Microsoft is testing automatic Light and Dark Mode switching in Windows 11, with scheduling based on sunrise, sunset, fixed times, or PC activity.
The post Microsoft May Soon Fix Windows 11’s Obvious Dark Mode Automation Gap appeared first on TechRepublic.
Apple and Google charge more than $1,000 for two very different flagship strategies. Here’s where iPhone 18 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro earn their premium.
The post iPhone 18 Pro vs Pixel 11 Pro: Which $1,000+ Flagship Is Better? appeared first on TechRepublic.
Move over iPhone Duo announcement, the real news is here. Windows 11 will soon feature a few more emojis. Microsoft recently shipped Windows 11 Builds 26100.9539 and 26200.9539 to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. Among other changes, the update adds support for Emoji 17.0.
Since these are Release Preview builds, many of the included changes have already been seen during earlier Insider testing.
Several changes have been made to File Explorer that should make for a smoother experience. Home within File Explorer now preserves the state of sections, so the next time you open the app things will be expanded or collapsed as before. Thumbnail previews for cloud files should appear more consistently as well following this update.
Emoji lovers will be happy to hear that Emoji 17.0 support comes with this build of Windows 11. Emoji 17.0 adds the distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature (Bigfoot) emojis.
Microsoft continues on its recent push to create more widgets. These Insider builds add a Tips widget that provides guidance about Windows features. Microsoft recently announced a battery widget that's in the works as well.
Another welcome change is the update to remap the Copilot key to function as the Right Control key or Context Menu key. Copilot already has a keyboard shortcut (Alt + Space) for those who want to use it, so having a dedicated key for a niche tool felt a bit like overkill.
Microsoft detailed the changes that are gradually rolling out.
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This refurbished HP ProBook x360 flips into tablet or tent mode and keeps working professionals connected.
The post Get a Touchscreen Business Laptop for $149.99 Right Now appeared first on TechRepublic.
What happens when a Porsche 911 stops worrying about staying low to the ground? Tangent Design Group has an answer. Lift it three inches, widen its stance, add chunky off-road tires, and turn one of Stuttgart’s most recognizable sports cars into something that looks ready to escape the city rather than attack a racetrack. Built in Chicago, the Urban Safari 911 is an unusual exercise in rethinking what a modern Porsche can be.
The project began in 2019, when the Chicago-based industrial design studio decided to build a Porsche without the constraints of a conventional client brief. Tangent eventually started with a 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera 4, chosen for its all-wheel-drive platform. Finished in Porsche’s Paint-to-Sample Black Olive with a tan interior, the car already had a distinctive character before the transformation began.
Designer: Tangent Design Group
Tangent approached it like a product-development exercise. The original 992 was digitally scanned, including its bumpers, fenders, wheel wells, rocker panels, and rear engine cover. That data became the foundation for developing new components that could properly integrate with the factory body and its increasingly complex electronics. Full-scale parts were then 3D-printed and physically fitted to the car to refine proportions and attachment points before final production.
The most significant change sits underneath the body. Tangent developed a bespoke three-inch lift system while retaining the Porsche’s stock suspension architecture and avoiding software errors. The additional clearance makes room for larger off-road tires and fundamentally changes the stance of the 911. On a truck, three inches might be unremarkable; on a low-slung sports car, it transforms the proportions completely. Something similar to what Vagabund Moto did in collaboration with NINE ELEVEN OUTLAW and DakarGarage to transform a Porsche 924 S into an off-road-worthy ride.
The wheels received the same level of attention. Tangent designed them in-house and worked with Brixton Forged to produce bespoke forged aluminum wheels. Full-scale printed versions were used during development to judge how the design sat against the widened body before the final wheels were manufactured. Visually, the Urban Safari combines wide fender extensions, revised rocker panels, a custom front bull bar and a pronounced ducktail-style rear wing. Auxiliary lighting and roof-mounted adventure equipment reinforce its rally-inspired character, while the graphics package borrows from historic Porsche rally liveries without simply recreating one.
That distinction is important. Tangent’s project predates Porsche’s factory 911 Dakar, having been conceived in 2019, but it draws from the same broader history of Porsche competition cars built for surfaces far removed from a racetrack. Instead of copying a classic rally car or dressing the 992 in retro cues, Tangent has created something that feels contemporary and purpose-built.
The result is currently a one-off, but Tangent is accepting inquiries about the Urban Safari kit, leaving open the possibility that its design language could eventually find its way onto other 992-generation cars.
The post This Porsche 911 was lifted and rebuilt into a Chicago-ready urban safari car first appeared on Yanko Design.
