TheDigitalLifestyle.com

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The Elka Synthex was an Italian polyphonic analog synthesizer from 1981, featuring 8 voices, two filters, and a ring modulator. Shane Parker kindly sent me a set of Synthex samples, which I’ve imported into my Modwave to create an exciting new sound set.

In this collection, you’ll find some of the classic Synthex sounds, including the iconic Laser Harp famously used by Jean-Michel Jarre, along with many other timeless tones.

 Elka Synthex Sounds for the Wavestate  1 file(s) 94.94 MB   Download   This pack includes Shane’s samples and my custom performances designed for the Modwave—and best of all, it’s a **free download**!

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Welcome to my new Korg Multi/Poly and Korg Modwave tutorial. In this tutorial, I am going to look at ratcheting sequencing as popularized by the Berlin School of electronic music, including Tangerine Dream.

Ratcheting sequencing is a technique used in music production, particularly with modular synthesizers, to add more complexity and interest to repetitive sequences. The technique involves retriggering individual steps in a sequence multiple times at a faster rate, creating a rolling or trilling effect.

The Multi/Poly’s (and Modwave’s) motion sequencer is ideal for this technique, especially using the shape lane to retrigger steps within a sequence.

In the video, I show how to create ratcheting sequences and how you can use the mod controls with probability to add control over the subdivisions.

I also then go on to show how you can layer multiple sounds to complete the Tangerine Dream sound on the Multi/Poly.

The performance I created during the video is available as a free download.

 Mastering Ratcheting Sequencing with Korg Multi/Poly - Berlin School Download  1 file(s) 5.18 KB   Download

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Welcome to this week’s podcast, where Garry and I are joined by musician and DJ Kelly Myers to talk about his passion for synths, drum machines, and music.

Kelly has an interesting collection of electronic music gear, including the classic Roland TB-303. He shares how he got into music, talks about his gear collection, and explains why he uses both modern and classic synthesizers.

Links from this week’s show:

earlandmajors.com
Exploring the Large Magellanic Cloud: My New Synth Album

Thanks to my Patreon supporters. https://www.patreon.com/c/IanDixon

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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In the latest build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel, Microsoft has introduced the new Windows MIDI Services public preview.

This preview includes MIDI 2.0 support, ARM64 support, improved USB MIDI for MIDI 1.0, multi-client support, MIDI diagnostic tools, and much more. This is an exciting development for Windows, and it’s great that Windows Insiders can try it out.

For more information on MIDI 2.0 in Windows 11, check out my interview with Microsoft’s Pete Brown, recorded at the end of last year.

Highlights of the new MIDI service: Full support for the MIDI 2.0 standard, including high-speed data transmission, higher-fidelity messages, increased resolution for controller values, and full in-service MIDI 2.0 endpoint discovery and protocol negotiation. * Faster transports, leading to improved timing and reduced jitter. * Enhanced USB MIDI driver with full support for both MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0. * Multi-client support, allowing multiple apps to use a device simultaneously. * In-service scheduling of outgoing timestamped messages and timestamped incoming messages for apps using the new Windows MIDI Services App SDK. * Built-in loopback and app-to-app MIDI support. * Automatic translation between MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0 based on API, application, and device needs. * More device metadata available to applications. * Improved device add/update/remove notifications. * Backward compatibility with the WinMM (MME) MIDI 1.0 API (and future support for WinRT MIDI 1.0), enabling applications to leverage new features without changes and access MIDI 2.0 devices at a MIDI 1.0 feature level. * Open-source*: The MIDI Service, all its transports, tools, tests, and SDK are MIT-licensed open-source projects developed in collaboration with hardware and software partners worldwide.

Check out Microsoft’s blog post for all the details.

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This is my new album, Large Magellanic Cloud. The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a dwarf galaxy and a satellite of the Milky Way. Located around 163,000 light-years away, the LMC is one of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way.

Inspired by the LMC, I created an atmospheric synth album that takes you on a journey across this distant galaxy.

Each track is built around a performance from the Korg Wavestate (which I’ve made available as a free download), with additional sounds from the Korg Modwave, Multi/Poly, and Uno Drum.

I hope you enjoy this synth-powered journey across the Large Magellanic Cloud!

Listen now on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Youtube Music

http://thedigitallifestyle.com/w/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/solar2-02.wavTrack List

Tarantula Nebula – Part 1
Cluster R136 (solar2)
Supernovae 1987A (solar3)
Black Hole MNC X-1 (solo4)
Carbon Star (solar5)
Tidal Interactions (solarSong)
The White Ox (solar6)
Remnants of SN 1987A (Solar8)
Tarantula Nebula – Part2 (Solar7)

Equipment used

Korg Wavestate (all the main sequences, strings and leads)
Korg Modwave
Korg Multi/Poly
Uno Drum
Korg ER1 plugin
Solina String Ensemble

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This is a new collection of performances for the Korg Wavestate called the Solar Collection.
Inspired by a journey across space, this set forms the foundation of my new album, Large Magellanic Cloud, named after a dwarf galaxy and satellite of the Milky Way.

Listen now on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Youtube Music

The performances are atmospheric, featuring multi-layered sequences that take full advantage of the Wavestate’s unique capabilities. In addition to the sounds used on my album, this collection includes several performances created specifically for this release.

The set is available for free at TheDigitalLifestyle.com.

 Solar Collection: A Free Atmospheric Sound Pack for the Korg Wavestate  1 file(s) 28.33 KB   Download   In this video, I demonstrate the sounds and break down how they are constructed. Be sure to check out my new album, available on most streaming services.

BTW I used Distrokid to upload my music, if you want thinking of trying it out please use my referral code

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At the end of last year, I got the new Korg Multi/Poly, an amazing analog modeling synth. I’ve had a lot of fun creating sounds on it, and with its modular design, you can craft complex sounds and authentic reproductions of classic synths.

Go back twenty-five years, and Korg released their first virtual analog synth, the MS2000. With its distinctive blue design and hands-on controls, it kick-started Korg’s virtual analog range. Since I still have my MS2000, I thought it would be interesting to see how far virtual analog synths have come over the past twenty-five years.

In this video, you’ll get a look (and listen) at the architecture of the Korg MS2000 alongside the new Korg Multi/Poly.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! Garry and I catch up on the latest tech news, including the smart home gadgets he’s been testing—such as using AI to control heating. I also talk about my new Korg sound packs and the latest Windows 11 builds.

Links from this week’s show:

Laser Harps and Beyond: Elka Synthex Sounds for the Modwave
Mastering Vintage Synth Templates on the Korg Multi/Poly
Building Tangerine Dream Soundscapes with the Korg Multi/Poly

Thanks to my Patreon supporters. https://www.patreon.com/c/IanDixon

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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In this collection, you’ll find some of the classic Synthex sounds, including the iconic Laser Harp famously used by Jean-Michel Jarre, along with many other timeless tones.

 Elka Synthex Sounds for the Modwave  1 file(s) 94.94 MB   Download   This pack includes Shane’s samples and my custom performances designed for the Modwave—and best of all, it’s a **free download**!

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The Korg Multi/Poly is a powerful analog modeling synthesizer, featuring filters, VCAs, and envelopes that emulate classic synths like the ARP Odyssey, Minimoog, Mono/Poly, Prophet-5, and SEM filters.

Korg’s modular approach allows you to mix and match different model types, offering incredible flexibility. To make things easier for sound designers, Korg has also included vintage synth templates that serve as a great starting point.

In this video, I demonstrate how to use these templates to recreate the iconic sounds of classic vintage synths on the Multi/Poly. Hopefully, it will inspire you to design your own timeless sounds!

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Welcome to This Week’s Show!

This week, I’m joined by musician, synth collector, and YouTuber Alex Dalliance, also known as Vulture Culture. Alex has an incredible YouTube channel and a thriving community centered around vintage synthesizers.

Alex regularly hosts a weekly YouTube live stream where he dives deep into the world of vintage and modern synths, sharing his expertise and passion with fans and fellow enthusiasts.

In this episode, we chat about Alex’s journey into music, his first vintage synth, and how he built his impressive collection. He shares insights into the challenges of maintaining vintage synthesizers and reveals which ones he considers overrated and which are absolutely irreplaceable.

Alex’s passion for synths and his community is truly inspiring, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy this engaging conversation as much as I did!

Links from this week’s show:

Vulture Culture – YouTube
Classic Korg Wavestation Presets Reimagined for the Wavestate
74 Inspiring Programs and Performances for the Korg Multi/Poly

Thanks to my Patreon supporters. https://www.patreon.com/c/IanDixon

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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With this new sound pack for the Korg Wavestate, I’m bringing back the iconic sounds of the classic Korg Wavestation!

This collection includes 35 performances and 48 programs band new, faithfully recreating some of the classic presets from the 1990 Korg Wavestation and bringing them into the 21st century.

The Korg Wavestate, a modern interpretation of the Wavestation, features many of the original samples and wave sequences. I’ve meticulously recreated these classic sounds and updated them for today’s Wavestate.

Each performance in this pack is composed of multiple layers and wave sequences, giving you endless possibilities to incorporate them into your own performances.

This sound pack is compatible with the original Wavestate, Wavestate MkII, Wavestate SE, Wavestate Module, and Wavestate Native.

Two versions of this pack are available:

Full Set: Includes all 35 performances and 48 programs.
Free Cut-Down Pack: A smaller selection to get you started.

By purchasing the full version, you’re directly supporting my ability to create more free and premium sound packs in the future.

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The Korg Multi/Poly is a powerful and versatile synth, and with its motion sequencer, you can create captivating multi-layer performances. One of my favourite styles of music is the late ’70s and early ’80s Tangerine Dream, so I decided to try recreating a Tangerine Dream-inspired performance on the Multi/Poly.

In this video, I start with an initialized performance and build up a Tangerine Dream sound step by step. I begin with the sequence, then add synth and PPG-style vocal layers. From there, I demonstrate how to incorporate additional layers and use modulation controls to adjust the volume of each layer seamlessly.

This walkthrough will give you insight into the Multi/Poly and showcase some of its powerful features. Plus, the performance I created in the video is available as a free download!

 Korg multi/poly Tangerine Dream Performance - Free Download  1 file(s) 7.67 KB   Download   If you enjoy my patches, be sure to check out my sound packs for the Modwave, Wavestate, and Multi/Poly.

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Welcome to This Week’s Podcast!

TDL Show #791

This week, I’m joined by Dan Phillips from Korg R&D to dive into Korg’s NAMM announcements and the exciting new Multi/Poly synthesizer.

Dan shares insights about the latest products unveiled at NAMM, focusing on the Multi/Poly—a new analog modeling synthesizer. He discusses the inspiration and development behind this instrument, explaining why the team decided to innovate beyond simply recreating the classic Mono/Poly.

We explore the standout features of the Multi/Poly, including its advanced filters, synth templates, and meticulously modeled envelopes. Dan also explains the inclusion of wave shaping, the role of CMT (Component Modeling Technology), and what’s next for Korg R&D.

Don’t forget to check out my brand-new sound set for the Multi/Poly, along with tutorial videos to help you make the most of this incredible synth!

Links from this week’s show* multi/poly – ANALOG MODELING SYNTHESIZER | KORG (U.K.) * Breaking Down Korg’s Synth Lineup: Wavestate, Modwave, and Multi/Poly Compared * 74 Inspiring Programs and Performances for the Korg Multi/Poly

Thanks to my Patreon supporters. https://www.patreon.com/c/IanDixon

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Welcome to My First Sound Pack for the Korg Multi/Poly!

