Microsoft has quietly begun serving a new, highly visual Bing ad that places a full “scoreboard” comparison between Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome above Chrome’s official download links on Windows 11 — a move that reframes a user’s intent at the precise moment they look to switch browsers and...
advertising ethics
ai personalization
antitrust risk
bing
bing ads
browser competition
browser nudges
browser wars
built-in vpn
chrome browser
chromium based
copilot
dark patterns
default apps
defaultbrowser
digital markets act
dma
edge browser
edge vpn
google chrome
microsoft ecosystem
microsoft edge
microsoft rewards
open web
os nudges
privacy and security
promotional banners
regulatory scrutiny
server-side experiments
ui design
user choice
windows 11
Flyoobe, the unofficial successor to the Flyby11 patcher, has quietly added a notable new convenience to its Out‑Of‑Box Experience (OOBE) toolkit: the ability to set a default browser immediately after installation and even fetch and install a third‑party browser during first run. This addition...
Making Google Chrome the default browser across your devices is one of the simplest changes that delivers the biggest practical payoff: links open the way you expect, bookmarks and passwords follow you, and your browsing sessions stay consistent across platforms. This guide walks through how to...
Microsoft’s behavior toward rival browsers has become a steady drumbeat in tech headlines: from rewriting how Windows 11 handles defaults to quietly routing certain system links into Microsoft Edge, the company has repeatedly taken steps that critics call anti-competitive and that many users...
Microsoft Edge’s latest Canary build contains an eye-catching — and quietly aggressive — internal experiment: a pop-up that nudges users who habitually use Google Chrome to pin Microsoft Edge to the Windows 11 taskbar when they close the browser. The code names and feature flags discovered in...
active setup
antitrust
browser nudges
chrome users
data telemetry
defaultbrowser
dma eu
ecs
edge canary
edge experiments
enterprise policy
exit-time nudge
experimentation service
experimentationandconfigurationservicecontrol
microsoft edge
pin to taskbar
policy templates
privacy concerns
user experience
windows 11
Microsoft once again finds itself under the regulatory spotlight, this time in Brazil, where Opera Software has triggered an antitrust investigation by the country’s competition authority, CADE. At issue are old grievances in a new world: the perennial claim that Microsoft leverages its Windows...
ai integration
ai lock-in
antitrust
antitrust investigation
brazil regulation
browser competition
chrome
competition policy
defaultbrowser
digital competition law
digital ecosystems
edge browser
global tech regulation
market dominance
microsoft
opera software
platform neutrality
tech regulation
user choice
windows operating system
Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) has initiated an antitrust investigation into Microsoft following a formal complaint from Norwegian browser developer Opera. The complaint, filed on July 29, 2025, alleges that Microsoft engages in anti-competitive practices by...
ai programs
antitrust
brazil
brazilian cade
browser market
competitive practices
cyber law
defaultbrowser
legal complaint
market competition
market share
microsoft
microsoft edge
opera
os software
regulatory investigation
tech industry
tech monopoly
tech regulation
windows licensing
For Windows 11 users, the tug-of-war between operating system defaults and user choice has been a recurring theme, often centered around Microsoft's persistent efforts to funnel web activity through its own Edge browser. In a recent twist, however, Windows 11 users in Europe are now experiencing...
browser choice
browserdefault settings
defaultbrowser
digital markets act
digital rights
eu compliance
eu digital law
eu regulations
european union
global tech policy
microsoft edge
microsoft update
operating system
software compatibility
tech legislation
tech monopolies
tech regulation
user rights
web browser
windows 11
For more than two decades, the web browser market has been marked by fierce competition, regulatory scrutiny, and recurring debates over fair play—ultimately shaping how billions interact with the internet. The latest development in this long-running saga is the recent complaint filed by Opera...
antitrust regulation
brazil regulatory action
browser bundling
browser choice screen
browser market share
dark patterns
defaultbrowser
digital ecosystems
digital markets act
eu competition law
fair competition
microsoft edge
microsoft monopoly
online privacy
opera browser
platform dominance
regulatory scrutiny
tech industry news
web browser competition
windows s mode
The escalating battle over default browsers in Windows has reemerged as one of the central antitrust stories shaping the digital marketplace, after Opera filed a formal complaint with Brazil’s competition authority (CADE) accusing Microsoft of unrelenting anticompetitive tactics to bolster...
antitrust
browser choice
browser competition
browserdefaults
browser rivalry
competition law
dark patterns
defaultbrowser
digital monopoly
digital sovereignty
eu digital markets act
market regulation
microsoft edge
oem restrictions
software fairness
tech legal battles
user rights
web standards
windows competition
windows os
The latest Windows 11 update, KB5062553, released on July 8, 2025, introduces a suite of enhancements aimed at improving user experience and bolstering system security. This update, applicable to Windows 11 version 24H2, brings several notable features and fixes that cater to both general users...
