A little more than a month ago, Microsoft revealed a redesigned Paint app coming soon to Windows insiders. At that time, the company did not say when users could expect the update to appear. If you have been waiting for Paint to receive a fresh coat of, ahem, Paint, there is some good news for you. The updated app is finally available for download from the Microsoft Store.
Author: Taras Buria
Taras is here to cover stories about Microsoft and everything around, although sometimes he prefers Apple.
The Opera browser is now available on the Microsoft Store
Opera might not be the most popular browser, but developers continuously try to obtain more users by bringing interesting features. Also, Opera decided to support new policies in the Microsoft Store and release its browser to the marketplace for Windows 11. For the first time in almost a decade, users can download a Chromium-based browser from third-party from the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft Store now accepts third-party stores
In June 2021, when Microsoft announced Windows 11, the Software giant revealed a major strategy shift for the Microsoft Store. The new Microsoft Store now allows third-party browsers with various rendering engines; developers can publish unpackaged apps, utilize their CDNs and payment systems, and not pay fees to Microsoft. Finally, Microsoft now invites third-party stores to its store. That is right, you can now use the Microsoft Store to download other stores, such as Epic Games or Amazon.
MediaCreationTool batch file can now create Windows 11 ISO without TPM checks
The Media Creation Tool is a well-known utility from Microsoft to download "clean" Windows 10 ISO files and create a Windows installation media (DVD or USB). Each time Microsoft releases a new Windows version, it updates the Media Creation Tool to allow users to get the necessary files for the latest version. Some people might need to create installation media for older releases. That is where custom utilities come to play. MediaCreationTool.bat (extra points for a creative name) is one of such tools. It lets users download ISO files for any Windows 10 version, down to initial release 1507. Recently, a developer behind MediaCreationTool published a new version that can download Windows 11 ISO files and even bypass TPM requirements.
Microsoft updates Edge Web Widget with Windows 11-styled UI
ease looms over the horizon, Microsoft prepares its application to look on par with the latest operating system. Office Insiders are currently testing redesigned Office apps, and many stock Windows 11 programs now offer fresh looks and new features. Microsoft Edge is also on track to get some of the Windows 11-like UIs. After introducing a new flag to enable new transparency effects in Edge, Microsoft refreshed Web Widget with the same fresh coat of paint.
Microsoft promises to support Surface Duo for three years
On September 22, 2021, Microsoft announced a second-gen Surface Duo. The smartphone with a somewhat unconventional design received plenty of much-needed improvements: the latest CPU from Qualcomm, 5G support, NFC, screens with 90Hz refresh rate, bigger batteries, etc. Surface Duo 2 runs Android 11 out of the box, and Microsoft promises to deliver Android 12 soon.
Microsoft announced a major update for Skype
In 2017, Microsoft announced Teams - a brand-new messaging service for business customers to compete with Slack and similar applications. Since then, the company has been somewhat quiet about Skype and its fate, especially after experimenting with radical redesigns and feature upgrades. But today, the Skype team published a new blog post in which they shared their plans for a faster, more reliable and ultra-modern version of Skype.
Make Chrome for Android Open Desktop Versions of Websites By Default
Chrome for Android will soon be able to open desktop versions of websites by default. Earlier this month, Microsoft Edge for Android received a new experimental flag that forces the browser to load desktop versions of websites by default whenever possible. Recently the same flag arrived in Chrome Canary for Android.
The updated Photos app is now available in Beta and Release Preview channels
Earlier this month, Panos Panay, head of Windows and Surface devices, announced a redesigned Photos app for Windows Insiders. Shortly after that, the update reached Windows Insiders in the Dev channel. After brief initial testing, Microsoft starts rolling out the new Photos app for more testers. If you have already moved from Windows 10 to Windows 11 in Beta or Release Preview channels, the updated Photos app is now available for download from the Microsoft Store.
Chrome 96 will ask users for an additional prompt for downloads in Incognito
Google is working on several improvements for the Incognito mode to help users better understand how it works. The company recently introduced a new experimental flag that enables a slightly improved Incognito greeting window. It comes with a clearer explanation of what Incognito does and what it does not (similar improvements are now available in Edge 94).