I’m excited to introduce this sound pack, featuring 74 programs and performances inspired by the unique capabilities of the Korg Multi/Poly. Inside, you’ll find a diverse range of sounds, including:

Complex sequences reminiscent of Tangerine Dream
Iconic classics like “In the Air Tonight”
Faithful reproductions of legendary synths like the Prophet-5
Warm, analog-style synth textures

This pack includes both individual programs for customization and a complete set of performances ready to use. I’ve fully utilized the analog modeling technology in the Multi/Poly, as well as advanced features like Motion Sequencing 2.0 and Layer Rotate, to create something truly special.

Two Versions Available:

Free Edition: A cut-down version of the pack
Premium Edition (£9): The full-featured set. By purchasing the premium edition, you’re helping to support this site and channel, making it possible for me to create more sound packs in the future.

Korg multi/poly sound pack volume one - Free version 1 file(s) 24.42 KB Download In the accompanying video, I showcase the sounds and break down how they were created, so you’ll also pick up some sound design tips along the way.

Enjoy the video and happy music-making!

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Welcome to our new digital store! Here, you’ll find premium sound packs for synthesizers like the Korg Modwave, Wavestate, and Multi/Poly.

By purchasing one of our premium sound packs, you’re not only getting hand-crafted, high-quality synth sounds but also supporting our sound design tutorials and free sound sets.

We also offer a vast collection of free sound packs for synthesizers—be sure to check them out!

Happy synthing!

Give it a try!

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Since getting the new Korg Multi/Poly, I’ve been asked which is the better synth: the Modwave, the Multi/Poly, or the Wavestate. Since I own all three of these synths, I thought it would be helpful to make a detailed comparison.

In this video, I break down the differences between these three Korg R&D synths: Wavestate, Modwave, and the new Multi/Poly. The differences between the Wavestate and the Modwave are fairly clear, but the comparison between the Modwave and the Multi/Poly is less obvious.

In the video, I dive into the architecture of the synth engines and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each synth. I explain how each can play different roles in your setup and help you decide which one might be the right choice for you. I take a close look at the filters, envelopes, effects, and motion sequencers. I also explore the Multi/Poly’s templates for recreating classic synths and discuss which of the synths allow you to use your own samples.

The video turned out longer than I intended, but I felt it was important to go into detail about these powerful synths. I hope you enjoy it!

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In this video, I’m sharing a free organ-based sound pack for the Korg Modwave, designed to give you classic organ tones with modern control. Inspired by the Modwave’s four modulation controls, I’ve created a set of organ patches that use these as real-time drawbars to deliver an authentic organ sound. You’ll find recreations of classic organs from artists like Genesis and Pink Floyd, including CX3, DW8000, Korg M1, Polysix, and even Vox Continental organs.

The patches take full advantage of the Modwave’s effects section, modulation controls, and the Kaoss pad, giving you complete control over the sound. Whether you’re looking for vintage organ tones or creative new possibilities, this free sound pack has something for every synth lover.

 The Organ Collection for the Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 33.63 KB   Download   Download the sound pack (link in the description) and enjoy exploring these iconic organ sounds!

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Welcome to our first show of 2025! This week, Garry and I discuss what we’re looking forward to this year, the latest news from CES, and exciting developments in music tech.

I share details about my new Korg Multi/Poly, Garry dives into the world of 360 cameras, and we explore the latest trends in smart home technology.

Links from this week’s show:

Exploring Analog Synth Samples on the Modwave and Wavestate
Mastering Pitch Lanes: Unlock New Sonic Possibilities on the Korg Modwave, Wavestate, and Mono/Poly
Korg Modwave vs Korg Wavestate: Which Synth is Right for You?
Home | Windows Insider Blog

Thanks to my Patreon supporters. https://www.patreon.com/c/IanDixon

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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In this video, I show you how to understand the built-in samples on the Modwave and Wavestate. I was asked the question, “Where are the Moog samples on the Wavestate?” and this video aims to explain how the built-in samples are named on these synths.

I explore the range of analog synth samples available and explain the differences between them. Specifically, I show you how to find the samples and highlight the various types of analog samples. For example, there are several saw wave samples, and I walk you through each one, explaining where it was sampled from.

With this knowledge, you can create authentic reproductions of classic analog synths, such as the Minimoog, Prophet-5, Matrix-12, and Jupiter-8.

Additionally, I demonstrate how to use wave sequencing on the Wavestate, along with phasing and layering techniques.

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Welcome to volume two of my classic 1980s Roland D-110 sample collection. The Roland D-110 is a classic multitimbral synthesizer released in 1988, known for its iconic 80s sounds such as “Fantasy” and “Atmosphere.” It was a streamlined version of the legendary 1987 Roland D-50, designed for use in studios with sequencers like Steinberg Pro 32.

 More 80s Vibes! Roland D-110 Inspired Collection for Modwave (Volume 2)  1 file(s) 115.43 MB   Download   This new collection of samples and performances brings the classic 80s sound to the Korg Modwave. It includes over 60 performances that recreate the original D-110 sounds, as well as some original performances using the D-110 samples.

This is Volume 1 (L-X) and you can download volume one from this link. The ZIP file contains 66 performances and all the necessary samples. To add them to your Korg Modwave, follow these steps:

Download and unzip the ZIP file.
Use the Korg Sample Editor to transfer the contents to your Modwave, Modwave mkII, Modwave Rack, or Modwave Native.

Inside the ZIP file, you’ll find:

Korg Modwave Performance
Korg Sample Editor Multisamples
Sample Bank
WAV files needed for the collection

Unzip the file and import the “ID-D1102.mwbundle” using your Modwave Librarian. If you already have a sample bank open, launch the Korg Sample Editor and import the multisamples from the “D-110 Sample Bank/Samples” folder. If you don’t have a sample bank yet, open the “D-110 Samples.korgbank” in the Korg Sample Editor and transfer it to your Modwave.

For Modwave Native users, set your Modwave’s user sample folder to the location containing the “ID-D110 Samples.Korgcompiledbank” file.

There are full instructions included in the video where I take you step by step through it.

Wavestate version coming soon!

In the video, I demonstrate the sounds and provide a step-by-step guide on how to import them into your Modwave.

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As well as being great synths, the Korg Modwave and Wavestate can also be used with custom samples, allowing you to incorporate any sound into your synth patches. With 4GB of user sample memory available on both synths, you can truly expand their sonic potential. In this video, I provide a step-by-step guide on how to import your own samples and get them into the synths.

Both synths use Korg Sample Builder, and I walk you through the process of importing WAV files, setting up key zones, and working with loop points. I also demonstrate how to manage your samples and transfer them into the synths. Finally, I show you how to use these samples in the Wavestate and Modwave.

Being able to import custom samples opens up a world of sonic possibilities on both the Wavestate and Modwave, and it’s well worth investing time to learn. On the Wavestate, you can create complex sequences using your own samples, while the Modwave offers rich modulation routing options, enabling you to do things like FM modulation with samples and use the motion sequencers.

User samples on the Modwave and Wavestate are easy to use and unlock a massive world of possibilities.

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Soon, Microsoft will release the Windows 11 2024 Update, also known as the 24H2 update. This update is already available on the new Surface devices with Copilot, but what will it bring to existing Windows 11 users?

While this year’s update may not include the major headline changes we saw in the early days of Windows 10, it does feature some nice improvements to the user experience. In this video, I highlight some key features of the Windows 11 24H2 update, such as new compression formats and improvements to Quick Actions.

The update will be delivered via Windows Update.

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In this session, we dive deep into the world of custom samples on the Korg Modwave and Wavestate.
I’ll show you how to use Korg’s Sample Builder to import WAV files, set up looping, and configure key zones. We’ll then send the samples to the synth and work with them in the synth engine.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to join us next month for more live sound design sessions!

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This is my new collection of sounds for the Korg Wavestate. This set focuses on vintage analog string machines, bringing warm, nostalgic tones to the Wavestate.

You’ll find classic Solina sounds, Mellotron strings, Elka strings, and ARP tones. These sounds evoke the essence of Pink Floyd (think “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”), Vangelis, and more!

The patches take full advantage of the Korg Wavestate’s unique wave sequencing features, as well as its multiple filter models.

Download them for free and enjoy the sounds!

Installation Instructions:

Download and extract the MWbundle file from the zip.
For Korg Modwave hardware:
- Open your Modwave librarian.
- Import the MWbundle file.
For Modwave Native:
- Go to the Library.
- Select “Import” from the menu.

These sounds are compatible with Korg Modwave, Modwave mkII, Modwave Rack, and Modwave Native.

 Vintage Analog Strings: New Sound Collection for Korg Wavestate  1 file(s) 34.27 KB   Download

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Microsoft has been working on a completely new MIDI implementation in Windows 11 based on their new MIDI 2.0 Class driver.

The Windows MIDI Services handles all multi-client operations, meaning no special drivers are needed. It also manages the translation between the MIDI 1.0 data format and the MIDI 1.0 protocol in UMP format, as well as the MIDI 2.0 UMP format.

In this video, Microsoft’s Pete Brown demonstrates controlling a MIDI 1.0 device from a MIDI 2.0 controller, and shows how you can monitor the communication from the Windows services.

The API is still in development and will be available in Windows Insider builds later this year.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! On the show this week Garry and I talk about our new projects, for me a new home theatre audio system and Garry a new medical dispense smart system. We also talk about my new Modwave sound pack, road trips in EV, our Youtube milestone and lots more.

Links to this week’s show:

Home | SynthFest UK
Unlock Massive Analog Sounds: New Korg Modwave Sound Collection
10k Milestone Reached! Heartfelt Thanks to Our Awesome Community!
Unlock New Tones: Free Sound Pack for the Korg ARP 2600 Plugin

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If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Welcome to my new sound collection for the Korg Modwave! The Modwave is a brilliant synth for creating massive analog sounds thanks to its rich and extensive modulation routing. With this collection, I’ve created a set of rich analog sounds, including leads, pads, sequences, and drum tracks.

In the accompanying video, I demonstrate the sounds and explain how I created them, so you’ll also get a lesson on the Modwave itself.

To add these sounds to your Modwave, simply download the zip file, unzip it, and then import them into your Modwave using the Librarian software or directly into the Modwave Native.

 Analog Sounds: New Korg Modwave Sound Collection  1 file(s) 73.93 KB   Download   This pack is compatible with the original Modwave, Modwave Native, Modwave mkII, and Modwave Rack.

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We Did It! 10k Subscribers! Thank You!

A huge thank you to each and every one of you for helping us reach this incredible milestone of 10,000 subscribers! Your support means the world to me and keeps me inspired to create more content that you love.

A special shoutout to those who have gone the extra mile with tips and donations—your generosity fuels my passion for sound design.

There’s plenty more on the way, including new sound packs, in-depth sound design tips, gear reviews, and tech insights. Stay tuned for all the exciting content I have in store!

Download my patches and explore more at:
https://thedigitallifestyle.com

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This week on the show, I am joined by musician and sound designer Marc Barnes. Marc has an amazing collection of sounds for the Korg Modwave, Wavestate, Minilogue, and other synths, including the Hydrasynth.

Marc discusses the different synths required by gigging musicians versus sound designers, how he got into sound design, and how sound design helped him through a very difficult period during COVID.

You can find all of Marc’s sounds at: Home | Marc Barnes Sounds: Home | Marc Barnes Sounds

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If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Welcome to my second set of free sounds for the Korg ARP 2600 plugin. This collection includes screaming leads, Pink Floyd-inspired sequences, brass sounds, pads, lead sounds, and much more. The sounds fully utilize the 2600’s features, and the accompanying video explains the techniques used to create them.

 Sound Pack for the Korg ARP 2600 Plugin Volume 2  1 file(s) 15.39 KB   Download   Korg’s ARP 2600 is a brilliant new recreation of the classic ARP 2600 semi-modular synth, and these sounds will provide you with a fresh palette of tones.

