Windows 11 26H2 update is now available for PCs
Microsoft has released the next annual feature update for Windows 11. The new version is 26H2, and is being called an enablement package. In other words, this is a lightweight update which installs quicker than prior versions.
As for the new features that Windows 26H2 ships with, these are few in number. The Start Menu has been redesigned, it has an All section that is scrollable. Apps can be viewed as categories or as a grid. The Start Menu dynamically adapts to the display size, but users can also set the size manually. It is now possible to choose whether the Pinned, Recent and All sections should be displayed or hidden.
The Taskbar is also customizable, and can be moved to any side of the screen, i.e. you can position it at the bottom, top, left or right of your screen. Users had been requesting this feature since Windows 11 was released.
There’s also a compact version of the Taskbar, which can be useful on devices with a small screeen. Windows Search has been improved, and now lets you preview search results without opening an item. Search can detect typos and partial app names in queries, to provide better results. It also highlights whether a result is an app, a setting, a file, a web result or a Microsoft Store suggestion. Windows Hello can now be used with external fingerprint sensor devices that are plugged in to the computer.
The Windows 11 26H2 update is available for devices running Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2.
Firefox 157 brings Nova Design with rounded tabs
Mozilla released the Firefox 157 update this week, which brought some major changes to the browser. Firefox has a new design called Nova. This is the first major overhaul since Proton was introduced in 2021. Nova has an aesthetically pleasing design that makes tabs rounder, the menus and icons have been revamped, and there’s a new color palette that adds a glow around the active tab. The new tab page is more customizable, you can now pin shortcuts to it.
Firefox users were divisive about the design, with some criticizing the new look. Chipp.in notes that people who are not a fan of Nova can switch to Firefox ESR, which will remain on the older design for the foreseeable future.
Firefox 157 reintroduces the Compact Mode, a feature that automatically resizes the browser to fit the screen. It is also available as a toggle under the browser’s Settings > Appearance. Firefox has some new themes and wallpapers, which can also be found under the Appearance section.
Mozilla says that it has also optimized Firefox’s performance, to improve the Startup speed, page loading times and scrolling speeds.
Microsoft denies that it is selling the Xbox brand
Xbox has had a rough history, having sold fewer consoles than Sony or Nintendo. While Forza Horizon sold millions of copies, its other in-house products such as Halo, Gears of War are on the decline. Xbox’s acquisitions, which include Minecraft, Call of Duty, haven’t exactly been market winners either.
You could argue that Game Pass was the problem, since people were paying for a subscription, and this meant lower profits than selling games. Microsoft has laid off a ton of Xbox employees across various studios this year. It wasn’t long before questions were raised whether Xbox has a future. Rumors floated around that Microsoft would be willing to listen to offers for Xbox.
Asha Sharma, the CEO of Xbox, has denied rumors that suggested Microsoft was selling its gaming brand. Sharma spoke to the New York Times, where she mentioned that Xbox has 500 million players every month. She said that Xbox will do whatever it takes for the company to succeed, including right partnerships, the right operating model. This is Xbox’s long-term strategy. It will be an uphill battle, especially in the current conditions, with overpriced memory chips and parts, which have made things worse for everyone.
OpenAI launches Dots to take on Meta’s Muse
OpenAI introduced some new AI agents called Dots. These are not just agentic AI assistants, these are always on, allowing users to access the assistant at anytime and anywhere. To access it, a user can just message or call Dots in ChatGPT on Desktop, Web or Mobile. Dots have a blob-like avatar that are designed to be cute and appealing to users.
These agentic assistants are powered by GPT-6 Astra, and can connect to over 4,000 apps, from Slack, Microsoft Teams, and of course, ChatGPT. And they carry context across channels. OpenAI says Dots learn from user’s preferences, and can do anything thanks to their own cloud computer, own browser, and apps that users have connected. They can also connect to other devices.
OpenAI says that there are safeguards in place to prevent malicious to defend against potentially harmful behavior and malicious instructions. Dots also have built-in rules for when to act independently, but users can also set custom rules, and tell it when it should ask for permission. On a side note, OpenAI will not go public, until its AI is completely safe.
Dots are rolling out to ChatGPT Pro, Business Premium and Enterprise users in select markets, and will be available for more users in the future. It couldn’t be more obvious that Dotes are OpenAI’s way of challenging Meta’s Muse.
Microsoft launches new Copilot super app
A month ago, Microsoft finally confirmed the existence of its Copilot Super app. Now, it has released the app. The new app combines three different AI into a single Copilot app. The Copilot app has three tabs: Home, Code and Autopilot. Home merges Copilot Chat and Cowork, allowing users to access their meetings, chats, documents, emails, apps and agents.
Copilot’s Code tab is not just for developers, anyone can interact with the AI in natural language to describe an app, tracker, dashboard, automation or workflow, and the AI will build it for them. Code is powered by the same technology as GitHub Copilot.
The third tab, Autopilot, isn’t particularly new, it was formerly called Scout, acts as a personal digital teammate, which is powered by the cloud. You can name it, assign a role and a goal, and let it work for you. Microsoft is rolling out Home and Code to the Frontier program in the coming weeks. Autopilot will be expanding to private preview at the end of the month.
A few days ago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella hosted an event, where he pitched Copilot as the OS for work. The Redmond company believes that this experience will be as influential in the same way Microsoft Office was when it was released.
