dev channel

Microsoft has quietly pushed a new Insider preview package — KB5065786 — that surfaces a focused set of account-management refinements alongside deeper Copilot integrations and a long list of fixes and known issues, delivered as Build 26220.6690 to the Dev Channel and Build 26120.6690 to the...

Microsoft has quietly turned one of Windows’ simplest tools into a practical entry point for everyday generative AI: Notepad on Windows 11 can now write, rewrite, and summarize text using on‑device AI on qualifying Copilot+ PCs — and Microsoft is offering that on‑device path for free without a...

Microsoft has started shipping a Notepad update for Windows 11 that brings true on‑device generative AI — including Summarize, Write, and Rewrite — to Copilot+ PCs, and those capabilities can run entirely offline without a Microsoft account or a paid subscription when executed locally on...

Microsoft Paint has quietly gained a Photoshop‑style workflow: Windows Insiders can now save layered, editable projects as a single .paint file and reopen them later to continue exactly where they left off, while Pencil and Brush tools gain an opacity slider for semi‑transparent strokes—changes...

Microsoft has quietly given Paint a workflow upgrade that moves the app from a quick doodle tool toward a genuinely useful, session-aware image editor: Paint can now save editable project files (.paint) and offers an opacity slider for Pencil and Brush strokes — features rolling out to Windows...

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider flight quietly folds generative and assistive AI into three of the operating system’s oldest — and most widely used — utilities: Notepad, Paint and the Snipping Tool. The changes are modest on the surface but signal a broader, deliberate push to make AI part...

Microsoft’s Paint has quietly taken a meaningful step toward becoming a lightweight, session‑aware image editor: the latest Insider update (app version 11.2508.361.0) adds editable project files using a new .paint container and introduces a per‑tool opacity slider for the Pencil and Brush tools...

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider builds are shipping a new, full-screen renewal prompt aimed at lapsed Microsoft 365 subscriptions — an eye-catching SCOOBE (Second‑Chance Out‑of‑Box Experience) screen that insiders and early reports describe as a full‑screen nag to renew rather than a...

Microsoft is quietly turning three of Windows 11’s oldest, most familiar utilities — Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad — into more capable, workflow-focused apps by adding an editable project format, in-capture markup, and on-device AI features for Copilot+ hardware, with the changes rolling out...

Microsoft is bringing a major workflow improvement to the Snipping Tool: a new “Quick markup” mode that lets you annotate screenshots before they're captured, plus simultaneous updates to Paint and Notepad that push these long-neglected utilities toward more advanced, productivity-focused use...

Microsoft’s latest Paint update reframes the long‑running app as a serious low‑friction image editor by adding an editable project file format and per‑tool opacity controls — features that put Paint squarely in the conversation as a free, entry‑level alternative to Photoshop for everyday tasks...

Windows 11 now surfaces a one‑click path to a network speed test directly from the taskbar — but for now it’s a shortcut to Bing’s web tool (which itself delegates to Speedtest by Ookla), and it’s only available to Windows Insiders in preview channels. Background Microsoft has quietly started...

Windows 11 Insiders on the Dev Channel are getting a small but significant usability upgrade: Dev build 26220.6682 introduces a new three‑state behavior for the Xbox (Guide) button on connected controllers — a quick tap opens the Xbox Game Bar, a long press now brings up Task View, and a...

Microsoft has quietly added a one‑click way to check your internet connection from the Windows 11 taskbar: a new “Perform speed test” shortcut in the network menu and Wi‑Fi quick settings that launches Bing’s speed‑test widget in your default browser, giving users a fast, discoverable sanity...

Windows 11’s latest Insider flight borrows a small but decisive interaction from the emerging generation of Windows-powered handhelds: a long press of the Xbox/Guide button on a controller now opens Task View, while a short tap still summons the Game Bar and a sustained hold continues to power...

Microsoft has tucked a one‑click internet speed check into the Windows 11 taskbar — but for now it’s a launcher that opens Bing’s web speed‑test widget rather than a native, in‑OS measurement tool. Background / Overview Windows 11’s network menu just got a new convenience: a Perform speed test...

Microsoft is quietly testing a one-click network speed test shortcut in the Windows 11 system tray that launches Bing’s speed‑test widget in the default browser, putting a simple “Perform speed test” entry directly where users already go to check connectivity. Background Windows has long relied...

Microsoft is quietly turning the Xbox button on controllers into a native Windows multitasking tool: in the latest Windows 11 Insider builds Microsoft maps a short press of the Xbox button to open the Game Bar, a long press to open Task View (the system-level app switcher and virtual desktop...

Microsoft is quietly rolling out a one‑click pathway to check your internet connection from the Windows 11 taskbar: a new system tray shortcut that opens a network speed test in your default browser, currently visible in Insider preview builds. Background Microsoft has long leaned on...

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider preview builds quietly add a one‑click internet speed‑test shortcut to the taskbar network flyout — but the shortcut simply opens Bing’s web‑based speed test rather than running a native, offline measurement — and the same builds also include a subtle but...