Closing tabs in Chrome is getting much better on Android

In a future release of Google's web browser on Android, you'll be able to avoid the mistake of closing all your tabs at once, thanks to an additional message box to confirm if you want to go ahead with it.

Google Chrome is the most widely-used web browser app on Android, mainly due to it being pre-installed on the majority of Android smartphones. But there may be an occasion when you've got multiple tabs open at once.

Some could be related to shopping, birthday ideas, or brainstorms for holidays in the summer for example. You may want to close all of these at once when you're finished.

In Chrome Canary, the test version of Google's web browser, you can enable a flag that will display a message box to confirm if you want to close all your tabs at once. This will help prevent occasions where you accidently close all the browser tabs when you didn't mean to.

How do you enable the message box confirmation?

By going to chrome://flags when running Google Chrome Canary 100 on Android, there will be a 'Close all tabs modal dialog' option.

Switching this on will make the message box appear when you're about to close all your tabs.

This can be useful if you've found yourself having mistakenly closed all your open tabs, and having to go through your history to open the links again.

This may sound like a very obvious feature, but if you mainly use Google Chrome on your phone as you're sharing links on social media and messaging apps, having all your tabs closed can be a huge annoyance.

Sometimes the little things like this can make a big difference, so it's encouraging that Google has this ready to go in its development releases for now.

Via XDA Developer

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Squarespace users are getting some super useful new video tools

Top website hosting service Squarespace has announced a range of new video tools that it thinks will greatly please creators. 

Although embedding video, such as from YouTube, has always been possible on Squarespace, the new additions are focused on hosting and monetizing that video content, such as its relatively new Member Areas service. 

Broadly, the new tools let website owners sell access to video content, host video content directly, and upload up to 30 minutes of high-res content. There are also new tagging and merchandising tools. 

Squarespace video hosting

The company has also rebuilt its video player from scratch to accommodate the new features, which includes playback, speed, and resolution controls alongside deep integration with the Squarespace platform. 

“We launched Member Areas in 2020 to provide creators with a new way to sell content through memberships,” said Squarespace. “Since then, we’ve seen an increase in video content being utilised, and to help customers better leverage this medium, our latest releases offer a seamless way to monetise video content such as classes.”

Hosting video, and offering extensive tools to manage it, puts Squarespace more directly in competition with the likes of Patreon and YouTube, both of which offer options to monetise content. OnlyFans is also now a direct rival, although it remains unclear what Squarespace's content moderation policy says about adult content. 

In recent days, Substack, the newsletter platform, has also added the ability to host video for creators in beta, a feature that will be well-received by those with many subscribers already paying for their services. 

Via Engadget

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Windows 11 is getting a fresh new email app

Microsoft's push to update all its classic apps for Windows 11 has now moved on to its email platform.

Following makeovers for core tools such as Paint, Word and even Notepad, the company is now reportedly hard at work on a refresh for its Outlook email platform.

The work, codenamed Project Monarch, will look to update email on Windows 11, offering a truly cross-platform experience for users looking to embrace hybrid working.

One Outlook

News of Project Monarch first appeared in January 2021 under rumors that Microsoft was looking to unite all its email programs under one brand, as well as replacing the current calendar app in Windows.

It was said that the new client will work across Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS and the web, allowing Microsoft to replace its existing Outlook Win32, UWP and Outlook for Mac clients with one that offers a unified experience across platforms in a similar way to how Outlook for the web works.

Now, WindowsLatest claims that new references on Microsoft's website suggest that the new program could see a public preview of the One Outlook app in late March or April 2022, before expanding to other Insider channels in the summer ahead of a general launch in autumn 2022.

Both the classic and new One Outlook apps will be available simultaneously to begin with, giving users a chance to manage their switch over.

The site claims that a Microsoft support document it has discovered shows that the new app interface will be similar to Outlook web. This includes the rounded corners and icons already seen in a raft of new Windows 11 apps as Microsoft looks to offer a unified design approach.

The news comes after a series of recent updates and upgrades for Outlook as Microsoft looks to breathe new life into the software. 

This includes an upcoming upgrade that will allow Outlook web users to customize the color of the events in their calendar app, the launch of spelling and grammar checks for Outlook on mobile platform, and another update to let users set a notice showing where they are working, whether that be at home, in the office, or elsewhere.

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One of the best Google Chrome features is getting an upgrade

Juggling multiple tasks, windows and displays at work could soon be a lot easier thanks to a new update coming to Google Chrome.

