privacy and security

  1. Edge Canary’s Copilot Theme: Visual Identity for AI Browsing

    Microsoft is quietly testing a Copilot‑inspired theme in Edge Canary that recolors the browser frame whenever Copilot Mode is active—another sign that the company wants AI‑powered browsing to feel like a distinct, branded experience rather than just a sidebar add‑on. Early builds expose a new...
  2. Xbox for Windows: My Apps unifies launchers for handheld PCs and PC gamers

    Title: Microsoft’s new “My Apps” tab in the Xbox app for Windows: what it changes for handheld PCs and every PC gamer TL;DR What it is: “My Apps” is a new tab inside the Xbox app for Windows that aggregates third‑party gaming apps and utilities in one controller‑friendly place. Think...
  3. Windows 11 Cross-Device Resume: Android-to-PC Playback (Spotify) Preview

    Microsoft is quietly testing a new cross‑device capability in Windows 11 that lets you resume activity from an Android phone directly on your PC — initially for Spotify playback — and the feature is rolling out to selected Windows Insiders as a staged test in the latest Dev and Beta preview...
  4. Copilot Vision for Windows: Desktop-Integrated Multimodal AI Co-Pilot

    Copilot Vision is the clearest sign yet that Microsoft wants your PC to be an active, visual partner — not just a passive tool — and that ambition already makes a meaningful difference in real-world workflows while raising important questions about reliability, privacy, and when to trust a...
  5. Windows 10 End of Support 2025: AI-First Windows, Copilot+, and Windows 12 Fans

    Microsoft’s operating system roadmap is at a rare inflection point: with Windows 10 scheduled to reach end of support on October 14, 2025, the company is steering millions of devices toward a new era defined less by big version numbers and more by deep, AI-first integration — and that shift is...
  6. Microsoft Copilot Audit Gap: Prompts That Bypass Purview Logging

    Microsoft’s Copilot is delivering real productivity gains across Word, Teams, Outlook and other Microsoft 365 surfaces — but a recent disclosure shows those gains can come at the cost of auditability: under certain prompting patterns Copilot has produced user-visible summaries and actions...
  7. Copilot on Windows gains semantic search and a redesigned homepage

    Microsoft has started rolling out a meaningful update to the Copilot app for Windows Insiders that brings semantic file search (on Copilot+ PCs) and a redesigned Copilot homepage with quicker access to recent apps, files, and Vision-driven guidance — a staged release that promises faster, more...
  8. Windows Copilot Adds Semantic File Search and New Homepage for Insiders

    Microsoft has begun rolling out an update to the Copilot app on Windows that brings semantic file search to Copilot+ PCs and a redesigned Copilot homepage to Insiders, delivering tighter, AI-driven file discovery and faster access to recent apps, files, and guided help directly inside the...
  9. Window-Mode Recording in Windows 11 Snipping Tool: Capture a Single App Window

    Windows 11’s Snipping Tool can now pick and record a specific application window — accessible via the familiar Win + Shift + R shortcut — thanks to a new window mode introduced in Snipping Tool version 11.2507.14.0, currently rolling to Insiders in the Canary (and some Dev) channel builds...
  10. Remote Windows 10 to 11 Upgrade Guide for 2025 End of Support

    Remote access can turn a daunting Windows 10 → Windows 11 migration into a methodical, low-stress chore — but the process requires preparation, the right tools, and an understanding of the trade-offs when you must bypass Microsoft’s compatibility checks. The PCWorld guide that inspired this...
  11. Linux Repair Cafes: Extending Windows 10 Life After End of Support in Huddersfield & Slaithwaite

    When Microsoft set a firm October 14, 2025 end-of-support date for Windows 10, a predictable community response followed: local repair cafés across the UK have started planning special sessions to help residents keep working machines safe and useful without buying new hardware. In Huddersfield...
  12. Windows 10 End of Support Lawsuit: Can Free Updates Continue?

    A Southern California resident has filed a state‑court lawsuit asking a judge to stop Microsoft from switching off routine, free security updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, arguing the scheduled sunset is not a routine lifecycle decision but a coercive commercial strategy that will push...
  13. Edge Olympia: Copilot-First Redesign for AI-Powered Browsing

    Microsoft’s Edge appears to be getting a radical rethink that puts Copilot — not tabs or bookmarks — at the center of the browsing experience, with early “Olympia” UI screenshots surfacing from Edge Canary and public reporting suggesting the redesign is being tested as a Copilot-first interface...
  14. Windows 11 Taskbar AI: Exploring the Ambient Agentic Companion

    Microsoft appears to be experimenting with a major rethink of the Windows 11 taskbar — moving it from a passive launcher into an ambient, always-available AI hub that could surface context-aware assistance, multimodal helpers, and even agentic automations with a single click. Background /...
  15. Copilot Actions: Real Web Automation in the Cloud—Promises vs. Limits

    I asked Microsoft’s Copilot to book a dinner reservation for me so it could prove the central promise of modern AI agents: act on my behalf, not just answer questions—and it mostly worked, but with enough caveats to make clear this technology is still in its experimental phase. Background...
  16. GitHub CEO Defends AI in Reviews: Learning Mindset, Not Surveillance

    GitHub’s CEO publicly defended a controversial internal Microsoft memo that urged managers to factor employees’ use of Copilot‑style tools into performance reflections, calling the guidance “totally fair game” and reframing the conversation as learning and mindset rather than blunt surveillance...
  17. Taskbar Companion: Microsoft's AI entry point for Windows 11

    Microsoft appears to be testing a new AI layer for Windows 11’s taskbar: references to a “Taskbar Companion” and “agentic companions” have been found in recent preview and server builds, suggesting Microsoft is experimenting with making the taskbar an entry point for proactive, context-aware AI...
  18. Windows Copilot adds free GPT-5 Smart Mode with adaptive model routing

    Microsoft’s Copilot for Windows 11 has quietly crossed a major threshold: the consumer Copilot experience now offers a free, GPT‑5‑powered “Smart mode” that dynamically routes queries to the right model for the job, bringing deeper reasoning and longer context handling to everyday Windows users...
  19. Boost Windows 11 Productivity with Scheduler, Clipchamp, Focus Sessions, To Do, Virtual Desktop

    Windows 11 already includes a small arsenal of productivity tools that, when used together, can shave hours off your weekly workload — and you don’t need to install a single third‑party utility to get started. The Pocket‑lint piece that inspired this roundup highlights five built‑in tools the...
  20. Windows 11 Canary Build 27919: Unified Search Settings and Key Fixes

    Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27919 to the Canary Channel, introducing a consolidated Windows Search settings page and addressing several issues. Unified Windows Search Settings In this build, Microsoft has streamlined the Windows Search settings by merging the "Search...