Software & Apps News - Page 11

The Sticky Notes app in Windows 11 (and Windows 10) is quite possibly a piece of software you've forgotten about - we certainly had - but this dusty application is set to get some attention from Microsoft.

The word from the devs on X (formerly Twitter) is that "we're back and better than ever" with new updates for Sticky Notes coming in 2024, apparently.

This won't be minor tweaking to the app, either, as we are promised that there will be some of the "biggest announcements yet." Prepare yourself for a major overhaul, then, perhaps.

Windows 11 is set to get a major update this year, codenamed 'Hudson Valley,' and it's so big it might end up being called Windows 12. Version 24H2 of the operating system is said to bring a suite of performance and security updates to Windows 11 and new features that will leverage AI and push the capabilities of Microsoft's Copilot even further.

A massive update that renames the OS to Windows 12 would be strange to see, and at this stage, this is just a rumor, but either way, by all accounts, Windows 11's big 2024 update will be a game changer. Yes, AI will play a major role in improving productivity, search, and how native Windows apps function - and will tie in nicely with all of the AI PCs launching this year.

Microsoft is targeting a September launch for this big update (via Windows Central), so a detailed list of all the features has yet to be made public - but several are set to be added to the new Insider Canary Channel build. Whether it becomes the long-rumored Windows 12 or simply a Windows 11 overhaul, it's said that Microsoft will market the release as its big 'Windows with AI' launch.

WhatsApp, the hugely popular instant messaging app and service that offers cross-platform messaging abilities is getting ready to allow the app to work with third-party messaging services as well. That's according to a new report that highlights a change in a new beta that has been made available for the iPhone. A previous Android beta added the same functionality.

The report, by WABetaInfo, highlights that WhatsApp is getting ready to abide by the European Union's Digital Markets Act with laws set to require that messaging apps like WhatsApp work with others, removing the so-called "gatekeepers" of the market. WhatsApp is working to comply with interoperability requirements and will allow its app to communicate with people who are using other messaging apps so long as those messaging apps do the same - WhatsApp will only work with iMessage, for example, if Apple allows it to. Apple might be forced to do so, but that's out of WhatsApp's control.

In an image shared by WABetaInfo we can see a new section within the Chats portion of the WhatsApp app on iPhone called "Third-party Chats," and that is where these conversations will take place. It isn't possible to test that functionality yet because nothing is currently live and other platforms will also need to make the same interoperability changes, too.

X, the social network previously known as Twitter, has rolled out support for passkey authentication via its iPhone app. While the feature is currently only available on the iPhone we can of course expect it to roll out to other platforms, but the Eloon Musk-owned social network has not confirmed when we should expect that to happen.

The move comes shortly after it was confirmed that the SEC's account was compromised via SIM-swap hack and the lack of any multi-factor authentication but it isn't clear whether this move to add passkey support is related to that.

Passkeys are seen by some as a long-term replacement for usernames and passwords because they don't require that users remember any credentials. Instead, a passkey is generated by the user's device and stored and protected locally. Passkeys are then authenticated using biometric security such as Face ID or Touch ID.

WhatsApp, the hugely popular instant messaging platform that is available across all platforms including the web, is testing a new feature that will allow people to send and receive files with others within close proximity. The feature, which sounds similar to Apple's AirDrop feature, is currently being tested by beta testers of the WhatsApp app on Android.

AirDrop is a feature that allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac owners to easily share files between devices just by bringing them close together. But the feature in testing appears to be part of the work that WhatsApp is doing to make it easier for people to do something similar across platforms for the first time.

The new feature was first reported by WABetaInfo and is currently available to beta testers who have access to the Android version of WhatsApp's beta app. The report claims that users will need to shake their device to initiate a share request, while end-to-end encryption is used when sending the files between devices. It's also worth noting that phone numbers are reportedly not transferred which could make this a great way to send files to people who aren't in your contacts should the need arise to do so.

Windows 11 has an incoming new feature that allows Android phone owners to edit recently snapped photos from their handset on their desktop PC.

This is a fresh introduction with Windows 11 preview build 23619 (in the Dev channel) although it's only rolling out to a limited number of testers at the moment, so if you aren't seeing it, hold tight.

The idea is that when you take a photo, or a screenshot, on your Android phone, you'll get an instant notification of this on your Windows 11 PC (assuming you've granted the OS access to your Android device, that is, in your settings for mobile devices).

An enterprising Linux developer has managed to cook up some tweaks for Linux that give a 6% boost to file system performance.

As explained on X (formerly Twitter), Jens Axboe made just a couple of changes to a caching algorithm that led to a notable increase in speed for I/O operations.

Apparently Axboe had been meaning to make this code change for years, but only just got around to doing so.

Ever wondered how Windows 12 might look? Of course, we don't know for sure that's what it'll be called, but whatever Microsoft names its next-gen OS, we've just been treated to a concept video of how it might turn out.

Watched it yet? It's the clip just above this paragraph - credit to The Register for spotting it - so give the video a whirl, and come back when you're done. Otherwise you won't know what we're banging on about in the following paragraphs (more so than normal).

The concept design (note: it has nothing to do with Microsoft) presented by 'AR 4789' is very smart and we like the more streamlined feel to the desktop and core elements of the interface. It's much like the modern design of Windows 11, but a bit neater, bolder, and cleaner (though still very obsessed with those rounded corners).

Whatever your preferred search engine, sometimes you run a query and don't get a great set of returns - so off to another engine you pop to spin the wheel of search again - but Microsoft Edge is taking a new approach when this scenario occurs.

As highlighted on X (formerly Twitter) by Mikhail Parakhin, who is head of Advertising and Web Services at Microsoft, now when you search in Edge with Bing, you get Google results presented simultaneously in the browser's side panel.

Or vice versa, if you Google, you get Bing results, and the idea is you can glance across and easily see alternatives to what your primary search engine has dug up on any given search query.

We've only just heard a rumor that Microsoft was going to introduce Copilot Pro, a subscription version of the AI, and it's officially happened.

Copilot Pro will cost $20 per month and is aimed at individual users who want the best AI experience, or as Microsoft puts it:

"Whether you need advanced help with writing, coding, designing, researching or learning, Copilot Pro brings greater performance, productivity and creativity."

What do you get for your money? As mentioned in the leak yesterday, one of the major selling points is access to the latest AI models, and with this initial incarnation of Copilot Pro, users will get the benefit of GPT-4 Turbo (for faster and more accurate responses to queries).