The browser is set to upgrade its picture-in-picture mode to include non-video content for the first time, giving a boost to those who love having multiple windows open at once.

Google Chrome is reportedly working on the upgrade, codenamed PIP 2.0, now, with a plan to support embedded content such as audio feeds or image galleries while the users continues browsing. 

PIP 2.0 on Chrome

Although more commonly used for entertainment and sports viewing, Google Chrome clearly thinks picture-in-picture can also be an incredibly handy workplace tool, allowing users more options for viewing different kinds of content.

In a Chromium blog post, Google explained that PIP 2.0 is part of a series for “the new picture-in-picture v2 feature that allows always-on-top windows with arbitrary content”.

A separate Google developer document addressing the feature adds that, “Picture-in-Picture V2 will include a new web api that is still under discussion.” This new Chrome code will “hide the window frame and location bar (after a timeout) when the [PiP] window loses focus” but also be able to add it again when the focus is regained.

“The promise will allow a clearer async API and would offer a way to expose that interactive isn’t supported by the platform,” the Google Chrome engineers noted.

“When Picture-in-Picture is requested and the window is displayed we will copy the requested element to the body of the new window.”

There are also concerns around security, with the engineers adding that the tool could possibly be used to impersonate system UI. “Therefore, we will ensure the UX of the Picture-in-Picture window is distinct enough by adding a border (and maybe an indicator of the origin),” they note, adding that trusted UI such as permission prompts and autofill will also be disabled, with regular keyboard events also removed to reduce the attack surface.

Via WindowsLatest

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Gmail is getting a new ‘inbox zero’ icon – but you’ll probably never see it

For those of us who really dominate the email game, a new Gmail update has promised a reward in the form of an all-new congratulatory “inbox zero” icon.

The refreshed Gmail graphic, spotted by Android Police, replaces the previous image, which, under the congratulatory message “You've finished! Nothing in Primary”, showed an abstract cartoon of a smiling woman, lying on her front without a care in the (working) world, reading a book in the countryside under a happy sun, suggesting an air of calm and peace for those lucky enough to clear their inboxes.

Clearly, this is not a Covid-friendly view of the new hybrid working world for Google, which has now refreshed the image with something a bit less outside-y.

Gmail inbox zero

(Image credit: Android Police)

As seen above, shown in dark mode on a mobile device, our carefree pal has been replaced with a selection of empty colorful boxes (inboxes?) stacked on each other, topped by a flag not unlike a castle banner (much like that seen at the end of every Super Mario Bros level). 

The congratulatory message still remains, but it's a much colder, more sterile feeling to achieving the goal of clearing all your work tasks for the day.

Gmail inbox zero

Inbox zero may just be a pipe dream for many of us, especially with a work account, but Google clearly sees it as something worth celebrating.

Recent research carried out by TechRadar Pro and OnePulse found that over three-quarters of email users (75.6%) have between one and 10,000 emails in their inbox, followed by 16.75% with between 10,001 and 100,000, with just 7.59% having over 100,001 or more. Over half of users (50.2%) either said they don't know or don't care how full their inbox is. The rest have up to 5GB filled (32.8%) or over 5GB (17%). 

Gmail was found to be the most popular email platform around, a conclusion backed up by recent figures from Google itself, which claimed in January 2022 that Gmail for Android has now surpassed 10 billion installs on the Google Play Store.

Via Android Police

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WhatsApp for Windows 11 is getting a new look

Last year we saw many new features come to Meta’s WhatsApp messaging service, and now a recent update to the Windows version looks to make it similar to recently refreshed apps in Windows 11.

The new update of the beta version that’s been available on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11 since November showcases an updated design that’s more in line with the refreshed apps we’ve seen from Microsoft, such as Paint and Windows Media Player.

Besides the Windows 11-inspired design, there’s integration with the new Action Center where you can manage your messages, alongside the rest of your notifications for other apps on your PC.

Whether you decide to use WhatsApp on your laptop or tablet device, it’s a useful alternative for when you’re working in a coffee shop and you need to quickly reply to a WhatsApp message, without taking your smartphone out of your pocket.


Analysis: an easier alternative to WhatsApp Web

UWP (Universal Windows Platform) apps can use design standards that Microsoft has set, such as the appearance and layout, to match the overall look of Windows 11. Microsoft has done this with some of its older apps and features, such as Focus Assist and Clock.

Previously, WhatsApp on the desktop has been using an appearance that’s been mirroring the design of Windows 10. But with this new update, everything looks like it matches other refreshed Windows 11 apps.