Don’t forget to download volume one!

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In this video, I break down how I recreated the intro to Elton John’s Funeral for a Friend using the new Korg ARP 2600 plugin. The original track, released in 1973, was crafted by engineer David Hentschel on the monophonic modular ARP 2500 synth. In my recreation, I utilized the Korg ARP 2600 plugin to capture the essence of this classic sound.

I used five instances of the Korg ARP 2600 plugin in Cubase and started with a MIDI file from here. As you can hear in the video, I got pretty close to the original sound with the 2600, and I’ve made the sounds available as a free download.

 Elton John’s Funeral For a Friend sound pack for Korg ARP 2600 Plugin  1 file(s) 4.56 KB   Download

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In this video I have recreated the intro of the classic 1973 Elton John track Funeral for a friend. Originally created by engineer David Hentschel on the modular APR 2500 synth this recreation uses the new Korg ARP 2600 plugin.

I used five instances of the Korg ARP 2600 plugin in Cubase and a started with a MIDI file from here. As you can hear I got pretty close with the 2600 and my next video will be a breakdown of how to create the sounds and free downloads of the patches.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week on the show Garry and I catch on the last couple of week’s news. We talk about my new sound pack for the Korg Minilogue and why I created the new sounds for the 2016 synth. Garry digs out some old home movie technology and talks about his new smart home project. We also talk Windows builds and lots more!

Links from this week’s show:

Enhance Your Minilogue: Free Custom Patches for Bells, Leads, and More!
Live Sound Design: Korg Modwave Digital Mastery & Wavestate Analog Magic
Classic 80s Sounds on Your Wavestate: D-110 Sample Pack

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If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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In this video, I’m excited to share my custom patches designed specifically for the Korg Minilogue.

Leveraging the powerful four-voice analog synth engine, I’ve created a diverse range of sounds, including bell tones, expressive leads, deep basses, and re-creations of some iconic synth sounds.

What You’ll Find in This Video:

Sound Demonstrations: Hear each custom patch in action, showcasing the unique character and versatility of the Minilogue.
Import Tutorial: Step-by-step guide on how to easily import these custom sounds into your own Minilogue.
Whether you’re looking to expand your sound palette or just curious to hear what the Minilogue can do, this video has something for every synth enthusiast!

Minilogue: Free Custom Patches for Bells, Leads, and More! 1 file(s) 16.89 KB Download

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Welcome to This Month’s Sound Design Livestream!

In this session, we dive deep into the world of massive digital sounds on the Korg Modwave! Using wavetables and FM synthesis, we explore how to craft bold, futuristic tones that push the boundaries of digital sound design.

But that’s not all—I’ve also turned my attention to the Korg Wavestate, demonstrating how to create lush analog sounds and utilize the powerful wave sequencing capabilities of this versatile synth.

Preview Alert! I gave you a sneak peek at some of my upcoming sound packs for the Modwave, Wavestate, and ARP 2600. Get ready for some fresh, inspiring sounds coming your way soon!

As a special bonus, all the demo sounds created during the show are available as a free download. Grab them now and experiment in your own projects!

 August 2024 Live Stream Download:Korg Modwave Digital Mastery & Wavestate Analog Magic  1 file(s) 11.59 KB   Download   Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to **join us again next month** for more live sound design sessions!

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The Roland D-110 is a classic multitimbral synthesizer released in 1988, known for its iconic 80s sounds such as “Fantasy” and “Atmosphere.” It was a streamlined version of the legendary 1987 Roland D-50, designed for use in studios with sequencers like Steinberg Pro 32.

This new collection of samples and performances brings the classic 80s sound to the Korg Wavestate. It includes over 60 performances that recreate the original D-110 sounds, as well as some original performances using the D-110 samples. You’ll find classic sounds like “Fantasy” and “Atmosphere,” along with choir, piano, brass, flute, and synth sounds. While some of these sounds are distinctly late 80s, many remain highly usable today. Additionally, I’ve recreated the D-110’s full drum kit so you can capture that quintessential 80s vibe.

This is Volume 1 (A-F), with the next set scheduled for release in a few weeks. The ZIP file contains 66 performances and all the necessary samples. To add them to your Korg Wavestate, follow these steps:

Download and unzip the ZIP file.
Use the Korg Sample Editor to transfer the contents to your Wavestate, Wavestate mkII, Wavestate Rack, Wavestate SE, or Wavestate Native.

Inside the ZIP file, you’ll find:

Korg Wavestate Performance
Korg Sample Editor Multisamples
Sample Bank
WAV files needed for the collection

Unzip the file and import the “ID-D110.wsbundle” using your Wavestate Librarian. If you already have a sample bank open, launch the Korg Sample Editor and import the multisamples from the “D-110 Sample Bank/Samples” folder. If you don’t have a sample bank yet, open the “D-110 Samples.korgbank” in the Korg Sample Editor and transfer it to your Wavestate.

 Classic 80s Sounds on Your Wavestate: D-110 Sample Pack  1 file(s) 231.08 MB   Download   For Wavestate Native users, set your Wavestate’s user sample folder to the location containing the “ID-D110 Samples.Korgcompiledbank” file.

There are full instructions included in the video where I take you step by step through it.

Modwave version also available!

In the video, I demonstrate the sounds and provide a step-by-step guide on how to import them into your Wavestate.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast where we discuss my new smart appliances and how they are intergrating into my kitchen. We talk smart bulbs and Google killing Chromecast.

We also talk about the Roland D-110 and lots more.

Classic 80s Sounds on Your Modwave: D-110 Sample Pack
Synth Nostalgia: The Classic Roland D-110 Explored
Yazoo’s Classic Brass Sound on Korg Modwave – Step-by-Step Tutorial!
Join Me for a Korg Modwave / Wavestate Live Stream August 20th 8pm UK / 12pm PST

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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This new collection of samples and performances brings the classic 80s sound to the Korg Modwave. It includes over 60 performances that recreate the original D-110 sounds, as well as some original performances using the D-110 samples. You’ll find classic sounds like “Fantasy” and “Atmosphere,” along with choir, piano, brass, flute, and synth sounds. While some of these sounds are distinctly late 80s, many remain highly usable today. Additionally, I’ve recreated the D-110’s full drum kit so you can capture that quintessential 80s vibe.

This is Volume 1 (A-F), with the next set scheduled for release in a few weeks. The ZIP file contains 66 performances and all the necessary samples. To add them to your Korg Modwave, follow these steps:

Download and unzip the ZIP file.
Use the Korg Sample Editor to transfer the contents to your Modwave, Modwave mkII, Modwave Rack, or Modwave Native.

Inside the ZIP file, you’ll find:

Korg Modwave Performance
Korg Sample Editor Multisamples
Sample Bank
WAV files needed for the collection

Classic 80s Sounds on Your Modwave: D-110 Sample Pack 1 file(s) 233.20 MB Download Unzip the file and import the “ID-D110.mwbundle” using your Modwave Librarian. If you already have a sample bank open, launch the Korg Sample Editor and import the multisamples from the “D-110 Sample Bank/Samples” folder. If you don’t have a sample bank yet, open the “D-110 Samples.korgbank” in the Korg Sample Editor and transfer it to your Modwave.

For Modwave Native users, set your Modwave’s user sample folder to the location containing the “ID-D110 Samples.Korgcompiledbank” file.

There are full instructions included in the video where I take you step by step through it.

Wavestate version coming soon!

In the video, I demonstrate the sounds and provide a step-by-step guide on how to import them into your Modwave.

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In this interactive session, we’ll dive deep into the world of sound design, focusing on both digital and analog synthesis.

I’ll be working with the Korg Modwave to create unique digital sounds and the Korg Wavestate for those rich analog textures. Plus, we’ll explore the art of wave sequencing on the Korg Wavestate!

What to Expect: In-depth sound creation on the Korg Modwave and Wavestate
Techniques for wave sequencing on the Korg Wavestate
A sneak peek at some exciting sound packs I’m currently working on
Live Q&A – your chance to ask questions and share ideas in real-time

Whether you’re a seasoned sound designer or just getting started, this session will be packed with tips, tricks, and hands-on demonstrations to inspire your next project. Don’t miss out on the chance to interact and learn live! Date: 20/08/2024 8pm UK / 12pm PST / 3pm EST / 9pm CET Location: YouTube Live!

Drop your questions and suggestions in the comments below – I look forward to seeing you there!

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Time for another sound design video!

I have created many sound packs for various synths, including packs based on Pink Floyd, Genesis, Vangelis, and Kraftwerk. I have also reproduced classic synths like the Jupiter-8, JX-3P, and Polysix on the Korg Modwave. I have received many requests to explain the process I use for recreating sounds. So far, I have shown how to recreate sounds from a Jen SX1000 on the Modwave, and this time I am going to attempt to recreate the brass sound from Yazoo’s “Don’t Go.”

 Yazoo’s Don’t Go brass sound for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 3.05 KB   Download   Unlike the SX1000 video, I don’t have the original synth in front of me, so this tutorial is done by ear and demonstrates the process I follow when recreating sounds.

Enjoy the video and download the patch for the Modwave.

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This week, Garry and I are joined by Dan Phillips, head of Korg’s R&D, to talk about the new ARP 2600 virtual instrument. Dan explains the background of the ARP 2600 and why Korg chose to recreate it in virtual form.

He details the function of each part of the synth and shares some tricks to get amazing sounds out of it. We also have the opportunity to ask Dan about the next synths to be modeled in the Korg Collection.

Links from this week’s show:

TDL Show #947 – Dan Phillips from Korg R&D – TheDigitalLifestyle.com
Korg Collection 5 – What’s included?
Free sound pack for the new Korg ARP 2600 plugin
Exploring the New Korg ARP 2600 Plugin: Classic Sounds with Modern Features
TDL Podcast Survey 2024
Korg.com

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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In this video, I look at the classic 1988 Roland D-110 Multitimbral synth module. In 1987, Roland released the D-50, which used LA (Linear Arithmetic) synthesis. This synthesis method uses small samples for the attack portion of the sound and traditional subtractive synthesis for the rest of the sound. Since sample memory was very expensive in the 80s, the short attack samples provided a realistic effect without the massive cost of instruments like the Fairlight. The D-50, with its realistic and digital sounds (along with its digital chorus), was a massive hit.

After the release of the D-50, Roland capitalized on its success with the release of the D-20 and D-10 synths, as well as the D-110 module. The synth engine was changed, and the structure was simplified from the D-50, with the chorus being removed. However, what was new was that they were all 8-part multitimbral with a drum section. The D-20 included a multitrack sequencer that could make use of this new feature. The D-10 and D-20 have keyboards, while the D-110 is a rack-mount module designed to be controlled by MIDI. When hooked up to a sequencer like Pro 32 on an Atari ST, the D-110 could be used with 8 tracks of instruments and 1 drum track. This was before the days of digital DAWs, so this was a great feature. As you can hear in the demo, the D-110 is able to produce very nice 80s tones and was only really held back by a very confusing architecture of patches, timbres, and tones.

In the video, I look at the D-110 module, talk about its architecture, and demonstrate its classic 80s sounds. I have sampled all the sounds on the D-110 and plan to release special sound packs for the Korg Modwave and Wavestate soon, so make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel!

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! On the show, we are joined by Microsoft’s Pete Brown to talk about optimizing Windows 11 PCs for music production. Pete discusses what you should and shouldn’t do when setting up a music PC. He shares his tips for getting the most out of your system and explains why it’s all about tailoring the system to your needs rather than chasing numbers.

Pete also explains the different audio standards in Windows and gives us the latest updates on MIDI 2.0 for Windows.