backup tools
defaultbrowser
dynamic icons
european regulations
firewall updates
graphics improvements
image compression
kb5062553
language settings
multimedia corrections
narrator accessibility
pc migration
region display
screen curtain
security fixes
share interface
system security
taskbar features
windows 11
windows update
Microsoft Edge sits at the center of a heated debate among Windows 11 users — lauded for technical excellence and roundly criticized for its role in shaping, and at times subverting, user choice. The browser epitomizes Microsoft’s willingness to intertwine its ecosystem ever deeper into the...
browser customization
browser lock-in
browser privacy
browser security
data collection
defaultbrowser
digital privacy
edge integration
edge performance
microsoft ecosystem
microsoft edge
open source browsers
privacy settings
telemetry
user agency
user privacy
web browsers
windows 11
windows ecosystem
windows updates
Microsoft has released the KB5060826 update for Windows 11, encompassing OS Builds 22621.5549 and 22631.5549, as a preview on June 26, 2025. This update introduces several enhancements and addresses various issues to improve system performance and user experience.
Key Highlights of KB5060826...
app defaults
authentication fixes
defaultbrowser
feature on demand
kb5060826
language packs
microsoft updates
network file sharing
os build updates
remote desktop
security logs
share content
smb shares
storage optimization
system performance
windows 11
windows hello
windows search
windows share
windows update
Microsoft has released the KB5060829 update for Windows 11, version 24H2, introducing a suite of enhancements aimed at improving user experience, accessibility, and system performance. This preview build, OS Build 26100.4484, is currently available to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel...
accessibility features
defaultbrowser
file explorer
kb5060829
microsoft update
narrator
operating system
pc migration tool
system performance
taskbar enhancement
tech news
voice access
windows 11
windows 11 insider
windows 11 release preview
windows 11 tips
windows 11 update
windows share
windows tips
windows update
Windows 10 users in the European Economic Area are witnessing an era of increased autonomy over their app defaults thanks to the rollout of build 19045.6029 (KB5061087) in the Release Preview Channel. While this update is mostly evolutionary rather than revolutionary, the subtle shifts in the...
browserdefault settings
build updates
com activation bug
curl update
defaultbrowserdefault pdf viewer
digital markets act
eea windows users
microsoft windows
operating system review
pdf default options
software updates
system customization
tech regulation
user choice
windows 10
windows 10 update
windows defaults
windows regulation
windows security
Microsoft has released Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.6029 (KB5061087) to the Release Preview Channel, introducing several enhancements and fixes aimed at improving system performance and user experience.
Key Updates and Fixes:
Mobile Operator Profiles: The Country and Operator Settings Asset...
22h2 update
app frameworks
build 19045.6029
com fixes
curl update
defaultbrowser
entra id
european economic area
features on demand
file association
language packs
microsoft windows
mobile operator profiles
performance improvements
release preview
system updates
user experience
windows 10
windows authentication
windows improvements
Despite standing on the edge of its operational twilight, Windows 10 has once again found itself at the center of controversy, thanks to a June update that injects Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Edge browser deeper into the experience—much to the ire of users who prefer other browsers and...
browser competition
defaultbrowser
feature restoring
kb5060533
market share
microsoft bing
microsoft edge
microsoft strategy
operating system
regulatory scrutiny
software updates
system tweaks
tech community
tech controversy
ui changes
user autonomy
user experience
user privacy
windows 10
windows update
For European Windows users, enduring the presence of unremovable apps and relentless pop-ups has been a defining feature of the operating system for years. But that landscape is rapidly changing as Microsoft, prodded by regulatory mandates from the European Economic Area’s Digital Markets Act...
app management
bing search
bloatware removal
defaultbrowser
digital rights
dma compliance
edge browser
european regulations
microsoft
microsoft store
operating system
privacy
tech regulation
uninstall apps
user autonomy
user control
widgets
windows
windows 10
windows 11
Windows users across the European Economic Area are on the brink of experiencing one of the most significant quality-of-life improvements to Microsoft’s operating system in recent memory. With the latest updates rolling out for Windows 10 and Windows 11, Microsoft is not only responding to...
app removal
browser freedom
browser prompts
defaultbrowser
digital markets act
eu regulation
european union
file association
microsoft edge
microsoft store
os usability
search engine integration
system control
tech regulation
third-party browsers
user empowerment
windows
windows customization
windows search
windows update
Few aspects of the Windows experience have been as divisive—and, at times, as universally frustrating—as Microsoft’s ceaseless campaign to promote its Edge browser. For years, Windows 10 and Windows 11 users have been subject to a persistent barrage of notifications, popups, and subtle nudges...
browser choice
browser competition
browser settings
defaultbrowser
digital markets act
eu privacy laws
eu regulations
microsoft edge
microsoft store
open web
platform regulation
regulatory impact
tech industry
user control
user experience
web browsers
windows
windows 10
windows 11
windows search