KB5006674 and KB5006670 updates are causing printer problems in Windows 11 Windows 10
The seemingly never-ending stream of printer problems caused by Windows updates shows no sign of abating.
Following the Patch Tuesday releases a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft has added warnings of known issues to the support pages for the KB5006674 and KB5006670 updates. Printer-related errors including 0x000006e4 (RPC_S_CANNOT_SUPPORT), 0x0000007c (ERROR_INVALID_LEVEL), and 0x00000709 (ERROR_INVALID_PRINTER_NAME) are among those the company says users may experience.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.49 with new mouse utility and UI updates
A new release cycle has started for the PowerToys collection of utilities. Kicking off with PowerToys v0.49, Microsoft promises that this and the upcoming batch of releases include "exciting new updates".
And things get off to a great start with the arrival of not only the Video Conference Mute tool in the stable build, but also a brand-new utility -- Find My Mouse. There are also numerous fixes and improvements as a well as a UI update for PowerRename.
Meta leak shows Facebook smartwatch could be an Apple Watch killer
Meta, TCFKAF (the company formerly known as Facebook) appears to be working on a range of smartwatches that bear more than a passing resemblance to the Apple Watch.
At least two wearables are thought to be in development, one of which is codenamed Milan. But what is causing the greatest interest is an image of a smartwatch featuring a notch that is home to a camera.
Apple reveals how to scale apps to avoid the MacBook Pro notch
Earlier today we shared details of a handy free app called TopNotch that makes it possible to hide (or at least disguise) the notch that Apple has added to the latest version of the MacBook Pro.
But it seems that even Apple is aware that the position of the notch is not going to be to everyone's liking. The company has published a new support document that explains how apps can be scaled so they do not make use of the notched area of the screen. Here's what you need to know.
WSATools makes it ridiculously easy to sideload Android apps in Windows 11
Microsoft's decision to bring Android app support to Windows 11 has caused responses ranging from hatred, through ambivalence to love. Partnering with Amazon, however, means that the Windows Subsystem for Android has access to a slightly limited range of apps, resulting in people seeking ways to sideload APKs.
A few days ago, we looked at one of the techniques that can be used to sideload apps, but it was a bit fiddly and complicated -- certainly not something everyone would be happy undertaking. But by turning to the free app WSATools, sideloading Android apps in Windows 11 is made so much simpler.
Hide the MacBook Pro notch for free with TopNotch
Apple is famous for its attention to detail and quality designs, but even such a well-respected company is not immune to making design decisions that divide opinion.
One of the controversial choices made by Apple was to add a notch to the iPhone, using it to house the selfie camera; it was a decision that was loved and hated in just about equal measure. With the recent launch of the latest MacBook Pro, the same notch has landed on Apple's top-end laptops, once again polarizing users. If you fall on the side of hating the notch, there are steps you can take to hide it.
Microsoft's Tenjin project is a Chromebook rival running Windows 11 SE
Microsoft is said to be working on a new addition to its Surface range, with a new laptop in the pipeline to compete with Chromebooks.
Aimed mainly at the K-12 education sector, the project is codenamed Tenjin and goes hand in hand with a new version of Windows 11. Said to be called Windows 11 SE, the operating system will run on much cheaper and more basic hardware than its big brother.
Microsoft is rolling out the new Windows 11 store app to some Windows 10 users
Microsoft is giving Windows 10 users a taste of Windows 11 by giving them access to the new and updated Store app and the new features it has to offer.
In addition to a whole new look, the new version of the Microsoft Store includes support for Win32 apps as well as Disney+ movies. For now, it is a limited number of users who will have access to the updated store, but it won't be long before everyone with Windows 10 will be able to use it.
Microsoft releases KB5006738 update preview to fix printing problems and more in Windows 10
Ahead of next month's Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has released a preview version of the KB5006738 update for Windows 10.
There's quite a lot to this cumulative update, but what is probably going to be considered the highlight is the fact that it addresses various printer-related issues that have been plaguing Windows users for some time now.
Microsoft is using KB5005463 update to push PC Health Check app and encourage upgrades from Windows 10 to Windows 11
It's three weeks since Windows 11 started to roll out, and now Microsoft is starting its push to encourage people who can upgrade to do just that.
Part of this drive is delivering the PC Health Check app to Windows 10 machine, giving users a quick way to check whether they can upgrade to Windows 11 or not. The app is being pushed out as part of the KB5005463 update and the rollout is likely to irritate as the automatic update essentially forces the Windows 11 compatibility checker onto people.
Make Windows 11's Android support useful by adding Google Play apps
One of the headline features of Windows 11 that Microsoft promoted ahead of launch is Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) -- in short, support for Android apps. It is only a few days since the feature was made available, but there are numerous limitations. In addition to only being available to Windows Insiders participating in the Beta Channel in the US, users are forced to obtain their apps from the Amazon App Store.
In the real world, of course, practically no one uses the Amazon App Store; Google Play is where the action (and a full quota of apps) is to be found. Now, someone has managed to hack something together that makes it possible to access Google Play and install Android apps from this store in Windows 11. You will need, among other things, access to Ubuntu or another Linux distro.
Microsoft decides not to drop Hot Reload from .NET 6 after open-source community backlash
When Microsoft announced plans to remove Hot Reload from the upcoming release of .NET 6 there was outcry. Developers have been able to use to feature to edit he source code of a running app, seeing immediate effects and saving huge amounts of time.
After being battered with complaints, particularly from the open-source community, Microsoft has reversed its decision and the functionality will be re-enabled ahead of general availability of .NET 6.
Twitter's algorithms actually promote right-wing ideologies, not liberal ones
Twitter and other social platforms have long been accused of having a liberal bias, censoring conservative voices, and being biased in favor of left-wing ideologies. But a new study shows that -- at least in the case of Twitter -- the reverse is true.
Having conducted an in-depth analysis into the effects of machine learning and recommendation algorithms, Twitter found that it is right-leaning news outlets that benefit from the greatest amplification. The question is "why?".
Microsoft PowerShell 7.2.0 release candidate 1 now available to download
Development of PowerShell continues apace, and Microsoft has just pushed out a new release candidate with a fairly lengthy changelog.
PowerShell 7.2.0 RC1 is available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and over the coming days and weeks it will undergoing further testing and refinement before it is marked as being a final release. The release candidate includes various changes and fixes including using a newer version of .NET and addressing an RPM packaging issue.
AMD releases patch and Microsoft releases KB5006746 update to fix Windows 11 performance issues
One of the known issues with Windows 11 is reduced performance on some AMD systems, notably Ryzen chips. When Microsoft later released the KB5006674 update, things got even worse for some people.
But with the release of a new insider build last week, Microsoft addressed one of the problems, helping to get performance back to expected levels. Now not only has the company released this as the KB5006746 update for all Windows 11 users, but AMD has issued a patch of its own to fix the second of two performance problems.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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