upgrade Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Shapiro Consultants

Incoming Windows 11 Task Manager update could finally tempt you to upgrade

February 9, 2022
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Microsoft is planning to introduce some additional options into the current Task Manager, alongside other updates and new features planned for its Windows 11 operating system, at least according to a slew of leaks that have appeared in the last week.

A good batch of these can be credited to Twitter user Albacore, an established and typically reliable source for Windows leaks, who previously reported that 'Stickers' will be introduced for your desktop wallpaper, as well as changes rolling out to the current notification system.

On top of this, it seems that the current Task Manager in Windows 11 will also get some additional features, including the ability to get dedicated information regarding “App health” and “Battery health”. This information was discovered within the recent Dev Channel build 22543 by another well established Windows leaker, FireCubeStudios

In 22543 I found this hidden WIP home page for Task Manager It looks like Microsoft is going to add Health, battery life and startup info but based on the comments Microsoft has not decided the final design yet. It is very WIP.#Windows11 #FluentDesign pic.twitter.com/olKug4PcD0February 8, 2022

It seems that additional features could also be included when the update is released to the public. As Neowin points out in its own reporting, Microsoft developers have commented to state this isn't a final design, so we could also get options relating to Startup applications.

This isn't the first time we heard that Microsoft may be looking to revamp the Task Manager from its previously dated state, with some alterations being introduced in build 22538, but with this being a work in progress, it could be a while until this is fully rolled out to the public.

Analysis: These tweaks are more important than ever

While they're nowhere near as important as actual performance-based improvements and patches being developed to fix ongoing issues, these planned updates to streamline the Windows 11 experience for everyday users shouldn't be overlooked.

The vast majority of folks who use the Windows 11 operating system won't be experts or enthusiasts, so simplifying the more 'complex' areas of the OS will hopefully streamline the process of new users getting comfortable using it. This is especially so in the case of people who have avoided upgrading from Windows 10 despite having compatible hardware out of the fear of needing to relearn how to use their laptop or desktop PC.

There's still a lot to be resolved with the Windows 11 operating system before tech-savvy users are happy to make the upgrade, but with its new, modern look and general quality-of-life improvements, this is becoming a great choice for those with less experience using computers who don't want to be reliant on others to address issues they might face.

These are the best laptops of 2022

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

January 26, 2022
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The malware has added an anti-debugging tool that crashes browser tabs when researchers use code beautifying for analysis.
Threatpost

January 25, 2022
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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.

Widen your view with the best business monitor around

Via WindowsLatest

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

December 14, 2021
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WhatsApp is launching a new preview feature for voice messages which should make them even more useful, by enabling you to listen to a message after recording it to check for mistakes, and to check the audio quality, before sending it.

Voice messaging is nothing new, and it's an option that serves as a handy halfway house between real-time voice conversations and laborious hand-typed messages. This type of message is more personal than a text, and far, far more flexible than a phone call.

WhatsApp has supported voice messages for some time, making it possible to record and send audio messages to your contacts.

Until now, it's been all too easy to send a message, only to later discover that background noise or interference have rendered a key part of what you've recorded inaudible; or perhaps you mumbled some of your words, but didn't realize until the recipient of the message pointed it out.

Take two…

The new Voice Message Preview option enables you to listen to a message after you've recorded it, so that you can re-record the message if you notice that you've made a mistake or that the sound quality is poor, or if you simply think you could make a message sound better in some way.

Using the new Voice Message Preview feature is fairly straightforward and almost self-explanatory, but WhatsApp shares the following simple guide:

Open an individual or group chat
Touch the microphone icon, and slide it up to lock hands-free recording
Start speaking
Once finished, tap the stop icon
Tap play to listen to your recording. You can also tap any part of the recording to play it from that timestamp
Tap the trash can icon to delete the voice message, or tap the send button to send it

So, what are you waiting for? Take the time to preview your next voice message, and then send it, confident in the knowledge that it sounds as good as you'd like it to – no matter how many attempts it takes you!

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

December 2, 2021
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Windows 11 only offers you a 10-day timeframe to change your mind about the upgrade and revert to Windows 10.

This isn’t a new revelation, of course, but with more folks now moving to Windows 11 – given that Microsoft opened the upgrade floodgates a fortnight ago – we figured it was worth a reminder that you’re on a pretty tight deadline for making a decision about whether you want to stick with Windows 11.

The situation differs notably and substantially from Windows 10, whereby those upgrading from Windows 7 or 8.1 got 30 days grace to play around with the operating system, and move back to the old version if they decided it wasn’t for them.

In other words, Microsoft has reduced the rollback grace period from 30 days with Windows 10, to just 10 days with Windows 11.

After that time has expired, when you head over to the ‘Recovery’ options screen (search for it under Settings), the option to ‘Go Back’ – meaning to revert to the previous OS, Windows 10 – is greyed out. The only way to get back to Windows 10 at that point is to fully reinstall the OS on the PC, which is obviously quite a task compared to just clicking a button.

Analysis: Grabbing a disk image is worthwhile for this

The obvious problem here is that by narrowing down the reversion period, people who upgrade to Windows 11 and don’t hit any immediate hitches, but subsequently discover a nasty issue after a few weeks, no longer have the option to make a no-fuss switch back to Windows 10. They’re stuck.

And this is particularly galling seeing as the opportunity to revert remained open for a full month when folks were upgrading to Windows 10.

So, if you’re nervous about migrating to Windows 11 and that stingy trial time frame, as it were, then one thing you can do is make a backup image of your Windows 10 installation before you upgrade.

This can be achieved using software like Acronis True Image or Macrium Reflect (or another of the best disk cloning tools around), and with an image in place, if at any time you want to revert to that snapshot of your old OS, you can do so.

The key is to be prepared as this is something that must be done ahead of upgrading to Windows 11, obviously enough. In our book, it’s a worthwhile precaution for sure, particularly now Microsoft has whittled down the rollback period to an absolute minimum for reasons best known to the software giant.