Jackson Hinkle’s incendiary commentary has generated over two million new followers on X since October — a surge that some researchers say is aided by inauthentic accounts.

The $700 Ai Pin, funded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Microsoft, can be helpful — until it struggles with tasks like doing math and crafting sandwich recipes.

Windows 11 is receiving some flak for its reportedly poor show in terms of the performance of the OS on the desktop, where some interface elements are running pretty sluggishly – or even getting to a ‘comically bad’ state of affairs as one user describes it.

This isn’t just any user, but an ex-Microsoft employee, Andy Young, who was a senior software engineer at the company for 13 years, and shared some observations (noticed by Neowin) about Windows 11 performance on X (formerly Twitter).

The Windows 11 Start Menu is comically bad.This machine has a $1600 Core i9 CPU and 128 GB of RAM and this is the performance I often get.What is going on in Redmond? pic.twitter.com/hDvALHRB5qApril 9, 2024

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As you can see in the above tweet, Young has published a video of some woefully bad Start menu performance on a PC bristling with high-end components.

The clip has received a lot of attention, prompting Young to add that: “To be clear, I love Windows. I helped build parts of it. I want it to be as good as it once was. If data suggests the software you build frustrates a significant percentage of users, it means there’s work left to be done.”

And indeed, others chime in on that thread saying they’ve encountered frustrating performance hitches, or indeed been mired in Start menu molasses similar to what Young has suffered. A common observation is the Start menu loading the wrong app (or no app at all) as performance is so bad when it opens, that the initial keystroke doesn’t register (meaning instead of typing ‘Notepad’ for example, you end up with ‘otepad’ and a Bing web search for that term).

Albacore, a regular leaker on all things Microsoft, also chipped in here with an observation of delays when positioning windows or closing messaging boxes.

24H2 quality on my daily driver HW is not greatHow have we reached the point of window positioning taking a second, post-initial render evenI would love to report this but this machine is cut off from FBH, if any MS folks want me to grab perf recordings or dumps please ping me pic.twitter.com/1nqQ4HNB0vApril 9, 2024

See more Analysis: Time for a rethink, Microsoft?

It seems Microsoft is listening regarding the highlighted Start menu issues, and Young notes that ‘Jen’ sent a DM regarding reproducing and addressing the performance slowdowns observed. Presumably that’s Jen Gentleman of the Windows engineering team (who you may have seen introducing new Windows 11 test builds on Reddit as they emerge).

As was also observed among the feedback to Young’s post, technically this is not an issue with Start menu performance itself, but rather, Windows search as it’s integrated within the Start menu – an important distinction at least for the different teams in play with Windows 11 development here. Not that the end user will care much, mind.

This is not just about the Start menu, though, but rather the overall perception of Windows 11 being somewhat wonky or slow across various parts of the desktop, when it really shouldn’t be. In Young’s case, the likely culprit is the Start menu searching the web (as well as the PC) for what’s being typed, and probably hurdles and delays therein related to the network (connection or configuration, or maybe both).

In fairness to Microsoft, when it comes to Albacore’s case, it is a test build of the 24H2 update, so unpredictable behavior and slowdowns are to be expected. Still, should the OS really be stumbling over elements as simple as closing dialog boxes, or moving the windows that are the very core of Microsoft’s OS by definition? No, it shouldn’t, let’s face it.

For us, what all this strongly suggests is that perhaps it’s time Microsoft made more of a drive to shunt off legacy bits of code (and ancient features still hanging around, like the rusty old Control Panel – which is happening, just very slowly), and to tidy up the Windows 11 codebase in general, along with smoothing over existing features to fine-tune performance.

If we had to pay a price in fewer new features being actively developed (and fewer adverts popping up here and there, ahem), we’d take that – but sadly that’s not a route Microsoft’s likely to entertain. As the company needs a constant parade of shiny new things to persuade folks that Windows 11 is the best thing ever (TM).

