Microsoft has announced major changes to the Windows Insider program that will affect the Dev and Beta channels. Both channels will soon receive more experimental and new features, but they will be used to test different features for Windows 11.
Surface Pro 8 and Book 3 received February firmware updates
If you own a Surface Pro 8 or a third-gen Surface Book 3, there is new firmware available for download from Windows Update. February 2022 updates are now live with minor improvements and security patches.
Microsoft has released Visual Studio Code 1.64 for Windows, Mac and Linux
The Redmond firm has released Visual Studio Code 1.64. The app is now available for Windows, Mac and Linux. This is the first major update of the new year that adds more flexibility to the window layouts, including a new button in the title bar. There is a new the Side Panel, a new surface in the workbench opposite the Side Bar.
Microsoft Edge 98 is now available in the Stable channel
Following Google and its Chrome 98 update, Microsoft updated the Edge browser to the same version 98. The latest version does not contain many new features, but there are some noticeable improvements.
Windows Terminal Preview 1.13 is out with cool new features
Microsoft has released Windows Terminal Preview 1.13, which finally brings significant changes and improvements to the modern console app. However, the minimum supported version of Windows 10 for Windows Terminal 1.13+ has been increased from 18362 (19H1) to 19041 (20H1).
Google wants to make the tab mute button easier to discover
Google is working on bringing a tab mute button to its browser, similar to how Microsoft Edge allows its users to disable the sound on a web page by clicking a speaker button on the tab strip. Currently, the mute button is available behind an experimental flag in the Canary channel, which is off by default. Google wants to improve feature discoverability in Chrome by adding a special banner. It will let users know that they can mute a tab with a single click.
Microsoft Edge Add-ons Store is now region-specific
Microsoft Edge supports installing extensions from the Chrome Web Store, which means the browser no longer suffers from the lack of popular extensions. Still, the software giant continues investing in its own add-ons store for the Edge browser. The latest update for the Edge Add-ons Store brings discoverability improvements and region-specific collections.
PowerToys 0.55.1 fixes a bug with settings not being saved
A couple of days ago, Microsoft released PowerToys version 0.55 with three new utilities. The latest version brought two new modules for File Explorer add-ons and a crosshair for the cursor. Now there is a new version available for download. Release 0.55.1 fixes several annoying bugs, such as the app not saving settings.
Microsoft has canceled HoloLens 3
Microsoft has canceled the development of the HoloLens 3 mixed reality headset. Moreover, the HoloLens team is in a state of uncertainty regarding long-term goals and plans.
How to Disable Firewall in Windows 11
In certain situations you may need to disable firewall in Windows 11, e.g. to troubleshoot a network connectivity for some local or remote service or app. For that task, the operating system offers a number of options,including the GUI and a few console commands. There's also the ability to disable firewall with Group Policy.
