Microsoft today released monthly cumulative updates for all supported operating systems. As usual, such updates do not bring with them any new features, but are aimed at fixing discovered bugs and vulnerabilities. Updates are already available in Windows Update.
Windows 11 will get an option to disable the Recommended section in the Start menu
One of the most drastic and controversial changes in Windows 11 is the new Start menu and the centered taskbar. There are no more Live Tiles, and the Start menu mostly resembles a regular app launcher with a dedicated section where the system tries to predict what files and apps you might want to open. While the idea may sound okay on the paper, many users agree that Microsoft should provide an option to disable the "Recommended" section in the Start menu. The good news is that Microsoft may have actually listened to your feedback, and now it prepares to let you get rid of the "Recommended" section.
Parallels Desktop 17 for MacOS now supports Windows 11
Parallels today announced their Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac update. The new version brings support for Windows 11 and macOS Monterey, as well as many performance improvements and new features for devices based on Apple M1 chips.
Edge now can open bookmarks as tab group
In Microsoft Edge, you can store bookmarks in different folders for improved sorting and convenience. Also, the browser allows opening all favorites in a folder with a single click in a new or current window. In the most recent update to Edge Canary, Microsoft added another option: open favorites in a new tab group.
Firefox 91 released, will be an ESR release
Mozilla releases Firefox 91, a new version of the popular browser. It is a major release, which will also serve as base for the ESR branch. The new version is notable for a new print option that adds the simplified page output, a new behavior for downloads, and HTTPS-First mode for private windows.
Office for Android received new cards view
On the Tech Community forums, Microsoft announced an update for the unified Office app on Android that combines Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Lens, and Sticky Notes in a single app. The main highlight of that update is a new cards view called "File Cards."
Cloud Gaming Beta is now available in Xbox app for Windows
Microsoft continues expanding the availability of its game streaming service, Project xCloud, to more platforms and users. After bringing the service to iOS, Microsoft is making xCloud available in the Xbox app for Windows in an attempt to "make gaming available to all players around the world" or 22 countries to be precise.
Almost 90% of Steam users run Windows 10
Steam Hardware Survey for July 2021 reveals the latest data about gamers' hardware and software preferences. According to Steam, almost 90% of users (89.66%, to be precise) prefer Windows 10 over any other platform (it is not like they have that much choice). Now-unsupported Windows 7 remains relatively popular with 5.48% of users. Combined with the 32-bit version, Windows 7 occupies 5.59% of the entire userbase and sits tightly in second place.
Windows 11 Add Windows Terminal Profiles to Context Menu
In Windows 11, you can add Windows Terminal Profiles to the context menu in File Explorer. So that you will be able to launch it in the current folder directly with the desired profile, without switching to it.
Edge 94 can immediately put inactive tabs to sleep
Microsoft continues improving Performance Mode (recently renamed to Efficiency Mode) with new features and capabilities to let you run the Edge browser as smoothly as possible, even on budget hardware. "Sleeping Tabs" is a cornerstone of Efficiency Mode that allows you to save RAM and CPU resources by putting inactive pages to sleep. In Edge 92 Stable, the browser freezes tabs after no less than 5 minutes of inactivity. In Edge 94, that timeout reduced almost to zero.