If you are building a Windows PC for music production or want to get the best from your current system, Pete has some great tips and tricks. If you have your own tips, let us know in the comments!

Links from this week’s show:

Unofficial Windows 10 Audio Workstation build and tweak guide – Part 1 – Windows MIDI and Music dev (microsoft.com)
TDL Show #938 – Exploring MIDI 2.0: A Conversation with Microsoft’s Pete Brown on the Windows Integration

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Welcome to my new sound pack for the Korg Wavestate! This is the Korg M1 Collection for the Wavestate, featuring some of the M1’s iconic sounds and the sounds of the ’80s. House organs and pianos, classic choirs, instantly recognizable Universe, and even some classic Korg T1 presets are included.

All the sounds have been handcrafted for the Wavestate by me, going through the factory presets and creating some special sounds using the M1’s sounds, while taking advantage of the Wavestate’s features. The collection is made up of over 60 performances, programs, sequences, and there is even a set list to try.

 The Ultimate Korg M1 Sound Pack for Wavestate  1 file(s) 33.51 KB   Download   To start using the sounds, download the zip file, unzip it, and then import it into your Wavestate using the Wavestate Librarian software or directly into the Wavestate Native.

The pack works with Wavestate, Wavestate mkII, Wavestate Module, Wavestate SE, and Wavestate Native.

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In this video, I review the new LinknLink Smart Home temperature and humidity sensor, as well as the person detection sensor. These are low-cost smart home sensors that can enhance your smart home experience.

The sensors are controlled with your smartphone and support Alexa and Google Home integration. With routines via the app or Alexa, you can use the sensors to trigger smart home actions like turning on heaters or an air conditioner. The sensors are easy to set up and simple to integrate with the rest of your smart home.

The modules available are:

eHub with IR and RF emitters for appliance controls (this will be covered in a future video) (£43.99)
Human Sensor that detects the presence of a person (£15.99)
Temperature and humidity sensor (£19.99)

Amazon links:

eHub: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5H3YKQ8 UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C5H3YKQ8

eMotion: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBBKT35B UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CBBKT35B

eTHS: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CB9TMSZB UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CB9TMSZB

Skimlinks Test

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Welcome to my new Windows 11 hands on video! This video looks at the changes to build 26257 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel.

In the video I look at the new features and the new issues with build 26257.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel. Build 26257 has improvements to File Explorer and a few other minor change.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

In File Explorer you can now duplicate a tab

Other changes and fixes:

[Networking] If you use the netsh wlan show networks* command, you should be able to read SSIDs that are UTF-8 encoded. This means that Wi-Fi SSIDs with Unicode characters (like emojis) should be properly displayed in netsh output. This change is beginning to roll out so not all Insiders in the Canary Channel will see it right away.

[For Developers]* Updated the logic for the “End Task” option in the taskbar so that it no longer shows a Not Responding dialog to give confirmation before ending the task.

[Other]* Updated System Info (msinfo32) to now follow your text size preference under Settings > Accessibility > Text Size.

Fixes[General]* Fixed an underlying issue causing some Insiders to see bugchecks in recent builds citing KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE.

[File Explorer]* Did some work to help address an issue where the address bar dropdown might appear unexpectedly while you were using File Explorer.

[Settings]* Fixed an underlying issue leading to some of the pop-up windows in Settings unexpectedly appearing left aligned, for example, the window for selecting a custom color for Dynamic Lighting.

Known issues[General] [IMPORTANT NOTE]* We are investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. The investigation is ongoing, however if you are impacted by this and really want to get onto the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel today – you can download the latest ISO here and do a clean install and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.

[Windows Sandbox] [NEW*] Windows Sandbox will fail to launch with error 0x80370106.

[Input] [NEW*] We are working on the fix for an issue causing the emoji panel to close when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

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In this video I look at what’s included in the new Korg Collection 5. The original collection was launched back in 2004 as the Korg Legacy Collection with five synths and has now grown to 15 instruments ranging from classic mono synths of 1971 to virtual analogues of 2002 The Korg Collection 5 added three new virtual instruments: The Vox Continental organ, the EP-1 electric piano and the classic 1971 ARP 2600 semi-modular synthesiser. In the video I look at the new instruments in the collection and the other instruments including:

ARP 2600
Vox Continental Organ
EP-1 Electric Piano
microKorg
Electribe
KAOSS Pad
miniKorg 700s
Prophecy
Triton / Triton Extreme
ARP Odyssey
MS-20
Polysix
MonoPoly
M1
Wavestation
MDX-E

If you want a full in-depth video on the new Korg ARP 2600 checkout my other video.

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Welcome to this week’s show where we get old friend of the show Richard Speed to join us to talk about the Crowdstrike issues that hit last week. We discuss what causes the issue and what will be the implications for Microsoft and the IT community. We also have time to catch up the latest EV news and I have news about a new synthesiser from Korg.

Links from this week’s show:

Free sound pack for the new Korg ARP 2600 plugin
Korg launch a new ARP 2600 Semi-modular synth recreation
Exploring the New Korg ARP 2600 Plugin: Classic Sounds with Modern Features
TDL Podcast Survey 2024
New Recovery Tool to help with CrowdStrike issue impacting Windows endpoints

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Welcome to my free sound pack for the brand new Korg ARP 2600 plugin synth. Korg has just released its new plugin version of the classic ARP 2600 as part of the Korg Collection 5. The plugin is a faithful recreation of the ARP 2600, accurately capturing its iconic sound while adding a few extra features like a step sequencer and an effects rack.

This collection features a wide range of sounds for the 2600, including lead sounds, pads, sequences, and some recreations of classic sounds from the likes of Genesis, Vangelis and Yazoo.

 New Korg ARP 2600 Plugin sound pack volume 1  1 file(s) 20.22 KB   Download   In this video, I explain how I designed the sounds and how to import them into your own 2600. So go beyond the presets and download my sounds!

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Korg has just released the Korg Collection 5 which adds a new digital recreation of the classic ARP 2600 semi-modular synth from 1971.

Includes in the bundle are:

New: ARP 2600
New: VOX Super Continental
New: EP-1
microKORG
ELECTRIBE-R
KAOSS PAD
miniKORG 700S
Prophecy
TRITON Extreme
TRITON
ARP ODYSSEY
MS-20
Polysix
M1
WAVESTATION
MDE-X

New to the collection are the VOX Super Continental organ and EP-1 electric piano, but what I am most interested in is the new ARP 2600. The plugin is a faithful recreation of the ARP 2600, accurately capturing its iconic sound while adding a few extra features like a step sequencer and an effects rack.

The 2600 currently costs $99 or you can get the full collection for $399. Upgrades are available from $99. More info from Korg.com.

 New Korg ARP 2600 Plugin sound pack volume 1  1 file(s) 20.22 KB   Download   Here is my hands on with the new Korg ARP 2600, grab my free patch bank!. If you want to know more about the 2600 checkout my interview with head of Korg R&D Dan Phillips.

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Korg has just released its new plugin version of the classic ARP 2600 as part of the Korg Collection 5. The plugin is a faithful recreation of the ARP 2600, accurately capturing its iconic sound while adding a few extra features like a step sequencer and an effects rack.

In this video, I demo the new synth (which is available as both a plugin and standalone) and create some brand-new sounds with it.

The ARP 2600 is a semi-modular synthesizer first introduced in 1971, featuring three VCOs, a ring modulator, and two envelope generators. The Korg version adds a couple of different filter types, a step sequencer, an extra filter, an extra envelope, and multiple effect units. It also includes a range of interesting presets.

Korg’s 2600 was developed by Korg’s R&D team in the US and shares patch management and many effects with the Modwave and Wavestate synths.

While I don’t have a real ARP 2600 to compare it with, the synth sounds great and is really easy to get started with. Once you get into patching it, you can create some amazing sounds.

I have created a special sound pack for the Korg ARP 2600, which is available now!

 New Korg ARP 2600 Plugin sound pack volume 1  1 file(s) 20.22 KB   Download

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We want to know what you want from our podcast. We’ve been around since 2007, and our show has evolved over time, just as the technology we cover and the way people consume podcasts have changed. So, we want to know what topics you’d like us to discuss and how you prefer to access your podcasts.

Please help us by completing our survey and helping us create the podcast you want!

Click here for the survey.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast. Last week we had a live stream (see this link) and this week we are talk about the latest Windows Insider news, music tech news, EV news and a look back at the Sinclair C5.

We also have our new TDL Podcast listeners survey where we want to find out what is important to you about our show. It’s quick to fill in and will really help us tailor the show for you in the future.

Links from this week’s show:

Roland D-110 in Action: 80s Synth Demo
Recreating Classic Synth Sounds: From Jen SX1000 to Korg Modwave
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26252
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26252 for the Canary Channel
TDL Survey

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If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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This is my new set of original patches for the Korg Modwave. The Lo-fi collection features over forty lo-fi and analogue synth sounds that have a warm and grainy quality to them.

The collection includes warm strings, wobbly leads, bells, Jan Hammer leads, and even some FM sounds. I have recreated some classic synths, including the Minimoog, Minilogue, and SX1000. In the video, I demonstrate the techniques I use to recreate these sounds, including making vinyl record effects and fake echo.

 The Lo-Fi Collection: Original Patches for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 71.23 KB   Download   Enjoy the video and download the sound pack!

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This is my demo song made with just the 1988 Roland D-110 Multi-Timbral Sound Module. After the release of the D-50, Roland capitalized on its success with the release of the D-20 and D-10 synths, as well as the D-110 module. The synth engine was changed and the structure was simplified from the D-50, and chorus was removed. However, what was new was that they were all 8-part multitimbral with a drum section. The D-10 and D-20 have a multitrack sequencer that can make use of this new feature. The D-10 and D-20 have keyboards, while the D-110 is a rack mount module designed to be controlled by MIDI. Hooked up to a sequencer like Pro 16 on an Atari ST, the D-110 could be used with 8 tracks of instruments and 1 drum track. This was before the days of digital DAWs, so this was a great feature. As you can hear in the demo, the D-110 is able to produce very nice 80s tones and was only really held back by a very confusing architecture of patches, timbres, and tones. I added chorus and reverb in the DAW. Full video about the D-110 coming soon! I will have a D-110 sound pack for the Korg Modwave and Wavestation in the near future, so subscribe so you don’t miss out!

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I have created many sound packs for various synths, including packs based on Pink Floyd, Genesis, Vangelis, and Kraftwerk. I have also reproduced classic synths like the Jupiter-8, JX-3P, and Polysix on the Korg Modwave. I have had many requests to explain the process I use for recreating sounds, so in this walkthrough, I will go through the process of recreating my 1978 Jen SX1000 on a Korg Modwave.

 Classic Jen SX1000 monosynth sound pack for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 11.85 KB   Download   I start by creating patches on the SX1000 and then recreate the patches by ear on the Modwave. I create a range of sounds on the SX1000, including deep rumbling bass sounds, square lead sounds, and interesting bass sounds, and then recreate them on the Modwave. With this tutorial, you will see how I approach sound design on the 1978 monosynth and then apply the same techniques on the Modwave. Whether you have a Modwave or any other synth, this video will show you the basics of analog synth sound design.

I have included the sounds created during the video as a free download on TheDigitalLifestyle.com.

I hope this video helps you with sound design!

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Regulars of this channel will know I am a big fan of the Korg Modwave and have produced many sound packs for it. So when the Wavestate Module was released, I jumped at the chance to try it out.

The Wavestate Module has the same features as the Wavestate mkII, minus the keyboard. This means it has 120 voices (double the original) and includes all the sounds from both the mkII and SE versions. The front panel has been redesigned to suit the 4U 19″ desktop/rack format. The power button has been moved from the rear to the front, and it includes rack mounting points.