Windows 11 now includes new family safety features that can reduce how much adult content children are exposed to or able to view. Microsoft has a pair of blog posts on the topic, one that focuses on consumer-facing features and another that covers how APIs and Microsoft accounts are used to make the Windows experience safer.
The first change Microsoft highlighted is not a new feature, but a speed boost to an existing one. Granting parental approval is now faster than before, which allows parents and guardians to quickly approve things like additional screen time, access to specific apps, and purchases.
Speed is important when it comes to family safety. Occasionally children run into blocks when trying to access content that is required for homework or that is otherwise age-appropriate. Delayed approvals leave children sitting around and can cause frustration for kids and parents.
Microsoft has also made it easier for parents to keep track of web activity, app activity, and spending. Managing family groups has been improved as well, including options that make it simpler to add or remove members.
Some people complain about Microsoft accounts being a requirement to use certain services. Microsoft has budged a bit in this area. For example, it's now possible to sign in to Microsoft Edge with a Google account.
But managing family safety settings relies heavily on a Microsoft account, as explained by the company:
"At Microsoft, we believe safety should be easier for families to understand and easier for developers to build into experiences for children to use. On Windows, that starts with the account. Microsoft account is a trusted foundation through which Windows brings age-appropriate protections and parental choices into more of the digital experiences encountered by children and teens every day."
Setting up accounts for children is a requirement to set parental controls for individuals. Microsoft accounts also allow Windows to know if a user is a child, teen, or adult.
Microsoft has introduced a new API to extend age awareness beyond the OS and across the entire Windows ecosystem. The Windows Age APIs can verify a user's age and then send that verification to an app without sharing personal information. It's a bit like Windows Hello but for age verification.
The new Windows Age APIs are available now to Windows Insiders and should ship to all Windows users soon.
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Windows 11 will finally support automatic switching between dark mode and light mode. The most recent Windows Insider build that shipped to the experimental Channel shows strings for the feature, though we still lack key information about the option.
It's been possible to schedule shifts between light and dark mode on Windows 11 for a while, but it has required a third-party application. Auto Dark Mode works well and is a must-have app for Windows 11.
The ever-popular PowerToys can also handle theme switching through its "Light Switch" feature. PowerToys is made by Microsoft but it only recently added the Light Switch utility. It's also not built in to Windows 11.
While both those apps are great, some features need to be built into Windows 11. People shouldn't have to search for an app or install a multi-tool utility to automate theme switching.
The upcoming feature for Windows 11 was spotted by X user "phantomofearth." They shared some of the strings that appear in the latest build, which give us a glimpse of how the feature will work:
Since there are likely many other strings about the feature, we only have a small idea of how auto mode will work. But the snippets we can see now look promising.
It appears that the feature will support shifting between modes based on your location to better match sunrise or sunset. Alternatively, you'll be able to schedule switches for specific times.
The feature also looks like it will have the option to only switch themes when your PC is idle, which should prevent a jarring change from happening in the middle of important work.
Again, this functionality is already available on Windows 11 through apps, but I'll be happy to see it ship to Windows 11. I love tinkering with apps to customize my PC, but general users shouldn't have to do that to get such a straightforward feature.
This app switches the theme of your PC at scheduled times, such as enabling dark mode after sunset. It's always been a bit odd that Windows does not have this as an option by default, but Auto Dark Mode does a great job.View Deal
Light Switch:
Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of utilities that often outshine similar tools on Windows 11. It already includes a utility that lets you schedule switches between light mode and dark mode.View Deal
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Pour fabriquer une application Windows native, le passage par Visual Studio était jusqu'ici la voie normale. Mais c'était sans compter sur Microsoft qui a publié winapp , un outil en ligne de commande qui permet de faire tout pareil directement depuis un terminal : il crée le projet, le construit, le lance avec son identité de paquet et sort le résultat sous la forme d'un fichier d'installation MSIX.
C'est encore estampillé en version "expérimentale" par ses auteurs, mais ça fonctionne déjà très bien pour des trucs basiques. C'est pour ça qu'aujourd'hui, je vous propose un petit tuto pour afficher un Hello World dans une vraie fenêtre Windows. Vous allez voir, c'est fastoche !
Il vous faut donc Windows 10 version 1809 au minimum, le mode développeur activé dans Paramètres, Système, Options avancées, et le SDK .NET 10 ou plus récent. Visual Studio, non par contre, y'en a pas besoin. Les deux installations se font via winget, dans un terminal normal :
Connexionwinget install Microsoft.DotNet.SDK.10
winget install Microsoft.winappcli --source winget
Faites ensuite un winapp --version et vous saurez si le CLI répond.
