Category: Software

The Federal Supreme Court of Germany has ordered a retrial in the legal dispute between media company Axel Springer and Eyeo, the developer of Adblock Plus. The case centers on whether browser-based ad blockers violate copyright by altering website content.

Microsoft's PowerToys has reached version 0.93, delivering significant performance enhancements and new functionality. It introduces a redesigned, card-based Settings dashboard with improved navigation and clearer descriptions for a more intuitive experience. The Command Palette has been significantly optimized, reducing startup memory usage by 15%, load time by 40%, and installation size by 55% through full Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation in the Windows App SDK. Over 99 issues were resolved, including restored clipboard history, context menu shortcuts, app pinning, and enhanced run command history.

Microsoft has introduced the GPT-4o model to Bing Image Creator at no cost, enhancing the platform’s creative capabilities. This update gives users immediate access to two distinct AI image generation models: GPT-4o and DALL-E3. The addition of GPT-4o improves visual quality, prompt comprehension, and detail accuracy, particularly in text rendering and fine features. Users now generate more realistic and imaginative visuals with greater precision.

Microsoft has announced that it will gradually phase out support for the Microsoft Lens app for Android and iOS mobile devices. As a reminder, this app allows you to convert images to PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files, as well as recognize printed and handwritten text.

Gaming Copilot (Beta) has launched within Game Bar for Windows PCs. It is already available exclusively to Xbox Insiders enrolled in the PC Gaming Preview program. Its main feature is to offer real-time support during gaming sessions.

Microsoft has rolled out OpenAI’s GPT-5 across its product suite, including Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI Foundry, and GitHub Copilot. The release marks a synchronized deployment of the new model, now accessible via a smart mode in Copilot. The latter automatically selects between reasoning and response speed based on task demands.

Microsoft has issued a detailed announcement regarding the Windows App SDK, which becomes open source. In this way, the company responded to developers' questions about inconsistent update schedules, delays in completing key milestones, and an unclear direction for the platform's development.

Microsoft is refining the branding of its PC gaming offerings. The company previously used the term "Xbox PC" in promotional content, but recent marketing visuals for Grounded 2 and Age of Mythology: Retold now feature the label "Xbox on PC."

Microsoft will introduce a new default background image for authentication screens used by both personal accounts and Microsoft Entra work or school accounts. The rollout begins in August 2025 for personal accounts and extends to Microsoft Entra accounts starting September 29, 2025.

Adobe has started a beta program for native Arm64 versions of its core creative applications, including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder, designed specifically for Windows 11 on Arm devices. This move follows the company's earlier announcement of full Windows 11 on Arm support in May 2024, marking a significant step in optimizing performance for this platform.