In this video, I unbox the Wavestate Module, update the firmware to the latest version, and connect it to a Korg Keystep to try out MIDI 2.0 Property Exchange and polyphonic aftertouch. I also look at the rear panel to see how it fits in a rack and try out some of the sounds.

This is my first look at the Wavestate Module, and I plan to release sound packs for the synth very soon.

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Microsoft has released build 26120.751 for Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel. This build has many of the change introduced on build 26227 (see my video) and includes a couple of fixes.

Copilot in WindowsWith the release Microsoft are changing Copilot to work as a traditional Windows app, rather than the side bar addin it has been up to now. So you will now have the ability to resize, move, and snap the window. This also means that the special key combination Windows + C has been scrapped.

Linked SettingsMicrosoft have added a new Linked devices page under Settings / Accounts that allows you to manage PCs and Xbox consoles that you are signed in to with your Microsoft account.

FixesFixes for everyone in the Dev Channel[Widgets]* Fixed the issue causing the WIN + W keyboard shortcut to not work correctly and open the Widgets board.

[Other]* This update brings Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for certain mobile operators. * This update addresses an issue that affects the installation of a Windows update. It fails to complete. This occurs when you have to restart your device more than once. * This update addresses an issue that affects a device that uses an enablement KB (EKB). It might stop you from installing a new Windows update.

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I am back with Windows 11 hands on videos and this time its 26227 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Chanel. This build seems a big change to the way that Copilot works within Windows and there are some interesting new fixes.

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Microsoft are back with a build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel. Build 26227 has changes to copilot, updated emojis and new settings

EmojisMicrosoft has added support for Emoji 15.1 (see their blog post for details).

Linked SettingsMicrosoft have added a new Linked devices page under Settings / Accounts that allows you to manage PCs and Xbox consoles that you are signed in to with your Microsoft account.

Other changes and known issues:Fixes for known issues[General]* Fixed an issue believed to be the underlying cause of some Insiders noticing stutters in some animations recently (dropping frames), particularly with Task View. * Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to some apps not starting on startup even though they were enabled as startup apps in Settings. It would show as Suspended in Task Manager, but not appear in the taskbar. * Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to the pop up asking for permission to use location not appearing, which could lead to app issues without location access.

[Windowing]* Fixed an issue related to showing tabs in Alt + Tab, which could lead to frequent explorer.exe crashes if you had a very large number of tabs.

[Widgets]* Fixed the issue causing the WIN + W keyboard shortcut to not work correctly and open the Widgets board.

[Other]* Fixed explorer.exe crashes impacting live captions and voice access.

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This week on the podcast, we have a very special guest. Dan Phillips is the manager of product development at Korg R&D in the US and has worked on various products over his years at Korg, including the Wavestation and OASYS projects, as well as recent devices like the Wavestate and Modwave.

Dan talks about the products he has worked on at Korg and the process of bringing new products to life at the company. He discusses writing the manuals, working with sound developers, and provides a background on the Wavestate and Modwave projects.

Dan also shares insights about new software synths coming from Korg this summer in Korg Collection 5, including the brand new ARP2600 virtual synth. Dan is passionate about synthesizer design and music, and he is great to chat with.

So, get yourself a drink, sit back, and enjoy the brilliant Dan Phillips!

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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On this week’s TDL Show, I have a fascinating interview with Dan Phillips, the Manager of Product Development at Korg R&D in the US. We discuss bringing synths like the Modwave and Wavestate to the market, classic synths like the Wavestation, and the brand-new ARP2600 coming to the Korg Collection 5 later this year.

In this excerpt from the interview, Dan talks about the philosophy of the new ARP2600 synth and other new synths coming to the Korg Collection 5.

The full interview will be out tomorrow (30/05/2024).

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This is volume two of my Fairlight Collection for the Korg Modwave. Volume one focused on strings and vocals; this collection focuses on guitars, bass, and drums.

The CMI Fairlight was a digital synthesizer, sequencer, and sampler from Australia. Its samples became synonymous with 1980s pop music, featuring instantly recognizable sounds used by artists like Thomas Dolby, Peter Gabriel, Jan Hammer, Kate Bush, and many more.

This collection for the Korg Modwave features original Fairlight IIx samples and includes classic sounds. There are crunchy guitars, clean chorus guitars, tons of basses, and a full drum kit.

 Fairlight Collection Vol2: Guitar, Bass and Drums for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 2.77 MB   Download   The ZIP file contains 45 performances and samples. To add them to your Korg Modwave, download the ZIP file, unzip it, and use the Korg Sample Editor to transfer them to your Modwave, Modwave mkII, Modwave Rack, or Modwave Native.

Included in the ZIP are the Korg Modwave Performance, Korg Sample Editor Multisamples, Sample Bank, and the WAV files needed for the collection. Unzip the file and import the “FairlightVol2.mwbundle” from your Modwave Librarian.

If you already have a sample bank open, launch the Korg Sample Editor and import the multisamples from the “Fairlight Samples V1/Multisamples” folder. If you don’t have a sample bank yet, you can open my “Fairlight Samples V2.korgbank” in the Korg Sample Editor and transfer it to your Modwave.

For those with Modwave Native, set your Modwave’s user sample folder to the location containing my “FairlightVol2.Korgcompiledbank” file.

In the video, I demonstrate the sounds and explain how to import them into your Modwave.

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This is volume two of my Fairlight Collection for the Korg Modwave. Volume one focused on strings and vocals; this collection focuses on guitars, bass, and drums.

This collection for the Korg Modwave features original Fairlight IIx samples and includes classic sounds. There are crunchy guitars, clean chorus guitars, tons of basses, and a full drum kit.

 Fairlight Collection Vol2: Guitar, Bass and Drums for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 2.77 MB   Download   The ZIP file contains 45 performances and samples. To add them to your Korg Modwave, download the ZIP file, unzip it, and use the Korg Sample Editor to transfer them to your Modwave, Modwave mkII, Modwave Rack, or Modwave Native.

For those with Modwave Native, set your Modwave’s user sample folder to the location containing my “FairlightVol2.Korgcompiledbank” file.

In the video, I demonstrate the sounds and explain how to import them into your Modwave.

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A package arrived for me yesterday that I am very excited to receive. It’s a synth but which is it any why did I get it?

There will be plenty of sound packs coming for it soon!

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A package arrived for me yesterday that I am very excited to receive. It’s a synth but which is it any why did I get it?

There will be plenty of sound packs coming for it soon!

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Welcome to my brand new sound pack for the Korg Modwave. This collection features classic sounds from one of the most influential electronic music groups of all time. Kraftwerk is a pioneering German electronic music band formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970. The group is widely regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of electronic music, and their innovative approach has had a profound impact on a variety of music genres, including synthpop, hip-hop, and techno.

This sound pack includes sounds from various eras of Kraftwerk, including “Autobahn,” “Computer World,” “The Model,” and many others. Additionally, there are sounds inspired by Kraftwerk for use in your own tracks. There are over 40 performances exclusively for the Korg Modwave, Modwave Native, Modwave mkII, and Modwave Module.

 Korg Modwave: Kraftwerk Sound Pack  1 file(s) 68.07 KB   Download   To get started with this collection, download the zip file, unzip it, and then import the bundle file into your Korg Modwave Librarian or directly into Modwave Native.

In this video, I demonstrate the sounds and explain how I went about recreating the iconic sounds.

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 Korg Modwave: Kraftwerk Sound Pack  1 file(s) 68.07 KB   Download   To get started with this collection, download the zip file, unzip it, and then import the bundle file into your Korg Modwave Librarian or directly into Modwave Native.

In this video, I demonstrate the sounds and explain how I went about recreating the iconic sounds.

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Today at Microsoft’s AI event, Microsoft unveiled two new Surface devices, this time aimed at consumers. The new 11th gen Surface Pro and Surface Laptop feature OLED displays and are powered by Snapdragon® X Elite and Plus processors.

Surface ProMicrosoft says the new Surface Pro is 90% faster than the Surface Pro 9, thanks to its ARM-powered processor. It has a 13-inch OLED display, Wi-Fi 7, and can drive up to three 4K external monitors. It weighs 895 g and starts at £1,049 for the X Plus version with an LCD display. For the OLED display, prices start at £1,549.

Surface LaptopThe new Surface Laptop comes in 13.8-inch and 15-inch models. Microsoft says it is 86% faster than the Surface Laptop 5 and offers Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite options. Prices start at £1,049.

As with all things Microsoft these days, the devices include AI features such as improved search, AI image creation, and live captions. The new Surface is Microsoft’s thinnest Surface screen but it does drop pen support on the device.

More details at Microsoft’s Surface page.

Surface Pro Specs:Processor Snapdragon® X Plus and Snapdragon® X Elite*

NPU Qualcomm® Hexagon* with 45 trillion operations per second

Graphics Qualcomm® Adreno GPU*

Memory and Storage Memory options: 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5x RAM * Storage options*: Removable Gen 4 SSD with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB

Display Surface Pro with OLED display: + 13-inch PixelSense Flow touchscreen + Resolution: 2880 x 1920 (267 PPI) + Contrast ratio: 1M:1 + Dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz + Colour profiles: sRGB and Vivid + Dolby Vision IQ support + Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5 * Surface Pro with LCD display*: + 13-inch PixelSense Flow touchscreen + Resolution: 2880 x 1920 (267 PPI) + Contrast ratio: 1200:1 + Dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz + Colour profiles: sRGB and Vivid + Dolby Vision IQ support + Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5

Battery Life Surface Pro Wi-Fi*: + Up to 14 hours of local video playback + Up to 10 hours of active web usage

Size and Weight Dimensions: + Length: 287 mm (11.3 inches) + Width: 208 mm (8.2 inches) + Height: 9.3 mm (0.37 inches) * Weight*: 895 g (1.97 lbs)

Security* Enhanced security with Microsoft Pluton TPM 2.0 * Windows 11 Secured-core PC * Windows Hello face authentication * Microsoft Defender pre-installed

Video/Cameras Front-facing Camera: 1440p Quad HD with ultra-wide field of view * Rear-facing Camera*: 10.5 MP Ultra HD * Windows Studio Effects with various features

Audio* 2 W stereo speakers with Dolby® Atmos® * Support for Bluetooth® LE Audio

Microphones* Dual Studio Mics with voice focus

Connections (Ports)* 2 x USB-C® / USB4® ports + Charging, Data transfer, DisplayPort 2.1 + Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock support + Fast charging with 65 W power supply * Surface Pro Keyboard port * Surface Connect port * NanoSIM

Network and Connectivity* Wi-Fi 7 * Bluetooth® Wireless 5.4 technology

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More details at Microsoft’s Surface page.

Surface Pro Specs:Processor Snapdragon® X Plus and Snapdragon® X Elite*

NPU Qualcomm® Hexagon* with 45 trillion operations per second

Graphics Qualcomm® Adreno GPU*

Memory and Storage Memory options: 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5x RAM * Storage options*: Removable Gen 4 SSD with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB

Battery Life Surface Pro Wi-Fi*: + Up to 14 hours of local video playback + Up to 10 hours of active web usage

Size and Weight Dimensions: + Length: 287 mm (11.3 inches) + Width: 208 mm (8.2 inches) + Height: 9.3 mm (0.37 inches) * Weight*: 895 g (1.97 lbs)

Security* Enhanced security with Microsoft Pluton TPM 2.0 * Windows 11 Secured-core PC * Windows Hello face authentication * Microsoft Defender pre-installed

Video/Cameras Front-facing Camera: 1440p Quad HD with ultra-wide field of view * Rear-facing Camera*: 10.5 MP Ultra HD * Windows Studio Effects with various features

Audio* 2 W stereo speakers with Dolby® Atmos® * Support for Bluetooth® LE Audio

Microphones* Dual Studio Mics with voice focus

Network and Connectivity* Wi-Fi 7 * Bluetooth® Wireless 5.4 technology

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The Korg Modwave has a very interesting and powerful set of filters that enable you to create a rich range of sounds. You can filter the basic waveforms, wavetables, and samples, and use the custom filters to create interesting and varied sounds.