La commande new fabrique l'application à partir des modèles WinUI 3 officiels, qu'elle télécharge toute seule dès qu'on la lance. Sans option elle vous pose des questions, mais avec celles que je vous mets ci-dessous, elle ne demandera rien et prendra le modèle le plus dépouillé du lot :
winapp new --template winui --name HelloKorben --use-defaults
cd HelloKorben
Vous récupérez alors un projet C# complet, avec son manifeste de paquet et ses icônes. Et surtout, le modèle winui vous donne une fenêtre vide, ce qui tombe bien puisqu'on va écrire dedans. Notez que le pack de modèles est encore publié en 0.0.6-alpha, donc si un nom de fichier a bougé depuis, winapp new --list vous sortira la liste de ce que le vôtre propose.
Attention, là y'a un petit piège ! Le fichier qui décrit la fenêtre s'appelle MainWindow.xaml, sauf que ce n'est pas celui-là qu'il faut toucher. Ouvrez plutôt MainPage.xaml, qui est à la racine du projet, et remplacez son <Grid /> vide par ces quelques lignes :
<Grid>
<TextBlock Text="Hello World !"
HorizontalAlignment="Center"
VerticalAlignment="Center"
FontSize="48" />
</Grid>
Ensuite, un petit winapp run construira le projet, l'enregistrera auprès de Windows avec une identité de paquet qui pointe droit sur votre dossier de build, et le lancera. Votre fenêtre s'ouvre alors avec le Hello World au milieu :
winapp run
La fenêtre HelloKorben ouverte par winapp run, et derrière, le terminal qui vient de la construire en 12 secondes
Bon, là, on a fait un Hello World, mais bien sûr, si vous faites chauffer une IA là-dessus, vous pouvez faire des trucs un peu plus complexes sans forcément savoir coder, et tout ça, une fois encore, sans Visual Studio.
Maintenant, à quoi bon empaqueter ?
Cette identité de paquet, ce n'est pas de la paperasse. En fait c'est elle qui ouvre à votre application les notifications natives, les associations de fichiers, les protocoles maison et les API d'IA locale de Windows. Donc si vous voulez du sérieux, il faut publier l'application compilée dans un dossier, et ça, c'est possible comme ceci directement dans votre terminal :
dotnet publish -o ./publish
L'empaquetage fabrique au passage un certificat de développement et l'installe dans le magasin Personnes de confiance de la machine mais faut que je vous prévienne, la commande qui suit réclame un terminal ouvert en admin dans lequel il faudra refaire le cd vers votre dossier de projet pour qu'il s'y retrouve.
winapp pack ./publish --generate-cert --install-cert
Le MSIX signé sort dans le dossier du projet, nommé d'après le GUID du paquet
Vous obtenez alors un .msix signé, nommé d'après l'identité du paquet, sa version et son architecture, qui s'installe chez vous d'un double clic. Et cette identité, le modèle la génère sous forme de GUID : ne cherchez pas le nom de votre application dans le nom du fichier. Par contre, ne l'envoyez pas tel quel à un collègue, parce que le paquet réclamera le runtime Windows App SDK. Ajoutez --self-contained à la commande pack et le runtime partira dans le paquet. Le certificat, lui, reste un certificat de développement local : sur le PC d'en face, Windows refusera le paquet tant que ce certificat n'y sera pas installé aussi.
Maintenant, si vous vous demandez à quoi sert vraiment ce CLI, c'est surtout l'étape MSIX qui sera moins douloureuse car vous n'aurez pas besoin de lancer Visual Studio.
Source : Neowin
Microsoft has just announced a set of new Windows 11 preview builds that are packing some notable improvements and changes that are now in testing with Insiders. This week's preview builds come packing an upgraded set of settings for sound and audio devices on Windows, enhanced cross device features that sync with your phone, and new family safety options.
First up, Microsoft has introduced a new design for the volume sliders that appear in the Sound Settings area of Windows Settings. The sliders now also show audio activity for when music or video is playing in the background while you configure your settings, making it easier to dial in exactly where you want your volume.
Microsoft is also porting over more Control Panel sound settings to Windows Settings, including the ability to set default devices, and the ability to allow hardware acceleration for devices that support it.
Here's a list of the new sound settings coming to Windows 11:
Another new feature in testing is the ability to quickly download the Windows app for a phone app that appears in the Taskbar via Phone Link. If you use the cross-device sync features that comes with Phone Link, hovering over an open app such as your phone's browser on the Taskbar will now let you quickly pick up where you left off without missing a beat.
In addition to the new sound settings, Microsoft has announced major upgrades to the family safety features in Windows 11. The company says family safety is a top priority for the company, and is addressing key issues and concerns from parents.
Key areas of focus include:
"Each of these improvements came from a real family experience — from issues parents told us mattered most: speed, accuracy, control, transparency, and peace of mind." Microsoft Distinguished Engineer, Rob Mauceri said. "This is the compounding effect of a team that treats every piece of customer feedback as a commitment to do better."