There is, clearly enough, still a good deal of skepticism to overcome about Windows 11, as struggling adoption levels for the OS underline. However, Microsoft best not forget that regarding the basics, there’s “work left to be done” as Young makes clear, and maybe after 24H2 has released (and Germanium is in place under the hood) is the time to focus on that reality more.

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Microsoft has issued a mammoth Windows 11 update that brings fixes for around 150 security flaws in the operating system, as well as fixes for 67 Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities. RCEs enable malicious actors to deploy their code to a target device remotely, often being able to do so without a person’s consent or knowledge - so this is a Windows 11 update you definitely want to install ASAP. 

This update was rolled out on Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday (the second Tuesday of every month), a monthly update when Microsoft releases security updates. 

Three of these were classed as ‘critical’ vulnerabilities, meaning that Microsoft saw them as posing a particularly hefty risk to users. According to Bleeping Computer, more than half of the RCE vulnerabilities were found in Microsoft SQL drivers; essential software components that facilitate communication between Microsoft apps and its servers, leading to speculation that the SQL drivers share a common flaw that is being exploited by malicious users. 

The three vulnerabilities classed as ‘critical’ had to do with Windows Defender, ironically an app designed by Microsoft to protect users from online threats. 

(Image credit: Future) A possibly record-setting update

KrebsonSecurity, a security news site, claims that this security update sets a record for the number of Windows 11 issues addressed, making it the largest update Microsoft has released this year (so far) and the largest released since 2017. 

The number of bugs is broken down as follows:

• 31 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerabilities
• 29 Security Feature Bypass Vulnerabilities
• 67 Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities
• 13 Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities
• 7 Denial of Service Vulnerabilities
• 3 Spoofing Vulnerabilities

These spanned across several apps and functionalities, including Microsoft Office apps, Bitlocker, Windows Defender, Azure, and more. 

Two zero-day loopholes that were cause for concern

Two zero-day vulnerabilities were also addressed by Microsoft in April’s Patch Tuesday update, and apparently, they have been exploited in malware attacks. Zero-day vulnerabilities are flaws in software that potentially harmful actors find and possibly exploit before the software’s developers discover it. The zero refers to the proverbial buffer of time that developers have in terms of urgency to develop a patch to address the issue. 

Microsoft hasn’t said whether the zero-day flaws were being actively exploited, but this information was shared by Sophos (a software and hardware company) and Trend Micro (a cybersecurity platform). 

One of these has been labeled CVE-2024-26234 by Microsoft, and it’s been classed as a Proxy Drive Spoofing Vulnerability. The other, CVE-2024-29988, was classed as a SmartScreen Prompt Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability.

You can see the full list of vulnerabilities in a report by Bleeping Computer. Mashable points to the fact that Windows necessitates such a vast number of patches and changes because Windows is used as the operating system on different manufacturers’ machines and has to constantly keep up with accommodating a variety of hardware configurations.   

Some users might find Windows 11’s need for frequent updates annoying, which could lead them to consider alternative operating systems like macOS. If you’re sticking with Windows 11, KrebsonSecurity recommends that you back up your computer’s data before installing the update. I’m glad Microsoft continues to address bugs and security risks in Windows 11, even if that does mean we’re nagged to update the OS more than some of its competitors, and I would urge users to make sure that they install this update, which you can do through Windows Update if your PC hasn’t started this process already. 

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If you’re a Windows user, you’ve probably been embracing (or running away from) Microsoft Copilot being integrated into your operating system. The AI-powered tool has been added to Microsoft Edge, Microsoft 365, and the Windows 11 taskbar. Now, it seems like the AI companion is making its debut on Windows tablets - in the most annoying way possible. 

Zac Bowden from Windows Central discovered that swiping from the right on your tablet now opens Copilot instead of your notification center - disrupting a core gesture that users have grown accustomed to. Bowden posted a video on Twitter (sorry, X)  showing this change in action, swiping to open notifications and instead being greeted by an unwelcome Copilot. 