Join me on 21/05/2024 at 8pm UK / 12pm PST for a sound design live stream where I will delve into the world of filters on the Modwave. We will explore creating patches and trying different input sources. I hope to see you there!

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! On the show, we talk about the new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders, speculate about what we will see at Microsoft’s Build 2024 show, and discuss the latest news in electric vehicles and music technology.

Links from this week’s show:

Korg Wavestate: Akai AX73 Sound Pack
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212 for the Canary Channel
Home | Windows Insider Blog

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Microsoft has just released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel. The build only has a couple of minor changes and doesn’t have any new features (so no build video this week).

Here are the changes:

Changes and Improvements[General]* This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

Fixes for known issues[Settings]* Fixed an issue where after using the Disable button for a camera under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras, the Enable button wouldn’t work. * Fixed an issue where the text showing the color filters keyboard shortcut was missing from Settings > Accessibility > Color filters.

[Widgets]* The WIN + W keyboard shortcut may not work correctly and open the Widgets board on Build 26212.

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The Akai AX73 is a somewhat forgotten gem of an analog synth. Featuring six voices that can be used in poly mode, dual mode, or mono mode, stacking all six Voltage-Controlled Oscillators (VCOs), it boasts a 24 dB/oct VCF filter and intriguing modulation routing that gives it a unique sound.

Recently, I gained access to a vast selection of AX73 multi-samples and created a set of performances for the Korg Modwave with them. I thought it would be of interest to Korg Wavestate users as well, so I have created this sound pack for the Wavestate. This sound pack comprises over 50 performances for the Wavestate, utilizing the original samples from the AX73 that I’ve meticulously created multi-samples with. Most of them are single multi-sample performances, and some are wave sequences.

The collection features an array of captivating sounds, ranging from deep basses to resonant filter sweeps and warm string sounds.

To get started, simply download the zip file, unzip it, and import the bundle file into your Wavestate, Wavestate Rack, Wavestate SE, or Wavestate Native. If you already have a sample bank, launch the Korg Sample Editor and import the multi-samples from the “ID-AX73_V1/Multisamples” folder. If you don’t yet have a sample bank, you can open my “Akai AX73 V1.korgbank” in the Korg Sample Editor and transfer it to your Wavestate.

 Korg Wavestate: Akai AX73 Sound Pack  1 file(s) 248.51 MB   Download   For more information on working with samples and the Modwave and Wavestate, check out my how-to video: Importing Custom Samples into Korg Modwave and Wavestate Synthesizers (with free Fairlight sound) (youtube.com)

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212 for Windows Insiders on Canary Channel. This build has some new sharing features and a number of fixes to the OS. In the video I also go through the known issues.

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This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Gary Comerford from the EV Musing podcast, who shares insights into dispelling some common myths surrounding electric vehicle (EV) ownership. Additionally, we delve into the latest developments with Windows 11 builds, and I’m excited to share details about my upcoming album.

Tune in and enjoy this week’s show!

Links:

The EV Musings Podcast
The Little Book of EV myths
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.461 for the Dev Channel
Mastering Set Lists: Unlocking the Power of Korg Keystage with Modwave and Wavestate
Unleashing the Forgotten Gem: Akai AX73 Sounds for Korg Modwave
“Optimistic?” is available on most streaming services, including Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel. Build 26212 has some new sharing features. copilot updates and some fixes for known issues.

Windows ShareYou can now create a QR codes for URLs and cloud linked files through Windows share. You can try it out by clicking the share button in the Edge toolbar and selecting “Windows share options”

Also there is:

To prevent accidentally closing the Windows share window, clicking outside the Windows share window will no longer close it. To close the Windows share window, just press the close button at the top right corner.
If your Microsoft account uses a Gmail address, you can now send email to yourself from Windows share window and receive it in your Gmail account.

Other Changes, fixes and known issuesFixes for known issues[General]* We fixed the issue causing advanced startup options to not work. This also fixes the progress wheel from not showing when booting. * We believe we fixed the issue causing Features on Demand (FODs) to not install.

[Copilot in Windows] We are rolling out a fix for the issue causing Copilot to auto-launch unexpectedly for Windows Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels after restarting their PCs. This issue was unrelated to the auto-launching experience we tried out with Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels in early February which we stopped rolling out in March.

[Taskbar & System Tray]* Fixed an issue that caused the taskbar to be partially off the screen on secondary monitors. * Fixed an issue that caused Narrator to be silent while rearranging your apps on taskbar.

[File Explorer]* Fixed an issue which was causing File Explorer to sporadically crash when using path suggestions in the address bar. * Fixed an issue which could cause File Explorer to crash sometimes when going from the search box to the body of File Explorer.

[Windowing]* Fixed a couple DWM crashes, which could cause the screen to appear to flash.

[Other]* Fixed an issue that was causing some people to repeatedly see a message saying live captions were being missed. * Fixed an underlying issue which was causing Visual Studio to fail to debug x64 .NET framework console applications (the app would crash in ntdll.dll upon load).

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Welcome to my new sound pack for the Korg Modwave: The Berlin / Ambient Set. This collection features soundscapes, atmospheric tones, and sequenced sounds. I struggled to come up with a name, so “Berlin / Ambient” it is!

The set exclusively utilizes the built-in waveforms and samples of the Korg Modwave; no additional samples are needed. You’ll find sounds inspired by rhythmic bass sequences in the Berlin and Tangerine Dream style, as well as soundscape textures, digital sweeps, and ambient floating tones. Some of the sounds were crafted during our recent live stream sound design session on YouTube.

 The Berlin / Ambient Set for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 99.39 KB   Download   Included are 47 performances and 19 programs that you can use alongside your own sound design endeavours.

In the accompanying video, I demonstrate the sounds and share the sound design principles behind the performances. This will empower you to create your own intriguing sounds.

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Microsoft is back with Windows Insider builds for the Dev Channel. An enablement package will now upgrade the builds on 24H2 as Microsoft get ready to release the upgrade later this year.

The upgrades rolling out to all devices with the latest update switch on is:

This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

For all devices on the Dev Channel there is:

Over the last few months, we’ve been trying out different experiences for Copilot in Windows (Preview) with Windows Insiders across the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels. Some of these experiences include the ability for Copilot in Windows to act like a normal application window and the taskbar icon animating to indicate that Copilot can help when you copy text or images. We have decided to pause the rollouts of these experiences to further refine them based on user feedback. Copilot in Windows will continue to work as expected while we continue to evolve new ideas with Windows Insiders.

There is one fix for all devices:

We are rolling out a fix for the issue causing Copilot to auto-launch unexpectedly for Windows Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels after restarting their PCs. This issue was unrelated to the auto-launching experience we tried out with Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels in early February which we stopped rolling out in March.

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After many months of work, my new electronic music album is out! “Optimistic?” features 11 synthwave/1980s-based instrumental songs. Influenced by 80s synth-pop, the songs were all written and recorded at home over the last six months.

Most of the sounds come from my Korg Modwave and feature sounds from the many Modwave sound packs I have released over the last few months, including sounds where I channelled the sound of classic 80s synthesizers. Also used on the album were a classic Yamaha TX7, Solina String Ensemble, Korg Minilogue, Jen SX1000, and Uno Drums.

“Optimistic?” is available on most streaming services, including Spotify, Amazon, Apple, and YouTube Music.

Track Details:

“Optimistic?”: An upbeat track with 80s dance influences, with all the synth sounds coming from the Modwave.
“Fall at Your Feet”: A track for the summer, featuring classic Yamaha DX7 sounds (provided by my TX7, a desktop version of the DX7), Simmons drums fills, and Modwave leads.
“See You There”: Back to the mid-’80s with a LIN drum kit, DX bass, Fairlight sounds, and a hint of Pet Shop Boys.
“Up and Down”: A mellow track with warm synth sounds and bright digital sounds provided by the Modwave.
“Wanting”: Big snare sounds and octave bass take you back to the ’80s.
“Hint of a Groove”: Solina strings, DX lead, and a disco drum beat in the second part of the track.
“No Time Left”: A new version of a track recorded in 2020 that channels ’80s synth-pop, with a Korg Minilogue providing the analog sounds.
“On Again”: Upbeat and lots of DX electric piano!
“Live in ’89”: A bit of a tribute to late-’80s Tangerine Dream, where not all their live tracks were actually live. Featuring Korg Wavestation sounds (from my Modwave Wavestation collection).
“Night Disco”: Solina strings take you to a dance track with analog sounds and even a disco pew-pew sound.
“First Move”: Big drums, synth stabs finish the album off with an upbeat track.

I hope you give it a listen! You can download my sound sets from our downloads page.

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The Korg Keystage is a brilliant MIDI 2.0 controller for controlling hardware and software synthesizers, especially Korg’s own Modwave and Wavestate. With MIDI 2.0, there is bidirectional transmission of data, so you get real-time display of the synth’s patch name and its parameters.

On the front panel of the Keystage is a rotary control that you can use to scroll through the synth’s patch names. When you hook up the Keystage to Korg’s Wavestate or Modwave, scrolling through the patches with the dial at first seems like it’s going in a random order. It doesn’t go through the patches in the order that they are listed on the patch list of the synth, and to a new user, it can be a bit confusing.

Actually, it’s really simple. The dial goes through a Set List in sequence. You can have multiple set lists and select the active one on the synth. With the Wavestate and Modwave Librarian software (or directly on the Native versions), you can easily create and edit set lists.

In this video, I show you how to create your own set lists and use them with the Korg Keystage.

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Welcome to this week’s show where Garry and I catch up on the news. We talk about the new builds of Windows 11 and why its been quiet on the build front. We talk about the changes going on in the EV world and the new sounds I have been working on.

Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200 (Canary Channel)
Sounds Design on the Korg Modwave Live Stream
Fairlight Collection Vol1: Strings, Brass & Vocal for the Korg Modwave
Fairlight Collection Vol1: Strings, Brass & Vocal for the Korg Wavestate
Unleashing the Forgotten Gem: Akai AX73 Sounds for Korg Modwave

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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I recently gained access to a vast selection of AX73 multi-samples, which I’ve now brought into the world of the Modwave. This sound pack comprises over 50 performances for the Modwave, utilizing the original samples from the AX73 that I’ve meticulously created multi-samples with. To prevent overwhelming the user sample space on the Modwave, I’ve included only one or two samples per multi-sample, resulting in a complete collection of just 135 MB.

The collection features an array of captivating sounds, ranging from deep basses to resonant filter sweeps and warm string sounds.

To get started, simply download the zip file, unzip it, and import the bundle file into your Modwave, Modwave Rack, Modwave mkII, or Modwave Native. If you already have a sample bank, launch the Korg Sample Editor and import the multi-samples from the “ID-AX73_V1/Multisamples” folder. If you don’t yet have a sample bank, you can open my “Akai AX73 V1.korgbank” in the Korg Sample Editor and transfer it to your Modwave.

 Akai AX73 Sounds Pack for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 248.49 MB   Download   For more information on working with samples and the Modwave, check out my how-to video: Importing Custom Samples into Korg Modwave and Wavestate Synthesizers (with free Fairlight sound) (youtube.com)

If you own a Korg Wavestate and would like a version for your machine, please let me know!