These improvements are welcome to see, and a sign that Microsoft continues to modernize and improve Windows 11 for the masses. These improvements are part of Microsoft's ongoing Windows K2 effort, which is focused on fixing Windows 11's biggest flaws.
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Another record-setting Patch Tuesday is here for Windows 11. The operating system has a massive number of security patches and fixes that are now available to hundreds of millions of PCs.
At the time of publication, we do not have the change log of the latest updates. You can, however, grab the most recent builds through the Microsoft Update Catalog. We will update this piece as more information becomes available.
According to The Verge, this month's Patch Tuesday update includes more than 650 security fixes just for Windows. That's a six-fold increase over what we normally saw in a usual month until recently. But advances in AI have sped up the process of discovering vulnerabilities as well as the need to patch them swiftly.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated after Microsoft releases the change log for this month's Patch Tuesday updates.
Thanks in large part to AI, it's now common to see hundreds of security patches ship on a Patch Tuesday.
AI is a useful tool for Microsoft's engineers, but it can also be used by malicious actors. We're seeing an AI arms race for discovering and patching vulnerabilities.
In addition to helping discover vulnerabilities, AI can help malicious actors take advantage of vulnerabilities that have been discovered or disclosed. That process has been accelerated greatly by AI, putting pressure on organizations and IT admins to test security patches quickly so they can be rolled out.
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Microsoft details Windows 11 age-signal APIs that let eligible apps receive age brackets without exposing users’ exact ages or birth dates.
The post Microsoft Confirms Windows 11 Age Signals for Apps — But They Aren’t Live Yet appeared first on TechRepublic.
Last week at IFA 2026, Microsoft announced Project Zenith, the codename of a new class of devices aimed squarely at developers looking to build apps and local AI experiences on top of Windows 11. The announcement came out of the blue, which naturally caused a bit of confusion online.
So, what is it? Well, Zenith is an effort to formalize a baseline for "developer-ready" hardware: devices that meet a minimum bar for performance and are ready out of box to begin coding and compiling. This means the configuration of Windows 11 that ships on these devices is different from normal PCs, with different default settings and pre-installed apps.
To be clear: This isn't a new or different version of Windows 11. Zenith devices will almost definitely still ship with either Windows 11 Home or Pro, depending on the OEM. It's simply how Windows 11 is configured out of box that differentiates these developer-class devices from normal Windows 11 PCs.
There's seemingly also a hardware component at play, too. Microsoft says Zenith devices must ship with at least 64GB of unified memory and be capable of 250GB/s of memory bandwidth if they want to ship with this specially preconfigured version of Windows 11 for developers. All other hardware will ship with the normal configurations of Windows 11.
In recent years, there has been an uptick in developers making the switch from Windows to Mac for a variety of reasons, including OS quality issues or lack of capable hardware in the wake of Apple Silicon. Developers have also complained that it just takes too long to set up a Windows PC for development, sometimes taking hours or even days from the first power-up.
Zenith removes this friction. These devices are certified high-end and ship from the factory in a state that is ready to code, with apps like Visual Studio and GitHub Copilot already installed and ready to go as soon as you reach the desktop. They also ship with Windows 11 in a configuration that already dials back the annoyances that developers have complained about.
Out of box, "File Explorer shows file extensions, hidden files, the full path in the title bar, and the details pane, with long-path support enabled. Recently used files and folders and sync provider tips are turned off for a cleaner workspace. In Search and Start, Command Palette is enabled, while Start menu tips and account notifications are turned off to reduce distractions."
These are small but meaningful changes to the default Windows configuration, one that can save minutes of setup time. If you're managing a fleet of developer devices, this will save you hours of configuration time. The good news is these settings aren't unique to Zenith PCs.
If you don't fancy spending the money on a new Zenith device, you can manually configure your existing Windows 11 PC to match the configuration that comes preloaded on Zenith PCs. Of course, it'll take longer to do, but you'll save yourself the cost of a new PC in the process.
Ultimately, the goal of Zenith is to signal to developers that Microsoft is listening and wants to position Windows as the preferred platform for on-device AI and app development. The first Zenith devices to ship will be ones powered by AMD's Ryzen AI Halo chips, with other chipmakers such as the RTX Spark expected to follow.
No word on which OEMs will build Zenith hardware, or when the first Zenith devices will begin shipping just yet. We'll keep you posted when we know more!
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Microsoft’s Project Zenith brings a ready-to-code Windows experience to developer PCs, with local AI support and preconfigured tools.
The post Microsoft Project Zenith: Windows Developer PCs Will Come Ready to Code appeared first on TechRepublic.
