Microsoft is bringing AI capabilities to significantly improve Windows Search on its new Copilot Plus PCs. Windows 11's search will now be powered by AI and offers a brand new Click to Do feature. It will also allow users to find images, emails, documents, and videos more easily. These AI features are scheduled to roll out in November.
Author: Sergey Tkachenko
Microsoft Releases Office 2024 for Consumers, Non-Subscription Version
Microsoft has announced Office 2024 for consumers and small businesses. The release is classic app suite without the subscription requirements. It is a one-time purchase that includes newest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook for Windows and macOS.
Windows 11 Build 27718 (Canary) officially introduces new widgets for the Clock app
A new Canary channel release, Windows 11 Build 27718, adds two new widgets for the Clock app, Timer and Countdown. These were earlier discovered, but now Microsoft introduces them officially. Besides, there are some quality of life improvements and fixes.
PowerToys 0.85 adds a new New+ tool, a more convenient New menu for Explorer
Microsoft has released a new PowerToys version 0.85. It is notable for including a new 'powertoy', New+. It is a custom implementation of the good old 'New' menu in File Explorer that allows you to create new files based on flexible custom templates.
These are the upgrade blocking issues in Windows 11 24H2
Every time Microsoft releases a new Windows version, there is always a list of issues that prevent your computer from getting the latest OS release. The situation is similar to Windows 11 version 24H2. If your device doesn't see the update, then you may be affected by some of them.
Microsoft discontinues HoloLens 2
Almost a year after the original Hololens was discontinued in December 2024, Microsoft is leaving HoloLens 2 alone in the dark. HoloLens 2 headsets are being discontinued but will continue to receive security and bug fixes until 2027. HoloLens 2 was officially announced on February 24, 2019, at the Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona.
Windows 11 will soon get back the small taskbar buttons
The recently released Windows 11 Build 22635.4291 (Beta) hints that the operating system may get back the small taskbar buttons feature. It was always available as a preference prior to Windows 11 release. But in Windows 11, its new taskbar eliminated this useful feature. This is changing now.
uBlock Origin Lite author drops Mozilla add-on catalog support after his extension was removed from there
The maintainers of the Firefox add-ons directory (addons.mozilla.org) have removed all recent versions of the uBlock Origin Lite (uBOL) add-on. They cited violations found during a manual review of the add-on as the reason. They then acknowledged that the add-on was removed in error and restored it. However, the add-on's author, Raymond Hill, has refused to continue publishing it in the Firefox add-ons directory.
Firefox 131 is available with tab previews enabled by default
The Mozilla team behind the Firefox browser has released version 131 stable. The ESR branches have received their own portion of update by reaching versions 115.16.0 and 128.3.0. Finally, Firefox 132 has entered beta testing. Here are the key changes in this Firefox 131 stable.
Windows 11 24H2 is officially released, along with the LTSC version
On October 1, Microsoft has officially released Windows 11 version 24H2. The new version of the OS adds a ton of various new features and improvements. Among the Windows 11 releases, 24H2 makes a strong accent on AI. It is present in Search, in inbox apps, and powers up the special Recall feature. Microsoft continues its practice of rolling out updates gradually, so the first wave of users to receive them are those who click "check for updates" on the Settings > Windows Update page. The company calls this the "Seeker experience."