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UI changes

Microsoft defends new Windows 11 Store UI, says impact is "very positive"
Winsage
December 16, 2024

Microsoft defends new Windows 11 Store UI, says impact is “very positive”

The Windows Store has been significantly enhanced in features and speed under Rudy Huyn's guidance, but the recent redesign of its user interface has received mixed reactions. Critics, including Albacore, have expressed dissatisfaction with the new UI, comparing it unfavorably to the earlier Windows 10 design and noting issues like misaligned text and diminished visibility of reviews. Despite these criticisms, the new design includes modern usability improvements, such as better readability of ratings and buttons. Rudy Huyn defended the redesign, citing positive results from extensive A/B testing and user feedback. Microsoft is committed to continuous improvement, conducting daily experiments to refine the Store's interface and testing other layouts. Recent updates have improved download speeds and integrated Winget for easier updates of Win32 applications.
Microsoft improving Windows 11 Update, Lock Screen, Pinned Apps, with Canary build 27718
Winsage
October 2, 2024

Microsoft improving Windows 11 Update, Lock Screen, Pinned Apps, with Canary build 27718

Microsoft has released Build 27718 for Insiders in the Windows 11 Canary channel, featuring enhancements to lock screen media controls, pinned apps functionality, and improvements to the Windows Update process. Key changes include: - The expiration date for Insider Preview builds in the Canary Channel has been updated to September 15, 2025. - The lock screen now displays media controls at the bottom center when media is playing. - Users can drag apps from the Pinned section of the Start menu to the taskbar. - The taskbar supports first letter navigation for open or pinned apps. - Users can disable suggestions to turn off notifications from specific apps. - Minor UI changes have been made to the Windows share window. - Enhancements to Narrator's scan mode improve performance, especially in Microsoft Edge. - A notification prompts users to plug in their laptops when battery drops to 20% with Energy Saver set to "Always On." - The Windows Update dialog has received design improvements. - A new section for touch screen edge gestures has been added in Settings. - An upcoming security feature will safeguard floating admin rights for administrator users. - Several issues have been fixed, including boot screen hangs and explorer.exe crashes. - Known issues include potential loss of Windows Hello PIN and difficulties playing content in the Movies & TV app. An update to the Store is also being rolled out alongside this build.
Microsoft Edge PDF reader for Windows to upgrade language detection, add full page translation
Winsage
September 25, 2024

Microsoft Edge PDF reader for Windows to upgrade language detection, add full page translation

Microsoft Edge is enhancing its PDF capabilities, focusing on reading aloud and translation features. Users can currently select text for translation or audio reading, but the functionality has limitations. Microsoft is testing two new features for the Windows version of Edge: msPdfLanguageDetection, which aims to improve language detection in PDFs, and msFullPdfTranslate, which will allow full-page translations instead of the current limit of 3,000 characters. Additionally, Microsoft plans to phase out its built-in PDF engine in favor of an Adobe-powered viewer, with the transition expected to be completed by 2025. Microsoft is also reorganizing the settings page to improve navigation by introducing quick settings and sub-sections for easier access to frequently visited options.
Google may remove dedicated search button from its Android app - Times of India
AppWizard
August 20, 2024

Google may remove dedicated search button from its Android app – Times of India

Google is considering removing the search button from the Google app on Android devices, as indicated by an APK teardown of the latest beta version. This potential redesign may be influenced by user interaction data suggesting low engagement with the search button. Additionally, Google is introducing offline maps support for Wear OS smartwatches in Google Maps, allowing users to navigate without a cellular or Wi-Fi connection by downloading specific regions.
KB5039327: Microsoft fixing Windows 11 Storage Spaces, Group Policy, GPU idle power bugs
Winsage
June 28, 2024

KB5039327: Microsoft fixing Windows 11 Storage Spaces, Group Policy, GPU idle power bugs

- Changes and improvements are being gradually rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on - The preview thumbnail title in the taskbar, ALT + Tab and Task View for File Explorer windows will now indicate if that window includes multiple tabs - Minor UI changes are being rolled out to simplify the Windows share window, removing the search box - Updated the logic for the "End Task" option in the taskbar to no longer show a Not Responding dialog before ending the task - Fixes have been rolled out to address accessibility issues in File Explorer, Common File Dialog, and Browse/Shortcuts Dialogs - Fixes have been implemented for Voice Typing errors in certain languages and for the app icon flashing in the taskbar - Other fixes include improvements to Virtual Filtering Platform, Group Policy detection of network speed, Azure Virtual Desktop sign-in issues, Storage Spaces Direct and Remote Direct Memory Access issues, GPU idle state, Snipping Tool audio distortions, and more.
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