Huh, the swipe gesture to open notifications now opens Copilot instead on Windows 11 build 26100 pic.twitter.com/ymcUCPef9cApril 3, 2024

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Bowden also adds that the notification panel has apparently simply disappeared. You would think that if Copilot had been moved to the right, the notification panel would have been relocated, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Now, it seems that if you miss a notification it’s simply gone with the wind - you have nowhere to catch up on anything you miss. 

Give it back! 

Almost all modern devices have some kind of notification center that’s easily accessible. iPhone and Android mobiles have the swipe down from the top gesture, which is also translated to larger touchscreen devices like iPads or Galaxy tablets. Even your Windows PC has a notification center on the right side of your taskbar. So, it’s incredibly peculiar for Windows tablets to have that crucial feature removed. 

If you’re worried about your tablet being affected, don’t panic - so far this change has only been implemented on tablets that are running on the latest Windows 11 version (24H2). It was first spotted in Microsoft Windows Insider Dev and Canary channel and now seems to have broken out to a wider array of devices - so if you want to avoid this, just hold off on updating to version 24H2 for now.

Hopefully, this is a temporary change that’ll be reversed soon. While Microsoft’s Copilot is an objectively impressive tool, there’s no doubt that not everyone will be happy to have these changes shoved in their faces like this. Especially if you’re not a big fan of AI chatbots in the first place - I’d be pretty upset if I lost access to my notifications for something I’d never use.

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This year’s honor will go to Avi Wigderson, an Israeli-born mathematician and theoretical computer scientist who specializes in randomness.

We could be on the cusp of a whole new realm of AI large language models and chatbots thanks to Meta’s Llama 3 and OpenAI’s GPT-5, as both companies emphasize the hard work going into making these bots more human. 

In an event earlier this week, Meta reiterated that Llama 3 will be rolling out to the public in the coming weeks, with Meta’s president of global affairs Nick Clegg stating that we should expect the large language model “Within the next month, actually less, hopefully in a very short period, we hope to start rolling out our new suite of next-generation foundation models, Llama 3.”

Meta’s large language models are publicly available, allowing developers and researchers free and open access to the tech to create their bots or conduct research on various aspects of artificial intelligence. The models are trained on a plethora of text-based information, and Llama 3 promises much more impressive capabilities than the current model. 

No official date for Meta’s Llama 3 or OpenAI’s GPT-5 has been announced just yet, but we can safely assume the models will make an appearance in the coming weeks. 

Smarten Up 

Joelle Pineau, the vice president of AI research at Meta noted that “We are hard at work in figuring out how to get these models not just to talk, but actually to reason, to plan . . . to have memory.” Openai’s chief operating officer Brad Lightcap told the Finacial Times in an interview that the next GPT version would show progress in solving difficult queries with reasoning. 

So, it seems the next big push with these AI bots will be introducing the human element of reasoning and for lack of a better term, ‘thinking’. Lightcap also said “We’re going to start to see AI that can take on more complex tasks in a more sophisticated way,” adding “ We’re just starting to scratch the surface on the ability that these models have to reason.”

As tech companies like OpenAI and Meta continue working on more sophisticated and ‘lifelike’  human interfaces, it is both exciting and somewhat unnerving to think about a chatbot that can ‘think’ with reason and memory. Tools like Midjourney and Sora have championed just how good AI can be in terms of quality output, and Google Gemini and ChatGPT are great examples of how helpful text-based bots can be in the everyday. 

With so many ethical and moral concerns still unaddressed with the current tools available right now as they are, I dread to think what kind of nefarious things could be done with more human AI models. Plus, you must admit it’s all starting to feel a little bit like the start of a sci-fi horror story.  

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Audio brand Sonos may soon completely redesign its S2 app by making it easier to set up its devices as well as “strengthen connectivity between its many speakers.” It’ll also introduce several new customization options. This nugget of information comes from TheVerge which claims to have received screenshots of the revamp from sources close to the matter. 

According to the report, the company is removing all the navigation tabs at the bottom, replacing tabs with a search bar to help soundbar owners find music quickly. The home screen will serve as a central hub consisting of “scrollable carousels” housing playlists and direct access to streaming services. 