Updated WhatsApp desktop in Windows 11

(Image credit: WhatsApp)

It’s another push by WhatsApp to help its users access the app for difficult situations that require it. There are going to be moments where you’ll be on a train with your laptop open for example, and your phone has run out of charge. Thanks to the multi-device feature in testing where you can manage your messages without your phone being connected, you’ll be able to use the desktop app on its own with no issue.

It solves a potential problem, but it also makes the desktop app ready for launch later this year with the updated look for Windows 11, especially with Sun Valley 2 coming.

However, it remains to be seen if a majority of users will be comfortable in using WhatsApp on their PCs, instead of primarily using their phone or a web browser.

Via Windows Latest

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Windows 11’s best app is getting even better

Microsoft is working on making the best app in Windows 11, Your Phone, even better in an upcoming update to the operating system.

The Your Phone app connects to your smartphone, allowing you to send and receive messages, access photos, drag and drop files and make and receive phone calls, all through Windows 11. Since its arrival in Windows 10, Your Phone has proved to be an incredibly useful app, especially if you have a Samsung smartphone, as Microsoft and Samsung teamed up to bring some exclusive features to the handsets.

When Your Phone came to Windows 11, Microsoft updated the interface to better fit in with its new operating system, while also making it less cluttered and easier to use.

However, as Windows Latest reports, Microsoft has made changes to how phone calls are handled and displayed in the app, with the changes showing up in an early version (Windows 11 Build 22533).

When making a call through the Your Phone app, the window that appears now has new icons and fonts that makes it fit in with Windows 11, while also giving you options that you’re used to seeing on your smartphone when making a call.

You’ll need to connect your smartphone to your PC via Bluetooth, which happens during the initial setup of the Your Phone app, then use your computer’s microphone and speakers for the call. Obviously, your PC will need those as well – the best webcams come with great built-in microphones these days, and we’ve also listed the best computer speakers as well.


Analysis: Work continues

As we had hoped, the launch of Windows 11 wasn’t the end of Microsoft’s work on the new operating system. Instead, the company has been adding new features and fixing bugs since Windows 11 launched last year.

While there is a danger that this makes Windows 11 feel a bit like a work in progress, it also means that if you’re patient, you should end up with an even better operating system. Hopefully the improved Your Phone app comes to all users of Windows 11 soon.

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Microsoft’s making Windows 11 faster – and getting inspiration from Vista

Microsoft appears to be making some much-needed changes to Windows 11 to help its new operating system run faster.

As Windows Latest reports, Microsoft is actually undoing one of the changes it made back in 2019, when it added a feature to the Windows File Explorer search box that allowed you to search your OneDrive cloud storage alongside local files. The ‘Recent files’ section of Explorer also got support for Office.com online files.

While this addition may have been useful for people who store (or create) a lot of files using Microsoft’s online services, if you don’t use them (or you use alternatives like Google Drive), then this feature is pretty pointless. Even worse, however, is that it made File Explorer run more slowly in both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Righting wrongs

Because the File Explorer is such an integral part of Windows, it means that if it starts to perform poorly, it can cause your entire PC to feel sluggish.

It’s good news, then, that it looks like Microsoft is looking to address this issue in an upcoming version of Windows 11. An early build that some people have been testing have now got the ability to turn off Office.com integration in File Explorer.

While the option to turn it off is hidden away in the rather obscure Group Policy editor tool, it will allow you to stop Explorer from including online Office.com files. This option will also stop the Windows 11 Start menu from searching for and displaying online Office documents.

By turning it off, Windows 11 won’t try to connect to and search for online Office files, which should make the operating system as a whole feel faster to use.

Of course, if you do find this feature useful, you’ll still be able to use it, as it’ll remain turned on by default.

Windows Vista-like gadgets to return

Microsoft isn’t just looking at its past to fix mistakes – it seems it’s also taking inspiration from them, as Windows Latest also reports that Windows 11 could see the return of Windows Vista-like gadgets.

It’s no secret that Windows Vista was one of the more unpopular versions of the operating system, so it seems slightly surprising that Microsoft would take any of its features for inspiration for Windows 11.

That’s especially true of gadgets. These were basic apps that you could pin to the desktop and display various information, such as your email inbox. Third party companies were also encouraged to create their own gadgets, which some of them did at first.

However, not only did Windows Vista prove to be unpopular, but its gadgets feature was even more unloved, leading to many companies to abandon support for them.

However, sources have indicated to Windows Latest that Microsoft is planning to return to this idea – but with some key changes. Apparently, they will now be called widgets, and will only be shown in Windows 11’s widget board, and won’t be added to the desktop.

