instead, with the new emoji debuting in Dev Channel builds of Windows 11 this week.
The style is a lot different to the 3D emoji that Microsoft promised in July, and even in recent tweets from the official Windows Twitter accounts. Microsoft appears to have changed its mind on going 3D inside Windows 11. “For Windows 11 we’re using the 2D versions,” says Brandon LeBlanc, a senior program manager on the Windows Insider team. LeBlanc also says Microsoft “used the wrong graphics” in recent tweets.
It’s not clear why Microsoft hasn’t adopted its 3D designs in Windows 11, despite promises to do so, but it’s likely because a flatter 2D design works better across multiple applications. 3D designs also look different across a variety of screens and resolutions, so Microsoft has likely settled on a 2D design for a more consistent representation of its emoji for all Windows 11 users.
We’re still expecting to see the 3D style appear elsewhere in Microsoft products though, particularly in Microsoft Teams where animated emoji exists. The new emoji in Windows 11 also includes the return of Clippy, as Microsoft has removed the standard paperclip emoji with its Clippy character. Microsoft is testing this emoji in recent Dev Channel builds of Windows 11, but it’s expected to rollout to all users soon.
Epic Games Store, Discord, and Zoom all join Windows 11’s more flexible app store
Enlarge / The Microsoft Store in Windows 11.
Microsoft
When Microsoft introduced Windows 11 over the summer, it also detailed a major shift in strategy for its app store. In an effort to woo more developers and their apps after years of indifference, Microsoft said it would allow all kinds of apps developed and packaged with all kinds of tools into the Microsoft Store, including everything from traditional Win32 apps to Electron apps to progressive web apps (PWAs).
Now we’re seeing some of the fruits of that change—Microsoft has announced that major third-party apps like Zoom, Discord, Adobe Reader, the VLC media player, and even the LibreOffice suite are all now available in the Microsoft Store for people using the Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. Web apps like Wikipedia, Reddit, and Tumblr are also available. These PWAs look and work just like the regular websites but can easily be pinned to Start or the Taskbar and can display notification badges and a few other benefits that make them feel a bit more like desktop apps.
Microsoft also says it will allow other app stores into the Microsoft Store, starting with Amazon and the Epic Games Store. These will be available “over the next few months.” (When support for Amazon’s Android apps are added to Windows 11 sometime after the official launch, those apps will still be searchable from within the Microsoft Store itself.) If you don’t want to (or can’t) install Windows 11 on your PC, Microsoft says that the new Microsoft Store and the new apps in it will also be coming to Windows 10 “in the coming months.” Windows 11’s rollout officially begins on October 5.
The Windows Store was modeled more closely on Apple’s App Stores when it originally launched in the Windows Phone and Windows 8 days, but it has never been a particularly relevant or convenient way to access most workaday Windows apps. If that changes in Windows 11, it will be to Microsoft’s benefit, even if the company isn’t directly making money from many of the apps. If the Microsoft Store becomes a convenient destination for users, it will be more important for developers to post their apps to it, which will make it more convenient for users, and so on.
Microsoft also announced in June that developers who use their own payment platforms (or third-party payment services from companies other than Microsoft) will be able to keep all of the revenue they earn, instead of the typical 85/15 revenue split for apps. This change notably does not apply to games, which have a lower 88/12 revenue split but have to pay Microsoft its cut regardless of how they handle payments. The Apple v. Epic Games case revealed that games account for 70 percent of Apple’s App Store revenue, which suggests that Microsoft won’t be leaving a ton of money on the table even with these changes.
Listing image by Microsoft