Of course, you will be allowed to customize the layout to your liking. You can tweak the settings of a soundbar through the “Your System” section on the app.

The Now Playing screen will see revisions as well. Both the shuffle and repeat buttons are going to be present on the page. Plus, the volume slider in the mini-player will appear “no matter where you are in the app.” 

Love it or hate it

For some people on the internet, this update has been a long time coming. The Verge shared links to posts from the Sonos subreddit of people complaining about how terrible the S2 app is. One of the more passionate rants talks about the software’s poor functionality, as the Redditor was unable to turn off their speaker’s alarms remotely despite it being connected. 

Most of the reviews on app stores are positive, however several users on the Google Play Store listing do complain about an unintuitive UI and strange connection problems. People either love S2 or they hate it. There doesn’t seem to be any real middle ground. 

The Verge states the S2 update will roll out for Android and iOS on May 7th although the date could change. 

Future plans

It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the redesign.

Back in February, Bloomberg published a report detailing some of Sonos’ plans for 2024, such as their focus on a “revamped mobile app codenamed Passport.” At a glance, it appears Passport is the future S2 upgrade. Originally, the update was supposed to come in March, but the brand ran into development issues and were forced to delay it.

Bloomberg’s piece goes on to mention two new Sonos devices, codenamed Duke and Disco. The latter is said to be a set of earbuds able to connect to Wi-Fi. It’s supposed to be a Sonos take on Apple Airpods. 

Not much is known about the Duke, but it does share a name with a pair of Sonos headphones that were discovered back in late March on the Bluetooth SIG website. 91Mobiles dug through the page revealing the device could allow music streaming over Wi-Fi, it’s slated for a June launch, and should cost $450. These next couple of months are looking to be a busy time for Sonos. But as always, take the info in this leak with a grain of salt.

Until we learn more, check out TechRadar's list of the best soundbars for 2024.

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Best Buy is taking the plunge and incorporating AI-powered shopping tools for its customers, announcing at Google Cloud Next 24 that it’s partnered with Google Cloud and Accenture to bring users AI-powered customer assistance. The retailer claims that this move will enable it to give customers “even more personalized, best-in-class tech support experiences.”

Customers can expect a self-service support option when they visit and shop on BestBuy.com, when using Best Buy’s app, or when they call Best Buy’s customer support line (presumably through a conventional automated selection system). When customers make use of one of these, they’ll be able to interact with Best Buy’s new AI-powered virtual assistant, which it expects to debut in late summer 2024. 

These new customer support tools are part of Best Buy’s efforts to offer customers the most tech-forward ways of getting the assistance they need, expanding that it’s making use of Google Cloud’s AI capabilities, including Vertex AI (a Google Cloud machine learning platform), and Google’s new Gemini generative AI models. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Icatnews) What the generative AI will help Best Buy do

The retailer explains that the virtual assistant will enable customers to troubleshoot product issues easily, manage their order deliveries and scheduling (including the ability to make changes), manage subscriptions they have from Best Buy such as software and Geek Squad, and navigate their My Best Buy memberships (Best Buy’s customer loyalty program). 

Many people, myself included, find it very frustrating when trying to interact with automated customer service tools, and thankfully it looks like Best Buy is at least somewhat aware of this. It writes: “We also know that sometimes customers prefer speaking with an actual person to get the support they need.”

It follows this up by explaining that Best Buy customer care agents will be equipped with a suite of tools aided by generative AI to assist agents when they’re dealing with customers over the phone. Best Buy details that these tools are designed to help agents assess real-time conversations with customers, and suggest recommendations that might be useful in the moment. The tools will also summarize conversations, collecting and using information gathered during the call to hopefully reduce the chances of individual customer service issues being repeated, as well as detecting the sentiment expressed by the customer.

