Articles about Microsoft

The taskbar and Start menu continue to be features of Windows 11 that divide opinion. And, for better or worse, Microsoft is continually changing things up and making evolutionary developments.

A good example of this is when app pinning was updated so it was possible to drag and drop apps pinned to the Start menu onto the taskbar in order to pin them there as well. Now the company has introduced another significant improvement to taskbar/Start menu pinning that helps to make life much easier.

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Data Analytics & Visualization All-in-One For Dummies collects the essential information on mining, organizing, and communicating data, all in one place.

Clocking in at around 850 pages, this tome of a reference delivers eight books in one, so you can build a solid foundation of knowledge in data wrangling. Data analytics professionals are highly sought after these days, and this book will put you on the path to becoming one.

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Six-hundred-eleven in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.

Windows 11 has surpassed Windows 10 on Steam as the most used operating system. It is still close though. On the Recall-front, Microsoft said that users won't b able to uninstall the controversial AI-feature Recall after all.

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Microsoft has announced the release of its latest Surface devices aimed specifically at business customers. The new lineup, which includes the Surface Pro 10 with 5G, Surface Pro 11th Edition, and Surface Laptop 7th Edition, is set to be available later this month. These devices are designed to boost productivity and foster innovation within business environments, using advanced AI technology powered by a Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

To cater to the diverse needs of its business customers, Microsoft is offering a choice between Intel Core Ultra processors and Snapdragon X Elite and Plus processors across its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models. This allows businesses the flexibility to select the processing power that best suits their specific requirements.

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The time has come for PowerToys users to celebrate not just the release of a new version of the utility collection, but the addition of a new module. As previewed recently, there is now a new tool called PowerToys Workspaces that can be used to launch multiple apps from a single shortcut.

But more than just making it possible to launch a number of apps simultaneously, PowerToys Workspaces allows for these apps to be launched in saved layout and with configurations. Workspaces is by far the highlight of the newly released PowerToys v0.84.0, but there is plenty more in this update as well.

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For anyone using Windows 11 who was hoping to steer clear of the upcoming Recall features, there was a glimmer of hope last week. The KB5041865 update for the operating system included the option to uninstall the controversial activity snapshotting feature, much to the delight of many.

But now Microsoft has dashed the hopes of those with privacy and security concerns, saying that the ability to uninstall Recall was a bug and that it would be fixed. What this means in practice is that Recall will be installed on all Windows 11 machines, and while it can be disabled, it cannot be uninstalled.

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Nitrux, the Debian-based distribution known for its focus on simplicity and performance, has just released version 3.6.1, codenamed “lp.” This release packs a series of updates and fixes that are aimed at improving the overall experience for both new and existing users.

If you’ve been contemplating a switch from Windows 11, Nitrux 3.6.1 is the perfect alternative. You can download an ISO here now.

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Six-hundred-ten in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.

Windows 10 users will see ads for Microsoft 365 in the Start menu soon as well. Microsoft launched an update that is integrating the feature.

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The Recall feature of Windows 11 has not even launched yet, but it has proved endlessly controversial since it was first announced a few months back. Microsoft says that Recall will help users retrace their steps by taking snapshots of activity every few seconds, providing a way to step back in time and jump to an earlier activity.

Such was the uproar about the security and privacy implications of the feature, Microsoft has already made concessions. The company first pulled the feature from preview builds of Windows 11 to do further work on it, and then announced that it would be opt-in rather than enabled by default. Now it turns out that it will be possible to uninstall it completely.

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Microsoft is delving into the depths of human brain function, trying to replicate its most complex processes in artificial intelligence. While this might sound like progress, it raises a chilling question: Are we on the brink of creating an AI that could outthink and overpower its creators?

In collaboration with top universities, Microsoft Research Asia is spearheading projects that mimic the brain's intricate neural networks. CircuitNet, one such project, isn't just another AI -- it’s a system designed to think like a human. By replicating the brain's connectivity patterns, CircuitNet could potentially surpass current AI capabilities, processing information with an efficiency and accuracy that traditional systems can’t match.

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While the standard versions of Windows 10 and 11 are designed to be all-encompassing, catering to a broad audience with varying needs, they can often be bogged down by features and services that not everyone needs, like Copilot in Windows 11 for example. Whether you're a professional needing a responsive system or a casual user looking for a smooth experience, the default versions of Windows 10 and 11 might not always offer the peak performance you desire.

Fortunately, there are customized versions of Windows that can help you unlock your PC’s full potential. These builds are designed to speed up your system by stripping away unnecessary features, optimizing resources, and delivering a leaner, faster operating system. Here’s a look at the five best custom Windows 10/11 builds that can help you achieve superior performance.

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Despite Microsoft's ongoing efforts to improve Windows 11 by fixing bugs and introducing new features -- most notably AI integration with Copilot -- many users continue to experience issues and design inconsistencies that detract from the overall experience. No wonder so many people are choosing to stick with Windows 10.

However, there's good news: Rectify11, a third-party solution designed to address Windows 11's many problems, has just been updated to version 3.2, offering a more polished and consistent user experience.

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Microsoft 365 offers tools for content management, communication, process automation, and report creation. Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online Cookbook maximizes workplace collaboration and productivity using SharePoint Online, Teams, OneDrive, Delve, M365 Search, Copilot, Power Platform, Viva, Planner, and Microsoft Forms.

You will find thoroughly updated recipes for SharePoint Online, covering sites, lists, libraries, pages, web parts, and learn SharePoint Framework (SPFx) basics for building solutions.

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You are probably familiar with God Mode in Windows. This feature displays all of the admin tools and control options on a single screen, but it’s tucked away, so you need to create a folder and give it a special name to activate it.

There are actually multiple God Modes, and we’ve covered them all, along with how to activate each one, here. However, if you're looking for something even more powerful, you should definitely try Super God Mode.

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Microsoft has a released a preview of next month's update for Windows 11. The release of the KB5041587 update introduces the ability to share content to an Android device from the Windows Share window assuming the handset has been paired with Windows 11.

For some users there are security improvements to the Widgets Board, while everyone is getting updated and improved Voice Access and Narrator features. What the release fails to do, however, is fix the problems users started to face with dual-booting Linux after installing the August security updates.

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