Software & Apps News - Page 18

Some Windows 11 users are running into trouble when installing the latest update for the desktop operating system.

That's patch KB5031455 for Windows 11 22H2, and it should be noted that it's an optional update - so you don't have to touch it. These preview updates are by their very nature more likely to have bugs in them, of course.

This update is an important one because it's the first to carry Moment 4 features for Windows 11 users who haven't elected to receive such features early - so this is the full general rollout of Moment 4, in other words.

Earlier this year, we reported on Microsoft expanding its compression support in Windows 11 to include native RAR, 7-Zip, and other file formats that aren't your basic ZIP files. For those that have been dealing with archived files over the years, undoubtedly, you've encountered some RAR files - which have been a Windows staple since Windows 95. Native support has been a long time coming; does this mean no more WinRAR? Well, not quite.

Five months after confirming that Windows 11 would be getting much more compression love, the support arrives as part of the latest KB5031455 (OS Build 22621.2506) Preview update. But there's a catch, at least in this first version. The new compression features in Windows 11 do not support password-encrypted files.

However, the expanded archive support now includes 11 new file formats with the help of the open-source libarchive project, which is described as an "efficient C library that can read and write streaming archives in a variety of formats."

WhatsApp, the wildly popular instant messaging app and platform currently owned by Meta, is reportedly testing the ability for people to use passkeys to sign into their accounts. That's according to code found in the latest beta version of the app.

That code was found by software developer and researcher @aaronp613 on X, the social network previously known as Twitter. The code shows that WhatsApp is working on implementing support for passkeys to allow for safer account management and signing in.

Passkey support would allow users of WhatsApp to sign into the iPhone app using Face ID or Touch ID on devices that support those biometric security systems. For those times when those aren't available - when wearing a mask or gloves, for example - the device's passcode can also be entered instead.

If you use Facebook or Instagram and live in a number of European countries, you're soon going to have the option to spend money to remove ads. parent company Meta has also confirmed that it will no longer show ads to people under the age of 18, although there is no guarantee that won't change in the future after the company said it was going to pause them rather than ditch them.

The move comes as Meta finds itself under increasing fire from the EU over the way it does business in its member countries, and it's taken the steps of offering people the chance to remove ads before being forced to remove ads altogether. However, this move only offers the ad-free paid tier to people in EU countries including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Notably, the UK is not included on that list as it is no longer part of the European Union.

We've reported on the efforts of NTDEV and its work to create leaner and more memory and space-efficient versions of Windows 11 multiple times in the past. The developer's Tiny11 is a lightweight version of Microsoft's OS that removes all of the bloat and telemetry to deliver a streamlined experience that still benefits from its key functionality.

Tiny11 is a great option for those with outdated hardware or limited storage space, not to mention those who simply want a no-fuss version of the operating system to run on a VM for testing. Tiny11 Core is the latest version from NTDEV, and it's another impressive feat because it uses LZX Compression to not only drastically reduce the size of the ISO but also the amount of space the full Windows 11 OS takes once up and running.

The team took to Twitter/X to announce that with Tiny11 Core and LZX Compression, this lightweight version of Windows 11 only takes up 3.25 GB of disk space after installation. Compared to the 20+ Gigabytes required for a standard Windows install, it's impressive.

Apple is currently testing the Journal app with the company's iOS 17.2 update, but there is currently no indication that it's going to come to the iPad or Mac any time soon. In fact, there's no suggestion that it'll make its way to those platforms at all.

Apple announced the Journal app as part of the iOS 17 update back in June before saying that it would arrive later this year. There's still no official date for that, but those who are testing the iOS 17.2 update are already able to take the app for a spin - although few are raving about its current capabilities. However, as 9to5Mac notes, there is currently no sign of the Journal app in the macOS 14.2 or iPadOS 17.2 betas. And Apple has so far been surprisingly quiet about the chances of the app coming to the Mac or the iPad at all.

Discussing the fact that there is no Journal app on those platforms, 9to5Mac notes that Apple's iOS 17 webpage is the only one that makes any mention of the mindfulness and journaling app - it can't be found anywhere on the macOS Sonoma or iPadOS 17 webpages.

WhatsApp, the hugely popular instant messaging app and platform owned by Meta, is testing a new feature that could make it much easier to keep your location private when on a call.

The feature, which is currently only in beta testing and ahs no public release date, allows users to protect their IP address when on a call. The move means that it will be harder for other people to use that IP address to try and figure out the person's location if they don't want them to know it.

The new feature was spotted by the WhatsApp watchers over at WABetaInfo and is available in the latest WhatsApp beta that is now being offered to iPhone users.

Apple first announced the Journal app as part of the iOS 17 unveiling back in June of 2023. We knew that it wouldn't be ready for iOS 17's release when that happened in September, but Apple did say that the Journal app would launch before the end of the year. Now, with the release of the first iOS 17.2 beta, it looks like it's coming good on that promise.

The first iOS 17.2 beta is now available for testing and while it doesn't have as many big new features as the iOS 17 update did, it does have some notable additions. The Journal app is one of the biggest because Apple promised that it would make it easier for people to reflect on and relive special moments. But is it going to live up to the hype?

Our initial testing suggests that might not be the case. Right now all you seem to be able to do is create a new entry and then add media if you wish. You can also share information into the app via the Share Sheet, with the journal entry showing a card a bit like the Notes app does. But so far, none of the recommendation aspects of the Journal app appear to be working.

It has been more than a year since Elon Musk officially carried out the acquisition of the social media platform that was formerly called Twitter, and is now called X.

Leading up to the acquisition, Musk expressed that he wished to turn then-Twitter into the "everything app," a single app that encompasses all of the general needs of smartphone applications (calling, texting, communities, authenticated accounts, and finance). While there are many other aspects to include in the "everything app", the aforementioned features are what X is currently working on implementing, and now we are hearing about a coming payment system.

During X's latest earnings call, Musk explained that he plans on turning X into a bank that has a seamless payment system between users, and that this feature would be implemented into the platform by the end of next year. Musk further iterated that this payment system wouldn't be as simple as sending $20 to someone, but would also include support for securities to be moved from one individual to another.

We all know that Windows 10 doesn't have too many miles left on the clock for support, and the impact of that could be pretty devastating to the environment, an advocacy group in the US has argued.

The Register reports that PIRG, the US Public Interest Research Group, has brought attention to the stark reality that when Windows 10 is made obsolete in October 2025, that will mean up to 400 million of the billion devices out there running the older OS could be on the scrapheap.

PIRG urges Microsoft to think again on Windows 10 support, and notes that the move could mean the "single biggest jump in junked computers ever," putting a big dent in the company's drive for sustainability.