(Image credit: Shutterstock/OPOLJA) The wider implications of this change

There are legions of AI-powered assistance tools being developed for employees everywhere at this point, with Best Buy also discussing an assistant that makes it easier for employees to find product guides and company resources. The retailer states that its aim in developing tools like these is to be able to help customers more efficiently.

We’ve seen implementations of similar practices by other, smaller retailers, but Best Buy is one of the first companies of this scale to adopt an AI-first approach. While many companies already use automated customer service tools in some form, Best Buy is joining a limited cohort that make such explicit use of AI-assisted customer service technologies. 

I’ve had positive and negative experiences when dealing with automated customer service, and when you’re particularly stressed out, I don’t see the addition of machine learning as much of a consolation. I am glad that employees will also see a boost behind the scenes with additional tools to help them help customers, and I’m glad that it sounds like customers will still be able to speak to an actual person - I just hope it’s not too difficult to get through to a human and it’ll be open to feedback about its new strategy. 

My gut reaction is that this is a bold move that could be met unenthusiastically by customers, but I appreciate that Best Buy is being forthright about it. If it works, we could see it spread to more retailers big and small, and generative-AI-aided assistance might be well on its way to becoming the industry norm. If not, hopefully, retailers will be wise enough to listen to customer sentiment and understand that there are still some jobs that you simply need a human for.

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The human work of teaching A.I. is getting a lot more complex as the technology improves.

Windows 11 just received its latest major upgrade, Moment 5, which is part of the cumulative update for April that has just been released.

So, what are you getting with this update? We’ve picked out the five best features incoming with Moment 5 – which is formally known as patch KB5036893 – and after going over those, we’ll briefly discuss the other goodies you’ll get besides these highlights.

(Image credit: Microsoft) 1. Acing accessibility – Voice Access and Narrator improvements

Microsoft has been consistently doing good work driving forward with accessibility features in Windows 11, and Moment 5 does well in this department. Voice Access is where a lot of the changes have happened, giving users the ability to use this feature across multiple displays. Using the mouse grid, it’s now possible to, for example, drag and drop a file from one monitor to another.

Another major introduction is the ability to create custom voice commands, so you can have a command to paste a set section of text into a document, for example. There’s a lot of stuff taking the finer points of Voice Access to another level, and some changes for Narrator, too, with the addition of a bunch of new natural voices for the screen reading tool (and more besides).

2. Snap Layouts powered up with AI

Not everyone uses Snap Layouts, but they’re actually a pretty nifty idea for when multitasking across a range of apps on the desktop, allowing you to swiftly snap those windows into place in an arrangement that makes sense. 

With Moment 5, Microsoft has brought in AI-driven suggestions for premade layouts, a handy move. If you don’t use Snap Layouts, now’s the time to give it a whirl. Here's how.

(Image credit: Windows) 3. Photos app gets magic eraser

Windows 11’s default Photos app is being gifted a notable new AI-powered feature with this update, namely generative erase. This allows you to highlight an area that you want to remove in an image. 

Say there’s a photo bomber in the background of a snap – simply brush over them, and the AI will remove the person, then filling in the background intelligently to match the rest of the photo. Of course, AI tricks can be unpredictable at times, but this is a pretty handy feature to at least give a go – if you don’t like the end result, just undo the change.

4. Nearby Share is speedier and works better

If you’re not familiar with it, Nearby Share is a feature that allows you to wirelessly share files or website links with other nearby devices. With Moment 5, Microsoft has made it so Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – which the feature uses – are automatically turned on if you switch on Nearby Share, to ensure you don’t run into problems. Furthermore, files now transfer at faster speeds (when using public as well as private wireless networks).

(Image credit: Microsoft) 5. Copilot goodies

Not everyone is keen on Copilot, or uses the AI assistant, but those who do are in for a treat with Moment 5. Microsoft’s latest update introduces plug-ins for third-party services – a small collection to begin with, such as OpenTable, which can be used to get Copilot to make a dinner reservation for you.

Copilot’s library of commands pertaining to Windows 11 settings has also been expanded, as previously seen in testing. This includes commands relating to accessibility options, and various settings and device info options (and the ability for the AI to take out the desktop trash, too – also known as emptying the Recycle Bin).

