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Mozilla says it met with Microsoft to discuss concerns from its 87-page report on how Windows pushes Edge, but found the company unresponsive. Mozilla counsel Kush Amlani points to post-update prompts that set Edge as default and Start menu links that open in Edge outside Europe, contrasting this with EU versions of Windows where such defaults respect user choice due to local law.
Microsoft has acknowledged that its October 2026 Windows Server security updates are causing some on-premises Exchange servers to fail at delivering mail or authenticating Outlook on the web users. Affected systems can show a MapiExceptionMdbOffline error and Event ID 1006, traced to a new default cap on simultaneous Endpoint Mapper lookup calls that proves too low for Exchange under heavy load. Microsoft says the problem stems from the Windows Server update itself, not the separate Exchange security patches, and is advising admins to raise a registry limit rather than uninstall updates.
A brief update references in-game interface elements such as mission completion, deployment screens, troop viewing tabs, and battle report sharing for a project called 'Starcraft: Ashfall.' The text also includes a technical tip advising users to switch browsers to high-performance graphics mode via Windows display settings for better performance.
Storage drives often display less capacity in an operating system than their advertised size, with one tested 512GB drive registering just 477GB accessible in Windows. The roughly 35GB gap mainly stems from differing methods manufacturers and operating systems use to calculate data size, rather than deliberate shortchanging. In some cases, pre-installed software also claims a portion of a device's total storage before a user ever touches it.
Windows 11's built-in Phone Link app lets users make and receive phone calls directly from their PC by pairing an iPhone or Android device. Setup requires updating Phone Link through the Microsoft Store, enabling Bluetooth on both devices, and installing a companion app (Link to Windows) on the phone to complete pairing. Once paired, users can dial contacts or use a dial pad from the Calls tab, and incoming calls route to the PC automatically.
Windows 11 users can check negotiated Ethernet speed under Settings > Network & internet > Ethernet, or via the ncpa.cpl shortcut on Windows 10 and 11 to view adapter status. Mac users can find the same information under System Settings > Network > Ethernet > Details > Hardware, with the configuration kept on Automatic to avoid connection problems.
Microsoft has expanded Microsoft Defender, its anti-malware and endpoint security product, to support major Linux distributions for enterprise use. The Linux version includes a next-generation antivirus engine, vulnerability management, device inventory, and threat-hunting tools, mirroring capabilities already available on Windows.
Microsoft is reworking parts of Windows 11 to reduce how much memory and processing power the operating system consumes, specifically targeting lower-end machines with 8GB of RAM. The changes aim to make the OS run more efficiently on hardware that has struggled under Windows 11's current resource demands.
Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra, built with an Nvidia RTX Spark N1X chip, starts at $2,599 and can be configured up to $5,899 depending on processor and memory. The base 24GB unified memory model ships with Windows 11 Home, while higher-tier configurations come with Windows 11 Pro and up to 64GB of memory. During a review briefing, Microsoft gave only a vague answer when asked whether the 24GB base model has enough memory for tasks like running AI models locally.
Tom's Hardware reviewed Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra, which uses Nvidia's RTX Spark mobile SoC instead of a Qualcomm chip, making it one of the first non-Qualcomm Windows on Arm laptops. The reviewer praises its design, display, and port selection, but notes the device is heavy, costly, and offers little extra benefit to users who don't run AI workloads.
Microsoft has rolled out an updated Photos app for Windows 11 Insiders featuring a new native editor and viewer, plus a redesigned gallery. The editor adds tools like Crop, Enhance, Repair, Stylize, and a new Relight feature for fixing lighting, alongside AI-powered object removal and support for HDR, HEIC, and WebP formats. Microsoft claims the editor launches 25% faster and the viewer opens photos up to 30% faster for HEIC files, with wider release to all users expected later this year.
Google has launched Googlebooks, a new line of laptops that run Android natively rather than ChromeOS, positioning them as premium alternatives to Windows and macOS machines. The initial lineup features touchscreens, aluminum and magnesium bodies, biometric unlock, large trackpads, and a light-up accessory called the Glowbar that signals Gemini activation and battery status, but most models cost well over a thousand dollars.