A new version of Sticky Notes is coming to users, finally featuring a dedicated shortcut to open it. It appears in the Start menu when you install or update OneNote. In addition, you can quickly copy a note, or make it always-on-top.
Microsoft to Lay Off About 650 Xbox Gaming Employees
Microsoft has announced a new wave of layoffs within its Microsoft Gaming division, impacting around 650 employees. This follows a previous round of cuts several months ago, during which the company laid off 1,900 workers from Activision Blizzard and Xbox, and shut down several game studios, including Arkane Austin (half of Arkane Studios) and Alpha Dog Games.
KB5038603 (build 26120.1252) causes multiple Windows 11 issues
KB5038603 is the latest update for Windows 11, which updates the OS to build 26120.1252. It is based on Windows 11 version 24H2, and includes several experimental features and security fixes. Several users on the Internet are reporting multiple issues after installing the patch.
Xbox Game Pass Standard Plan Launches at $15 Per Month
Microsoft has launched a new subscription option, Xbox Game Pass Standard. It replaces the Basic plan and costs $15 per month. Being announced back in July 2024, it offers a middle tier between Xbox Game Pass Core (the successor to Xbox Live Gold) and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Microsoft Launches Public Preview of UWP App Support for .NET 9
Microsoft has announced the launch of public testing for .NET 9 for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) applications. So the latest version of .NET can be used for building modern apps. Among the new features of the platform update is the support for Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) compilation. It will significantly improve performance by compiling directly to machine code.
Android APKs may soon refuse to sideload if the developer decides so
Google is inventing a special mechanism for app developers that will allow disabling APK sideloading for the app. If the feature is enabled for an app, it will refuse installing from any other source besides the Google Play store.
Microsoft reminds that Windows 11 versions up to 22H2 will soon reach end of support
Microsoft notifies Windows 11 users that specific releases of the OS will reach end of support in a month. This includes customer editions of Windows 11 21H2, and consumer version of Windows 11 version 22H2. On October 8, 2024, these will release their last security updates.
Mozilla makes Windows 7 users happy by keeping Firefox 115 ESR supported until March 2025
Mozilla has extended the support of the previously released Firefox 115 ESR for another six months until March 2025. Thus, the support period for Firefox 115 will be not a year as usual, but a year and a half. At the same time, the company will support Firefox 115 in parallel with the new ESR branch Firefox 128.
Cumulative updates for Windows 11 and 10, September 10, 2024
Monthly cumulative updates are now available for all supported operating systems, part of Patch Tuesday releases. Traditionally they fix bugs, known issues and addressing security vulnerabilities. But today's patches are also rolling out some new features. Here are the details.
Microsoft Office 2024 will keep ActiveX Controls disabled by default
The Redmond software giant is changing how their Office suite handles ActiveX controls. With the launch of Office 2024 in October, ActiveX controls will no longer be enabled by default in the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio apps.