Other new Moment 5 features

Microsoft has also changed Windows Share so that it now supports sharing via WhatsApp, and tweaked the Cast feature so it’s more discoverable (when it might be sensible to use the ability, which facilitates casting the screen to another display, such as a TV or tablet).

Those who use the widgets board in Windows 11 will also be pleased to hear this is receiving some attention too, with users getting the ability to organize widgets on the panel into categories.

Finally, it’s worth noting that you can now use Copilot without being signed into a Microsoft account – but only 10 times. After that, you’ll have to sign in, but this at least gives those with a local account the chance to try out the AI.

Also, bear in mind that while those in Europe will get extra functionality that extends to stripping out Bing and Edge from Windows 11, among other bits and pieces, those in the US or other regions don’t get these options.

As ever, you can grab the latest cumulative update for Windows 11 – containing all these Moment 5 features – by checking for updates in Windows Update.

Via Bleeping Computer

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Update v64 is here for your Meta Quest 3 and other Quest hardware, and it adds a big quality-of-life improvement for fans of mixed reality: better passthrough.

According to Meta’s official blog, the update has made the Quest 3’s passthrough “higher-fidelity than before”, resulting in your headset being better at adjusting color, exposure, contrast, and dynamic range to best suit your real-world environment. 

These updates should make it easier to read text on screens, and to use the headset in darker rooms.

We’ve tested the improved feature out, and it does seem easier to read text on real-world screens, and Meta’s claim that it’s less grainy in low light seems to ring true as well. That said, in general the passthrough doesn’t seem massively improved – so while it is better, don’t go in expecting ultra-crisp, Apple Vision Pro-levels of mixed-reality passthrough quality. 

(Image credit: Meta) Can you hear me now?

Beyond upgraded passthrough, update v64 brings with it a few additional refinements to your VR headset’s software.

The first is that your Quest device can now support an external microphone – with the feature appearing in the experimental settings menu. Once you’ve toggled it on you’ll be able to plug in an external microphone via the USB-C port to capture audio for VR content creation or in-game chat instead of using the Quest 3’s built-in mic.

Following its addition last month for Oculus Quest 2 users, Meta Quest 3 users can now use their headsets lying down too. 

What’s more, Continuous Casting has been added. Previously, if you removed your headset while casting to your phone the session would end, and Meta admitted that more often than not users would rather keep it running rather than have to restart every time they wanted to take their headset off (say to take a drink or talk to someone).  So now if you remove your headset while casting the session won’t be cut short – just make sure that you stop casting manually using your phone when you’re done.

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Back in January, we reported on a small security update patch for Windows 10 that brought on a lot of headaches for IT admins and brought on a veritable cavalcade of error codes. Microsoft promised a fix was in the works ASAP, but here we are months later and the problem has still not been fixed. 

Windows 10 update KB504441 arrived as a patch to security issues brought on by another previous update, specifically to fix a flaw that could allow attackers to bypass certain encryptions within the OS. According to Windows Latest, readers have reached out to Microsoft for an update on the fix. The company referred users to an existing support document and is apparently “[not] planning to make an easier fix or update to automatically solve this problem any time soon,” which is frustrating.

Users have also reported difficulties downloading the update at all now, with an error thrown up stating that it ‘cannot be installed at this time’. The error code given (0x80070643) usually alludes to you not having enough storage space for the update, but that’s not the case here.

I can’t believe we’re still waiting 

While Microsoft continues not to share an estimated time for a fix, the company has released a shared workaround that allows you to increase the recovery partition size and let the Windows install smoothly.  The official document reiterates that a plan to fix the issue is in the works for the next automatic update, but it sounds like an automatic fix isn’t on the cards. 

As we said in our original report, if you haven’t installed the update yet you might be better off holding off until an actual fix has been released - but if you’re feeling brave, the workaround should be enough to get the update installed, especially if you’re a casual Windows user. These issues have proven more of a problem for networked work devices (and therefore invoked the fury of many IT system admins) than for individual private users.