At the moment, the widget board only contains Microsoft-made widgets, so allowing third party support could see widgets become more useful.

There is a risk, however, of history repeating itself. Microsoft needs to ensure that users find widgets useful. If they don’t use them, then third party companies won’t bother making them.

While keeping widgets to the widget board will mean user’s desktops don’t become cluttered, it could also just mean widgets are hidden out of sight. If you don’t use the widget board regularly (and we’d guess most users currently don’t), then you may forget they are even there, limiting how useful they actually are.

What Microsoft doesn’t want to do is add yet another feature to Windows 11 that no one uses. Let’s hope this isn’t the case.

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Windows 11 taskbar is getting fixed (but not in a hurry)

Windows 11 is receiving further attention in terms of ironing out bugs with the taskbar, and there’s been some fresh buzz from the grapevine suggesting that a major change to drag and drop functionality won’t appear until late in 2022.

Windows Latest pointed out that the major development in the works requested by many – the ability to drag and drop apps onto the taskbar, to swiftly and easily create shortcuts to the most commonly used programs – is still underway as previously rumored, with Microsoft testing the feature internally.

The word from sources at Microsoft is that this capability will come to preview builds in a few months, but won’t arrive in the release version of Windows 11 until later in 2022 – it’ll come as part of the 22H2 update.

This aside, Microsoft is also busy on minor fixes for the taskbar, and that includes resolving an issue whereby the battery icon tooltip sometimes mistakenly shows a charge level above 100%. This fix has been applied with the latest preview build 22523 (which emerged a couple of weeks back), and so it should be delivered in a cumulative update soon enough.

Other taskbar bug squashing in that preview build includes fixing an issue where app icons could overlap with the date and time display on secondary monitors, and the solution for a gremlin with ARM64-powered PCs which caused the taskbar’s core UI (search box, Start menu) to become unresponsive.


Analysis: Microsoft dragging (and dropping) its heels – but better late than never

The Windows 11 taskbar has drawn a lot of criticism for some of the changes made by Microsoft in terms of options for tweaking this part of the UI, and in particular losing the drag and drop functionality which is a simple and core part of the Windows experience, let’s face it.

As to the timeframe of the potential return of this feature – and remember, this is just rumored, and only the plans apparently underway at Microsoft currently (which could presumably change) – it’s a little disappointing that we may not get drag and drop back until much later in 2022, in theory.

That said, remember that there isn’t a 22H1 update, as Windows 11 has dropped to a once-per-year cadence for delivering major upgrades, but it’s a long wait until what could be September or October 2022 (or possibly even later) for this feature to make its much-requested return.

We had hoped that maybe Microsoft could squeeze this move in with some kind of a feature pack update beforehand – or online service pack as the company has renamed these with Windows 11 – but it seems not, and drag and drop will only be in testing when it comes to the near-term future.

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Your Microsoft Teams calls are finally getting this essential security boost

Protecting your Microsoft Teams calls and messages will soon be easier than ever thanks to a new update coming to the service.

After months of planning, Microsoft has revealed that end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is finally set to launch for its video conferencing software soon.

This should make it harder for outside forces such as hackers or fraudsters to gain access to Microsoft Teams and the chats within, hopefully keeping private or valuable information being discussed safe.

Teams security

According to an entry in the Microsoft 365 roadmap, full E2EE will be coming to Teams calling by March 2022.

“End-to-end encryption is the encryption of information at its origin and decryption at its intended destination without the ability for intermediate nodes to decrypt,” the company noted. 

“End-to-end encryption would be an optional mode of real-time media collaboration where one-to-one Teams calls between two parties would be end-to-end encrypted.”

The update is classified as general availability, meaning it should be on offer to all Microsoft Teams users across desktop and mobile – including both Android and iOS.

Microsoft revealed back in October 2021 that it was trialling E2EE in Teams as it looks to boost security for its video call platform.

Rival Zoom was forced to up its security protections after several high-profile “Zoom-bombing” incidents saw outside parties able to gatecrash what should have been private calls.

The update will mean that Teams users will soon see an encryption indicator in the upper left corner of the software which shows that their calls are encrypted. Microsoft Teams will also display a security code for the call which both parties can verify on their respective ends.

However it seems that some Microsoft Teams features, recording, live caption and transcription, Call park, Call Merge, Call Companion, Call transfer and the ability to add a participant to make a one-to-one call a group call won't be available when E2EE is enabled.

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