Software & Apps News - Page 1
Microsoft seems to be losing the battle to persuade Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11
It's a new month, and we have another set of Windows adoption stats to look at - figures that Microsoft won't enjoy perusing.
The latest from analyst outfit Statcounter is that Windows 11 is again going backwards with its market share among Windows versions - and Windows 10 is ticking up.
In April 2024, Statcounter observes (via Neowin) that Windows 11 dropped the best part of a percentage point to end up on 25.65%, while Windows 10 put on a percent (almost) to go over 70%.
Hate Chrome or Edge? Streamlined Chromium-based Mac browser, Arc, is now out for Windows 11
Arc, a Chromium-based browser previously on the Mac (and iOS), is now available to download for Windows 11.
So, those Windows 11 users who've been searching for a streamlined web browser - one of the bits of ad blurb for Arc is that it's a "clean and calm" app - can now give this Chromium client a whirl, rather than Chrome or Edge. (There are other alternatives, of course - but those are the big two for Chromium).
As Neowin, which spotted this, points out, the Arc browser was in beta previously (since December 2023), but this represents its first public launch for Microsoft's OS.
Microsoft will now let you download and install apps directly from the Microsoft Store website
Microsoft has made installing apps from the Microsoft Store easier by implementing a new feature - the ability to download and run executables/installers directly from apps.microsoft.com. Microsoft's Rudy Huyn took to X to outline the update and its reasoning in great detail.
The website for Microsoft apps has been around for a while. To install an app using the site, you click on a link, confirm that you'll need to switch to the dedicated store app, and then select and go through the install process on the app. Rudy Huyn said, "Feedback indicated that the install flow involved too many clicks."
The reason installation directly from the site wasn't available was security, which is beneficial to users and partners releasing apps through the Microsoft Store. That said, switching to a two-click system for a select group of developers "led to a 12% increase in installations and a 54% increase in the number of applications launched after installation."
Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage finally gets an offline mode - with a catch
Microsoft's OneDrive is getting a mode that allows you to work with your files in the storage locker when you don't have an internet connection.
The catch we mentioned in the headline? This is that the feature is rolling out to begin with only to OneDrive work and school users (across the globe), but surely a broader deployment to consumers will follow soon enough.
How does offline mode work with OneDrive? You can continue to interact with the following views: Home, My files, Shared, Favorites, People, and Meeting.
Windows 11 has a couple of useful tweaks in testing for File Explorer and widgets
Windows 11 has a couple of fresh changes which are hidden in preview builds, which a leaker has uncovered using ViVeTool.
As anyone who follows Windows leaks will doubtless be unsurprised to learn, this is PhantomOfEarth (who accounts for a lot of spillage around the OS, as well as Albacore on X).
The first change which has been dug up using ViVeTool (the Windows configuration utility) is an improvement for File Explorer tabs which you can see in the above tweet.
Windows 11 might hit you with an extra-lengthy nagging session after your next update
Windows 11 is showing a bulked-up set of nag screens, and this is part of a push underway to get more folks using Microsoft's Edge browser, it seems.
Those are the findings of tech site Windows Latest, which observed being confronted by a multi-screen post-setup marathon of seven panels to be clicked through.
Typically, this is what you'll see after installing Windows 11, but as you've doubtless noticed, these multi-screen affairs also pop up sometimes after simply installing the latest monthly cumulative update for the OS.
HP laptop owners: that giant Caps Lock On pop-up isn't Windows 11's fault, here's how to fix it
A new update from HP for its laptops has implemented a change that a fair few people are hating, and that's a notification that pops up when you hit Caps Lock.
This is a giant padlock icon that says 'Caps Lock On' and takes over a huge amount of screen real-estate whenever you press the Caps Lock key.
We guess the idea is that it's very possible to accidentally press Caps Lock, and if you don't notice, and you're typing for a bit and not looking at the screen, you realize that you've written a VERY SHOUTY SENTENCE LIKE THIS BY ACCIDENT (ahem).
Fears emerge that Windows 11 could hit you with a desktop watermark if your PC isn't AI-okay
Windows 11 might just flag up a warning if your PC doesn't meet the system requirements to run AI Explorer, hidden code in the OS suggests.
This discovery was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Albacore, one of the ever-present folks who while away spare hours sifting through the inner workings of Windows 11.
The clues were uncovered in preview build 26200 for the Canary channel, where Albacore found that AI Explorer checks for its requirements, and if the host PC doesn't meet them, a "warning will be present in its overlays."
WhatsApp is rolling passkey support out for iPhone users
WhatsApp, the meta-owned instant messaging platform, has been testing support for passkeys for some time now and the feature is already available for Android users - in fact, it has been since October. Now though, WhatsApp has started to roll out passkey support for those who also happen to have an iPhone for the very first time.
The news was first reported by Engadget which reported that iPhone owners now have the option to use passkeys. It's rolling out to WhatsApp users right now, but it could take a few weeks for it to become available to everyone because of the way that WhatsApp tends to make these new features available.
In a statement provided to Engadget, Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp's head of product said that the support for passkey verification will make signing into WhatsApp easier and more secure. It's seen as an additional layer of security, she continued.
Continue reading: WhatsApp is rolling passkey support out for iPhone users (full post)
Elon Musk is launching a separate app to watch X videos on your TV
X is preparing to make the jump to your home TV, or any smart TV that is capable of downloading a new app, with the company preparing to release its own TV app dedicated for X video.
As part of Elon Musk's intention to create the "Everything App" X is now making the jump to TV's with a new separate app that will bring X video content to your couch. X's likely hoping the impact of bringing X to TVs will at least slightly shift the brand into being recognized as a video app as well - something Musk and X have been working on since the Tesla CEO purchased the company.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino, took to her personal X account to announce the X TV App and what it will entail. According to the X CEO the new app will come with a "trending video algorithm" that will enable users to stay updated with popular video content, AI-powered topics that will create a personalized user experience, cross-device support that will let users start a video on their phone and continue you it on your TV through casting, and an advanced video search.
Continue reading: Elon Musk is launching a separate app to watch X videos on your TV (full post)