A new update the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles brings support for Discord voice chats. This doesn't mean that Xbox now has a full-fledged Discord application. There is now only the ability to redirect a voice call to a game console using the Xbox mobile app.
Author: Sergey Tkachenko
Windows Terminal 1.16 adds themes, new colors and text rendering engine
Microsoft today released a new preview version of the Terminal app. It brings with it themes, so you can change the style and appearance of Terminal with a couple of clicks. Besides themes, it also features new color schemes and a new GUI for managing them. Finally, Terminal has switched to a new text rendering engine, "Atlas". It is now active by default.
Cumulative Updates for Windows 11 and 10, September 2022
Microsoft has released a set of cumulative updates for all supported Windows versions. These include Windows 11, and actual/supported Windows 10 releases, 21H2, 21H1, 20H2, and 1809.
Microsoft may be working on a Surface Gaming laptop
Looks like the Surface family of thin and lightweight laptops is getting a different option. Rumors say that the company is working on a new device which will become the first gaming laptop in the line.
Taskbar search box is back to Windows 11, here’s how to enable it
Despite shipping a completely redesigned taskbar in Windows 11, Microsoft is about to bring to it some of its predecessor's features. Sadly, it is still not the ability to ungroup icons or text labels. This time it is the search box which you could seen in Windows 10 for long. It is already available in Windows 11 on the Dev channel. Here's how to enable it.
Windows 11 Beta Channel is updated to Builds 22621.598 and 22622.598
Microsoft today released two new builds to Insiders in the Beta channel. Traditionally, one of them (22622.598), is designed to ship new features, while the other one (22621.598) comes with general fixes and improvements.
Windows 11 build 25197 official ISO images are available for download
Here's a bit of good news for those who need to install Windows 11 from scratch directly to the Dev channel. Microsoft today released official ISO files for the most recent build 25197.
The new system tray in Windows 11 has a neat icon animation
With release of Windows 11 Build 25197, Microsoft revamped the appearance of the system tray. It now has touches of WinUI and plays well with the appearance of the OS. It features rounder corners of the icon selection, and tooltips of the Fluent Design style. It also features a hidden secret animation that makes the appearance of icons much nicer.
Microsoft is working on a new search for the Windows 11 Start menu
Microsoft is internally testing a new behavior for the search feature in the Start menu. It currently includes a search box which redirects you to a dedicated search pane once you click it. It looks like the software giant isn't happy with this inconsistency, and is working on improving this experience.
Microsoft is testing a new Xbox homepage
The Xbox team starts a series of experiments to find the best solution for building the best experience for Xbox home page. They try to create a more personalized dashboard based on contribution and feedback from users. Starting this week, some Xbox Insiders on the Alpha Skip-Ahead channel will notice changes to the layout and design of the dashboard. There will be new groups of gaming content and collections that appear in the below area when you scroll the screen.