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Introducing my first collection for the Korg Wavestate! Featuring original Fairlight IIx samples, dive into classic sounds like the orchestral hit and ARR1, alongside iconic samples from hits like Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” and Yes’s “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” as well as countless ’80s classics.

If you have a Korg Modwave I have a version of the Fairlight Collection Vol1 for the Modwave.

The Fairlight CMI was a groundbreaking digital synthesizer, sequencer, and sampler hailing from Australia. Its samples became emblematic of 1980s pop music, featuring instantly recognizable sounds favored by artists such as Thomas Dolby, Peter Gabriel, Jan Hammer, Kate Bush, and many more.

Introduced in 1982 at an eye-watering price of £30,000 (equivalent to more than a house at the time), the Fairlight IIx boasted 8-bit samples and a 32kHz sample rate. It was capable of reproducing sounds that were previously impossible to create on analog synths of the era.

 Fairlight Collection Vol1: Strings, Brass & Vocal for the Korg Wavestate  1 file(s) 6.14 MB   Download   The ZIP file contains 50 performances and samples. To incorporate them into your Korg Wavestate, simply download the ZIP file, unzip it, and use the Korg Sample Editor to transfer them to your Wavestate, Wavestate SE, Wavestate Rack, or Wavestate Native.

Included in the ZIP are the Korg Wavestate Performances, Korg Sample Editor Multisamples, Sample Bank, and the WAV files required for the collection. Unzip the file and import the “FairlightVol1.wsbundle” using your Wavestate Librarian.

If you already have a sample bank open, launch the Korg Sample Editor and import the multisamples from the “Fairlight Samples V1/Multisamples” folder. If you don’t have a sample bank yet, you can open my “Fairlight Samples V1.korgbank” in the Korg Sample Editor and transfer it to your Wavestate.

For those with Wavestate Native, set your Wavestate’s user sample folder to the location containing my “FairlightVol1.Korgcompiledbank” file.

That’s it! You’re now ready to journey back to the ’80s with your Fairlight!

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The Fairlight IIx was introduced in 1982 at the staggering price of £30,000 (more than a house at the time). It boasted 8-bit samples and a 32kHz sample rate, capable of reproducing sounds that were impossible to create on analog synths of the era.

This collection for the Korg Modwave features original Fairlight IIx samples and includes classic sounds like the orchestral hit and ARR1. Among the sounds are those from Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” Yes’s “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” and countless ’80s hits.

The ZIP file contains 47 performances and samples. To add them to your Korg Modwave, download the ZIP file, unzip it, and use the Korg Sample Editor to transfer them to your Modwave, Modwave mkII, Modwave Rack, or Modwave Native.

 The Fairlight Collection Vol1: Strings, Brass and Vocal for the Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 5.83 MB   Download   If you already have a sample bank open, launch the Korg Sample Editor and import the multisamples from the “Fairlight Samples V1/Multisamples” folder. If you don’t have a sample bank yet, you can open my “Fairlight Samples V1.korgbank” in the Korg Sample Editor and transfer it to your Modwave.

For those with Modwave Native, set your Modwave’s user sample folder to the location containing my “FairlightVol1.Korgcompiledbank” file.

That’s it! You’re now ready to journey back to the ’80s with your Modwave!

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Welcome to our live sound design event. In this session I am delving into sound design on the Korg Modwave, I am looking at creating vibrant leads, using the motion sequencer and working with your own custom samples.

So join us at 8pm (UK) 23/04/2024 for our live session. I look forward to seeing you there!

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Welcome to my quick look at Windows 11 build 26200 for Windows Insiders on the Windows Canary Channel. The Dev and Canary Channel have diverged and the Canary build goes on to a new branch.

The build has the return of the watermark and a couple of minor changes.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 as the Canary channel diverges from the Dev channel. Build 26200 has a few changes as Microsoft split it off ready for future development.

Here are the main changes:

Fixes and changesFixes for known issues[Taskbar & System Tray]* Fixed an issue that caused a dead zone you couldn’t click inside of next to the notification center. * Fixed an issue that was causing the page icons in quick settings to not work in secondary settings pages. * Fixed an issue where keyboard focus wasn’t shifting to the top item of the new page correctly after switching pages in quick settings.

[Input]* Fixed a tabtip.exe crash, which could impact the ability to input text.

[Windowing]* Fixed an issue which could cause RemoteApp windows to get cut off when using 200% scaling.

[Multiple Desktops]* Fixed an issue where the option to set a different wallpaper on each desktop wasn’t working.

[Copilot in Windows] [NEW] We are aware of reports by Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels that Copilot is auto-launching unexpectedly after restarting their PCs. We hope to have a fix for this issue soon and is unrelated to the auto-launching experience we tried out with Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels in early February which we stopped rolling out in March. * Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application. * Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window.

Reminders for Windows Insiders The builds we release to the Canary Channel should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows and features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready. * Many features in the Canary Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel. * To get off the Canary Channel, a clean install of Windows 11 will be required. As a reminder – Insiders can’t switch to a channel that is receiving builds with lower build numbers without doing a clean installation of Windows 11 due to technical setup requirements. * The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for these pre-release builds. * Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel. * Copilot in Windows in preview is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders in select global markets. The initial markets for the Copilot in Windows preview include North America, United Kingdom and parts of Asia and South America. It is our intention to add additional markets over time.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! On the show this week Garry and I talk about issues with 12v batteries in EVs, I ask why we haven’t had a new build of Windows 11 in a while, we Microsoft unblocking Windows 11 upgrades for some devices and my samples with automated tools.

Links from this week’s show:

Exploring Sound Design: Join Me for a Korg Modwave Live Stream Adventure!
Importing Custom Samples into Korg Modwave and Wavestate Synthesizers (with free Fairlight sound)
Experience the Pink Floyd Sound: Free Collection for Korg Modwave

Make sure you join us on the our live stream next Tuesday, live on YouTube.

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Over the years, Tony Banks and Genesis have crafted some iconic sounds featured in classic tracks like “Watcher of the Sky,” “Behind the Lines,” “Cinema Show,” “Invisible Touch,” and “Abacab.”

These legendary sounds originated from iconic instruments such as the Mellotron, ARP Pro Soloist and Quadra, Korg Wavestation, and Yamaha DX7. Inspired by the classic sounds of Genesis and Tony Banks, this collection for the Korg Modwave features 36 performances of classic sounds spanning from Foxtrot to Calling All Stations.

Included are Mellotron sounds, ARP Pro Soloist, ARP Quadra, organs, DX7, and Korg Wavestation sounds. Download the ZIP file and import it into the Modwave, Modwave Native, Modwave mkII, or Modwave Rack.

 The Genesis Collection the for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 68.89 KB   Download   Be sure to check out my other free sound packs for the Korg Modwave, including Pink Floyd, Vangelis, string machines, and other synth sets.

Here are the sounds in action:

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I’ve been diving deep into sound design on the Korg Modwave lately, and I’ve received numerous requests for various sounds. This got me thinking—why not host a live stream on YouTube focused on sound design with the Korg Modwave?

Join me on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024, at 8pm UK time / 12pm PST / 9pm CET for an exciting live stream session. I’ll be demonstrating how to create sounds from scratch on the Modwave and incorporating custom samples.

During the stream, I’ll tackle creating CS80/Vangelis-style lead sounds, crafting smooth Pink Floyd-style pads, and even developing a custom Fairlight sound. Additionally, I’d love to hear your suggestions for sounds to explore during the stream. Leave a comment letting me know what types of sounds you’d like to see me create on the Modwave.

UPDATE: This is the live stream event

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel to receive notifications for this event and other exciting content!

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One of the great features of the Korg Modwave and Korg Wavestate is the ability to import your own custom samples into the synths. This allows you to use custom WAV files in your performances.

This guide will walk you through the process of importing and transferring multisamples into the Modwave and Wavestate, including Modwave Native and Wavestate Native. Understanding this process is essential, especially as I have some interesting custom sample sets coming soon for the Modwave and Wavestate.

In a few weeks, I will be releasing a custom sound pack for the Modwave and Wavestate based on the classic 1980s Fairlight. This means you will be able to play the iconic 1980s sounds used by artists like Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Pet Shop Boys, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and many others.

This guide provides instructions for importing multisamples. To get you started, I’ve included a free Fairlight sound (the famous “arrhh” sound) in the ZIP file. It contains the raw sample file, Korg multisample files, and files for the native versions. Simply download the file, unzip it, and use the Korg Sample Editor to transfer the sounds to the Modwave and Wavestate.

This process is compatible with the Modwave (Modwave Native, Modwave Rack, Modwave, and Modwave mkII) and Wavestate (Wavestate Native, Wavestate Rack, Wavestate, Wavestate mkII, and Wavestate SE).

 Custom Fairlight "Arr" sound for the Korg Modwave and Korg Wavestate  1 file(s) 40.40 KB   Download   Download the files, follow the guide, and stay tuned for a full set of Fairlight patches soon. I also have some other sample sets in the works!

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This week on the show, we are joined by Chris Minasians to talk about in-car audio systems. Our car entertainment systems are as complex as our home entertainment systems now, and Chris explains the changes in car technology, especially with the increase of EVs. We discuss the trends, the best systems, and how manufacturers are integrating systems from Apple and Google.

Links from the show:

TotallyEV – Independent EV reviews

Listen Here (download mp3)

If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Welcome to the Pink Floyd Collection for the Korg Modwave! This selection of performances recreates the iconic sounds of Pink Floyd. Experience the haunting strings and mesmerizing lead sounds from ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond.’ Immerse yourself in the legendary sequence of ‘On the Run’ from ‘Dark Side of the Moon,’ along with classic tones from ‘Animals,’ ‘The Wall,’ ‘Momentary Lapse of Reason,’ and ‘The Division Bell.’

Explore a diverse range of pads, leads, pianos, organs, and sound effects meticulously crafted for your creative journey.

Download the set for free, unzip the file, and import it into your Modwave, Modwave Native, Modwave Rack, or Modwave mkII.

 Pink Floyd Sounds: Free Collection for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 47.40 KB   Download

Get ready to embark on a sonic adventure inspired by Pink Floyd’s timeless music!

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Welcome to a quick Windows 11 Insider Preview build video. In this video I look at the changes to build 26100 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Dev and Canary Channels. As Microsoft get closer to the completion of Windows 11 24H2 this build doesn’t have any new features but it does have fixes. Also, in the video I look at the known issues with build 26100.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary and Dev Channels. There are only fixes with this build as Microsoft get closes to finishing the 24H2 update.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

Here are the changes:

Fixes for known issues

[General]

Made another fix to address the issue causing shutdown and hibernate to not work in the latest builds.
Fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders seeing error 0x80240067 when trying to download app updates from Microsoft Store or Windows updates in Settings in the latest builds.

[Copilot in Windows*]

With the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window, we have fixed the issue that prevented the ability to bring focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (ex: by using tab to cycle through buttons).

[Windowing]

Fixed a DWM crash impacting some Insiders in the latest flights (this could result in you seeing your screen flash black).

Known issues

[General]

[IMPORTANT NOTE] We are investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. The investigation is ongoing, however if you are impacted by this and really want to get onto the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel today – you can download the latest ISO here and do a clean install and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.

[Copilot in Windows*]

Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application.
Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window.
When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot usually fixes this issue.

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Welcome to my latest Korg Modwave collection! This is the 1970s String Machines collection for the Modwave. Back in the early 1970s, polyphonic synthesizers were extremely expensive, heavy, and unreliable. Musicians wanted a simple machine for recreating the expensive real string sections.

This led to a range of instruments that produced lush ensemble-sounding machines, which were based on organ-style divide-down technology. While they were ultimately replaced by affordable poly synths, they still have a unique sound.

