In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we cover the final news of 2023: last-minute security patches, a new tiny11 release, Copilot on Android and iOS, another big game leak, and more.
table of contents:
- Windows 11 news
- Update is available
- gaming news
Windows 11
We’re here to talk about everything happening with Microsoft’s latest operating systems in the stable channel and preview builds. New features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting discoveries, and more. And of course, you might find a word or two about older operating systems. However, there are still supported versions.
This week, Microsoft disabled the ms-appinstaller URI scheme to prevent attackers from exploiting its ability to spread malware and install MSIX packages downloaded from the internet. However, this does not prevent you from installing packaged apps. This change prevents automatic installation using the corresponding URI, but it is still possible to save the MSIX file to a local drive and install it as needed.
NTDEV, the maker of the tiny11 project, has released the tiny11 core for ARM64 processors. A version with a reduced disk footprint, improved performance, and other features is now available for download. The developer recommends using this for testing inside a virtual machine.
CES 2024 is just around the corner, but early leaks are already spoiling the show and revealing what manufacturers have in store for the upcoming show. As an example, Lenovo is said to be developing a Windows 11 laptop with a removable display that will act as a standalone Android tablet. Similar to Surface Book, but wrong operating system android.
LG also pre-announced the latest additions to the Gram lineup.
On the first-party side, we expect to see the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop in the first half of 2024. Microsoft plans to release the Surface Pro “10” and Surface Laptop “6” sometime in spring, according to a new report. The new generation will bring new processors from Intel and Qualcomm, better displays, and a big focus on AI. Rumor has it that the next Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will be Microsoft’s first “true AI computers.”
Windows Insider Program
There’s nothing here yet. The team is on a break, so come back in January 2024 for a new preview build.
At the end of the Windows section, you’ll find a comprehensive list of each feature, service, and component that Microsoft has deprecated in 2023. This includes a total of 18 different features, some of which only affect commercial customers, while others also apply to consumers.
Update is available
This section describes software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) that provide new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.
Microsoft quietly released the new Copilot app for Android without much fanfare. As the name suggests, you can use this to access the company’s AI-powered assistant and its features. You can download Copilot for Android from the Google Play Store. Just a few days later, the same app also appeared on his iOS.
We talk about Copilot, but on a more theoretical side, we talk about how Dell envisions a new generation of AI-powered assistants that interact with modern operating systems. The published concept shows Copilot automatically changing his Wi-Fi settings when connecting to a particular network, optimizing performance on request, changing visual settings, etc. It has been. Unfortunately, his current implementation of Copilot, even though it’s past preview stage, is light years away from that concept.
2023 was a big year for Microsoft and its newly launched Copilot. The company says Edge users and other customers have had more than 1.9 billion chats with him and Copilot. In a blog post, Microsoft shared other Edge-related statistics, including average savings from shopping tools, time spent on built-in games, and number of phishing attacks thwarted.
However, not everyone is happy with what Microsoft and OpenAI are doing with their AI products. The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the companies, alleging that OpenAI trained ChatGPT on “millions of articles published by the Times” without their consent. Microsoft has also been accused of producing “almost verbatim results” and removing affiliate links from the Wirecutter website.
Other notable updates and releases this week include:
- WingetUI 2.2.0 includes support for Windows widgets and many other changes and fixes.
- WhatsPC is a third-party app to check what you can do with your old PC before sending it to the landfill.
Finally, this is the latest Microsoft 365 Roadmap Weekly covering upcoming features for Microsoft’s productivity apps. Microsoft Teams will soon receive collaborative notes support, invitation improvements, and translation enhancements on Mac. In January 2024, you will be able to share on Microsoft Stream. Video with new “View but don’t download” policy Finally, Outlook for Mac gets support for Microsoft To Do.
On the game side
Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, giveaways, sales, discounts, and more.
Another week, another leak. This time, someone leaked Rockstar’s entire source code and wished Rockstar a Merry Christmas. Grand Theft Auto V, It reveals a lot of information about the games that will be released by Rockstar Games, their DLC, and other projects, including the unreleased ones.
Not long after allowing gamers to check out this year’s retrospective on Steam, Valve has launched a new page where everyone can check out the year’s biggest money-making games. Best of Steam 2023 features a variety of best-selling categories, including total sales, new games, Steam Deck titles, SteamVR games, and more.
NVIDIA also gave a 2023 recap for its GeForce NOW streaming service. The total number of games supported is currently over 1,800. This means that even those without a console or powerful PC can enjoy all kinds of big and small PC games powered by NVIDIA’s latest hardware. Additionally, NVIDIA has added 46 new PC Game Pass titles.
Speaking of Game Pass, a new report says the service received more than $8,700 worth of games in 2023 alone.
sales and giveaways
Now is the time to buy the game. There are tons of great titles on sale across a variety of platforms, including Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, and more. Check out our Weekend PC Game Sale series to find interesting games to play at great discounts.
At the end of our games section, we’ll show you our latest picks for the most anticipated games for Xbox and PC. 2023 is over and it’s time to look forward to what 2024 will bring.
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