There have been several other updates between the original security patch and now, including a cumulative update, so it’s strange that we’re still waiting for this pretty important fix. Given how important the security patch is, we do hope a fix is on the way soon.

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• Microsoft’s lock screen cards for Windows 11 are about to arrive – and a much-needed addition will follow
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Microsoft recently tested a new feature for the lock screen in the form of info cards in both Windows 11 and Windows 10, which are now imminent, but this functionality is missing an important piece of the puzzle – something the software giant is going to remedy, thankfully.

The widget-style lock screen cards give you a snapshot of the current weather, or stocks (finance), local traffic, and so on, but the problem was you could either switch them all on, or all off – with no fine-tuned control.

So, if you wanted weather and sports scores, but not traffic updates and stocks, you were stuck with the latter two.

However, according to a report from Windows Latest, Microsoft has told the tech site that you’ll be able to customize which cards appear on the lock screen in the future. However, no timeframe was mentioned for when this might happen.

Analysis: Get on with it (please)

Do this already, Microsoft. We made the observation before that it seemed pretty odd to introduce lock screen cards as an all-or-nothing affair, because many folks won’t want a load of these – and will regard that as clutter – but might be happy with one or two tucked away on the lock screen.

So, this was an obvious – and very necessary – move in our books. And hopefully, it won’t take long to usher in this change, as we can’t see that it’ll be all that complex to implement a choice here. Maybe the feature will arrive with the 24H2 update, at the latest we’d hope.

Meantime, all Windows 11 users will get the new lock screen cards later today in the cumulative update for April, or they almost certainly will, unless Microsoft delays the rollout if any problems were encountered in the March preview update (we haven’t heard about any issues in testing). And the same is presumably true for the Windows 10 update also coming today.

Speaking of the Windows 10 incarnation of these lock screen cards, something else we’d like to see is Microsoft working on the layout and presentation here, so it looks neater like the Windows 11 design. The reality may be that Windows 10 is not that high a priority any longer, though (when you consider that for a time, Microsoft froze all feature development on the older OS, before having a rethink).

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A Tesla driver’s family had sought damages for the 2018 crash, which happened while the carmaker’s driver-assistance software was in use.

Gemini is lining up to become an even bigger part of the Android ecosystem as a toggle switch for the AI may soon appear on the official Google app. Evidence of this update was discovered in a recent beta by industry insider AssembleDebug who then shared his findings with news site Pianika Web. 

The feature could appear as a toggle switch right above the search bar. Flipping the switch causes the standard Search interface to morph into the Gemini interface where you can enter a prompt, talk to the model, or upload an image. According to Android Authority, turning on the AI launches a window asking permission to make the switch, assuming you haven't already. 

If this sounds familiar, that’s because the Google app on iOS has had the same function since early February. Activating the feature on either operating system has Gemini replace Google Assistant as your go-to helper on the internet. 

Gemini's new role

You can hop between the two at any time. It’s not a permanent fixture or anything – at least not right now. Google has been making its AI more prominent on smartphones and its first-party platforms. Recently, hints emerged of Gemini possibly gaining a summarization tool as well as reply suggestions on Gmail.

It is possible to have the Gemini toggle switch appear on your Android phone. AssembleDebug published a step-by-step guide on TheSpAndroid, however, the process will take you a long time. First, you’ll need a rooted smartphone running at least Android 12 which is a complicated process in of itself. We have a guide explaining how to root your mobile device if you're interested in checking that out. Then you’ll need the latest Google App beta from the Play Store, the GMS Flags app from GitHub, and Gemini on your device.

Even if you follow all of these instructions, there’s still a chance it may not work, so you’re probably better off waiting for the switch to officially roll out. 

No word on when that’ll happen. Although we could see the feature make its official debut during next month’s Google I/O 2024 event. The tech giant is cooking up something big and we can’t wait to see what it is. 

While you wait, check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024.

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