Best Windows apps this week
Four-hundred-eighty-eight in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Adoption of Windows 11 appears to have slowed down in the past two months according to recent usage statistics by third-parties.
KB5012643 update is causing screen flickering for some Windows 11 users
Installing updates for Windows can often be something of a gamble, but this is particularly true when we're talking about the preview versions Microsoft makes available ahead of the monthly Patch Tuesday releases.
The latest problematic patch is the recently released KB5012643 update for Windows 11. Due for a wider release in May, Microsoft has already made a preview version available for those who like to get updated as soon as possible. But some people who have installed the update are reporting problems with flickering screens.
Microsoft launches GitHub Desktop 3.0 with great new pull request features
Microsoft has launched the latest version of its developer tool GitHub Desktop. The company describes GitHub Desktop 3.0 as a "big milestone", with this release bringing enhance pull request integration.
Among the improvements in version 3.0 of the software is the ability to review the status of your pull request check runs. There's also support for high-signal pull request notifications so you can be kept informed of pull request check failures and passes.
Windows 11 adoption still glacially slow as users stick with Windows 10
Last month, we reported on how Windows 11's growth had stalled dramatically, with the new operating system’s usage share in March increasing by just 0.1 percentage points.
One bad month doesn’t necessary mean bad news for Microsoft’s latest OS, but two bad months? Well, that hardly paints a rosy picture.
Microsoft and Mastercard join forces to combat digital fraud
Microsoft has teamed up with Mastercard to launch a new identity protection solution which has been designed to help tackle digital fraud.
Mastercard has boosted its existing Digital Transaction Insights solution by adding next-generation authentication and real-time decisioning intelligence capabilities. The system helps merchants to verify customers' identities, and Microsoft will be providing its own insights and integrating the technology across its business.
Microsoft releases KB5011831 update to fix loads of Windows 10 bugs
Ahead of next month's Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has released a preview of a significant update for Windows 10 that addresses a series of bugs in the operating system.
The preview of the KB5011831 update is available for Windows 10 version 20H2, 21H1 and 21H2 and it fixes numerous issues including one that causes a black screen to be displayed. There are also fixes for problems with OneDrive, the news and interest panel, and more.
Microsoft discovers Nimbuspwn privilege escalation vulnerabilities in Linux
Security researchers at Microsoft have found a series of vulnerabilities affecting Linux. Collectively named Nimbuspwn, the security flaws can be chained together to allow an attacker to gain root access to a system.
Microsoft warns that the vulnerabilities, which are being tracked as CVE-2022-29799 and CVE-2022-29800, could also be exploited to execute ransomware attacks and more.
Microsoft is giving the Windows 11 Task Manager a colorful makeover
In recent builds of Windows 11, Microsoft has been giving Task Manager more attention than usual. We have already seen the addition of new keyboard shortcuts and a new Efficiency mode, but there are more changes on the way.
Having given Task Manager a modern makeover, complete with support for dark mode, Microsoft is now giving users the option of adding a splash of color to the utility.
Windows' market share declined 17 percent in the past 10 years
These days you no longer need to stick with Microsoft's Windows operating system if you don't want to. There are some excellent Linux distributions you can run instead, like Ubuntu or Linux Lite, or macOS if you opt to switch to Apple hardware. You can even use iPads or Android tablets as laptop alternatives if you prefer.
In 2013, Microsoft Windows accounted for over 90 percent of the total desktop operating system market, but that figure has dropped significantly in the past decade in the face of increased competition.
Microsoft releases KB5012643 update for Windows 11 to fix app button problems and more
Microsoft has released a big new update for Windows 11 that addresses a number of issues with the operating system. Key changes included in this update include fixes for various problems with video subtitles.
With the KB5012643 update, Microsoft has also introduced a change that means the temperature is now displayed on top of the weather icon on the taskbar. Other features of the update include improvements for servicing the Secure Boot, and a fix for a memory leak.
KB5012599 update is causing 0x8024200B and 0x800F0831 errors for some Windows 10 users
Earlier in the month, Microsoft released the KB5012599 update for various versions of Windows 10. The update fixed various issues including a Denial of Service vulnerability on Cluster Shared Volumes, but the patch also introduced problems of its own.
A number of people attempting to install KB5012599 report that they are running into problems, specially 0x800F0831 and 0x8024200B errors.
Microsoft releases KB5012636 update to fix Windows freezing and improve Secure Boot
Microsoft has released a preview of a cumulative update for Windows 10. The KB5012636 update is a non-security update that addresses a number of issues and makes various quality improvements.
Among the issues fixed by the updates are a problem with Windows Defender Application Control that caused Windows to hang, and various remote desktop related problems. The update also improves the Secure Boot component of Windows.
Microsoft: No new Windows 11 build this week
Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel can usually expect to receive a new Windows 11 build on a Wednesday, although this sometimes slips.
If the company doesn’t manage to get a new flight out on that day, then there’s a good chance it will arrive on Friday instead, in time for the weekend. Sometimes though, for reasons out of the software giant’s control, quality issues mean no new build.
Microsoft brings Autofill support to Authenticator to help you create strong passwords
To celebrate the first anniversary of its Autofill tool, Microsoft has added new capabilities to its password security utility.
Available to use with Microsoft Edge natively, on iPhones and Android devices via an app, and in Chrome using an extension, Microsoft Autofill makes it easy to store and sync passwords in the cloud and have them automatically entered in logon forms. A new update to Microsoft Authenticator app means that it can now be used to generate strong passwords on demand.
Does your Microsoft 365 need to be protected?
As organizations move to fully embrace cloud, the significant benefits of running IT infrastructure via cloud services are becoming even more evident. Not only do cloud-based services come at a far lower cost than physical platforms and deployments, IT leaders are also able to side-step much of the risk and 'heavy lifting' around tech investment and maintenance by moving this out of local data centers. They can also enjoy expert third-party systems management and reliable service delivery, without having to give up much of the control for end users.
Microsoft 365 is a great case in point. The procurement model for this ever-expanding suite of high-quality IT services is based around a price per user. It is easily scalable as teams and organizations grow and can therefore help to optimise budgets, avoiding payment for infrastructure that may go unused. It’s also growing, with new features and functionality added every day that will keep IT departments at the cutting edge of optimal business processes.
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