This collection recreates the classic sounds of the Solina String Ensemble, Korg Delta, Korg Trident (a multi-instrument machine with a string section), Roland VP-330 (with Human Voice Choir sound), and Elka sounds.

There are over 40 performances and programs enabling you to recreate the string sounds of Jean-Michel Jarre, Pink Floyd, and Vangelis. There are string sounds, vocal sounds, and even Celeste and the occasional brass sound.

 1970s String Machines Collection for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 55.55 KB   Download   To get started with the sounds, simply download the zip file, open it up, and import the bundle file into the Modwave, Modwave MkII, Modwave Rack, or Modwave Native.

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In this video I look at the changes to the new build of Windows 11:26090. This build has a great new change to the widgets system and some handy fixes. In the video I also look at the known issues with build 26090.

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Microsoft has just released new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Dev and Canary Channels. Build 26090 has widget improvements, SMB changes and other improvements.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

WidgetsThe Widgets board has changes to the navigation bar down the left hand side enabling you to switch between your widgets and the news feed.

SMBThe latest server message block (SMB) protocol changes include updates for SMB over QUIC, signing, and encryption. Administrators can now disable the SMB over QUIC client using Group Policy or PowerShell. Additionally, successful SMB over QUIC client connection events are logged in the event log. Auditing for SMB signing and encryption support is also introduced, allowing administrators to monitor third-party clients or servers lacking SMB encryption or signing support. Auditing settings can be configured using PowerShell or Group Policy, with events logged accordingly for analysis.

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues with the build:

Changes and Improvements

[General]

The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is not present in this build and will return in future Insider Preview builds. This is part of our normal process for preparing Windows 11, version 24H2 for release to customers later this year – but does not mean we’re done. Windows 11, version 24H2, will be this year’s annual feature update.As mentioned here, Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year.

[Copilot in Windows*]

You can ask Copilot in Windows (in preview) for help ten times when you sign in to Windows using a local account. After that, you must sign in using a Microsoft account (MSA) or a Microsoft Entra IDaccount (formerly Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)). To sign in, use the link in the dialog that appears in Copilot in Windows. If you do not sign in, some Copilot features might not work. To learn more, see Welcome to Copilot in Windows and Manage Copilot in Windows.

[Settings]

The redesigned version of the Delivery Optimization settings page under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization that was first introduced in Build 25987 has been reverted to the previous design starting with Build 26085. We plan to bring back this redesigned settings page in a future flight after fixing some bugs. Thanks to Insiders for all the feedback on this!

Fixes for known issues

[General]

Fixed an issue which was causing video stutters in some apps (and possibly impacting FPS in some games) in the previous flight.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an explorer.exe crash that was impacting taskbar reliability.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see File Explorer unexpectedly using the previous design and have no tabs in the latest builds.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where Task Manager was holding onto process handles sometimes, leading to processes not stopping when you closed apps if you’d had Task Manager open.

[Windowing]

Fixed an underlying issue which was causing the bottom half of secondary monitors to be unusable sometimes in recent builds (app windows wouldn’t maximize to that area).
Fixed an explorer.exe crash which was happening for some Insiders recently when dragging windows.

Known issues

[General]

[IMPORTANT NOTE] We are investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. The investigation is ongoing, however if you are impacted by this and really want to get onto the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel today – you can download the latest ISO here and do a clean install and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.
[NEW] We’ve seen some Insiders report that shutdown is still not working on their PCs after Build 26085 and are working on a fix.

[Copilot in Windows*]

Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application.
Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window.
When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot usually fixes this issue.
With the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window, you may not be able to bring focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (ex: by using tab to cycle through buttons).

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This week we catch up on the news. We talk about wavetables, building music PCs, new Windows 11 builds new Microsoft Surfaces and the latest EV news.

Links from this week’s show:

Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26085 for Canary and Dev Channels
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26085
Blade Runner Inspired: CS80 Sounds for Korg Modwave | New Collection Release!

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Introducing my brand new sound collection for the Korg Modwave! This collection draws inspiration from the classic sounds of the Yamaha CS80, famously used by Vangelis for the iconic 1982 Blade Runner soundtrack.

Included in this collection are performances and programs featuring the legendary Blade Runner CS80 synth. Additionally, you’ll find CS80 string and brass synths, massive atmospheric sounds, and selections from Jon & Vangelis sounds.

 Blade Runner Inspired: CS80 Sounds for Korg Modwave  1 file(s) 44.84 KB   Download   The Yamaha CS80 stands as a pinnacle of analogue synthesis, renowned for its rich and expressive sounds. With two analogue oscillators per voice, polyphonic aftertouch, performance controls, and a ribbon controller, it has left an indelible mark on the world of music. Beyond Vangelis, it has been utilized by artists such as Chicago, Kraftwerk, Simple Minds, Paul McCartney, Toto, Tony Banks, and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

This collection aims to capture the essence of Blade Runner, Vangelis, and the CS80 itself. Simply download the zip file, unpack it, and import the sounds into your Korg Modwave, Modwave Native, Modwave Rack, or Modwave mkII. Immerse yourself in the evocative world of Blade Runner with these timeless sounds.

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Welcome to a short Windows 11 hands on video. This time I look at the build 26085 for Windows Insiders on the Dev and Canary channels. This build has a couple of changes and fixes which I look at in the video and I also look at the new known issues to watch out for when trying out this latest Windows Insider builds.

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This week on the show we have sound designer and wavetable expert Keith Crosley. Keith has a massive collection of Wavetables available for use with modern Wavetable synths like the Serum and Korg’s Modwave. Keith is going to talk about wavetable synthesis, the history of wavetables and how they are used in music today. Keith also talks about how we got into producing wavetables and how he generates them.

Links from this week’s show:

Wavetables.lol (gumroad.com)
I Created AI Models to Generate 40,000+ Wavetables – Available Now in KRC Mathwaves (youtube.com)
Introducing the Digital Collection: Free Sounds for Korg Modwave Inspired by 80s Synths
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080

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Microsoft has releases a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Dev and Canary channels. Build 26085 has a no new features but it does have an interesting change and a few fixes for known issues.

For Windows Insiders with a Bluetooth LE Audio assistive hearing device it is now possible to manage the device in Settings, Accessibility, Hearing Aids.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

The other changes are fixes:

[General]

Fixed the underlying issue believed to be the cause of shutdown and hibernation not working in the previous flight.

File Explorer]

Fixed an issue where the context menu in File Explorer was missing an acrylic background.
Fixed an issue where when opening the context menu in File Explorer, the icons might appear out of place and overlapping text.
Fixed an issue which was causing File explorer to leak GDI objects and heap memory for every folder navigation, leading to stability and rendering issues over time.
Fixed a memory leak when interacting with archive folders in File Explorer.
Fixed an issue causing thumbnails in File Explorer to sometimes unexpectedly be black in the previous flight.

[Sudo]

Fixed an issue believed to be the cause of the setting to enable sudo (under System > For Developers) not working for some Insiders.
Fixed an issue where if you ran the command “sudo pwsh”, it wasn’t working properly in recent builds.

[Windows Security]

Fixed a high hitting Windows Security app crash in the previous flight, which is believed to potentially be the cause of Insiders reporting that the Windows Security app icon in the system tray was sometimes missing in that flight.

[Input]

With this build, the recent issues with the mouse cursor disappearing, and other recent issues related to the mouse cursor behaving abnormally should be fixed.

[Settings]

Fixed an underlying issue which was causing Settings to freeze sometimes so you couldn’t interact with any of the pages.
Fixed an issue where the list of Bluetooth devices under Bluetooth & Devices wasn’t being read out by screen readers in recent builds.

[Windows Update]

Fixed the issue causing Insiders in the Dev Channel to see error 0x80070002 when trying to install cumulative updates.
Fixed an issue where using “Update and Shutdown” wasn’t shutting down your PC upon completion.

[Other]

Fixed an issue that was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with CRITICAL_STRUCTURE_CORRUPTION recently.
Fixed an issue which was causing Voice Access to crash on launch for some Insiders in recent builds.
Fixed an issue where after renaming your printer, it might not work with print support app association.

Here are the known issues:

Known issues

[General]

[IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GAMERS] Most popular games should work correctly again in the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary and Dev Channels. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on the latest builds. We will be removing this note with the next Canary and Dev Channel flight.
[UPDATED] We’re continuing to investigate reports of rollbacks (with error code 0xC1900101) when installing the latest builds.
[NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing some Insiders to see File Explorer unexpectedly using the previous design and have no tabs in the latest builds.

[Copilot in Windows*]

Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application.
Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window.
When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot usually fixes this issue.
With the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window, you may not be able to bring focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (ex: by using tab to cycle through buttons).

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev and canary channels. Build 23545 is for devices on the dev channel and build 25951 is for devices on the canary channel. Build 23545 The dev build changes to the search box in the taskbar and changes to Windows Share: [Search […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5030305 takes the build to 22621.2338 (without features) and 22631.2338 (with features). The build has new widgets and some other interesting changes to the OS. Microsoft are close to finishing the Windows 11 2023 Update and the beta channel […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on dev channel. Build 23541 has just the one change and a few fixes. Changes: Rich thumbnail previews (tooltips) for cloud files under Recommended on the Start menu and the ability to right-click to share on these files which rolled out with Build 23511 may […]

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For Windows Insiders, running devices on the Canary Channel, Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11. Build 25947 for the canary channel doesn’t have any new features but there are a few fixes and just the one known issue.

Here are the fixes and known issues:

Fixes for known issues

Fixed a high hitting ctfmon.exe crash in recent flights, which may have impacted the ability to type for some Insiders.
Fixed a few issues impacting explorer.exe reliability, including fixing an issue which could cause File Explorer to crash when navigating to Gallery.
Fixed an issue which was causing explorer.exe to not work in safe mode.
Did some work to help improve the performance when switching between different pages in Task Manager.
Fixed the issue causing some Insiders to see an unexpected pop up asking you to “Select an app to open this ‘ms-screenclip’ link” after the latest Snipping Tool app update.

Known issues

Some popular games may not work correctly on the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary Channel. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on these builds.

Via

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Here are the fixes and known issues:

Fixes for known issues

Fixed a high hitting ctfmon.exe crash in recent flights, which may have impacted the ability to type for some Insiders.
Fixed a few issues impacting explorer.exe reliability, including fixing an issue which could cause File Explorer to crash when navigating to Gallery.
Fixed an issue which was causing explorer.exe to not work in safe mode.
Did some work to help improve the performance when switching between different pages in Task Manager.
Fixed the issue causing some Insiders to see an unexpected pop up asking you to “Select an app to open this ‘ms-screenclip’ link” after the latest Snipping Tool app update.

Known issues

Some popular games may not work correctly on the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary Channel. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on these builds.

Via

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5030316 takes the builds to 22621.2271 (without features) and 22631.2271 (with features).

With this release there are just a handful of fixes and the removal of a features to Windows Ink.

Window Ink improvements to build 22631.2050 that enabled you to directly right to the screen have been removed while Microsoft fix some bugs to the feature.

The rest of the changes are fixes to the OS:

Fixed an issue where the progress wheel in the tab would get stuck showing that File Explorer was loading a folder when the loading had already finished.
Fixed an issue where rapidly opening two File Explorer windows might make explorer.exe crash.
Fixed an issue which could make explorer.exe crash when navigating away from Home.
Fixed an issue where trying to open Gallery after new images had been added might result in a crash.
Made a few more fixes to help improve File Explorer launch performance, including fixing a leak which would impact performance over time.
Fixed an issue where File Explorer sorting changes wouldn’t persist in folders after you navigated away and back.
Fixed an issue which could cause the icons in File Explorer tabs to be incorrect.

[Windows Copilot]

Fixed an issue that was causing the Windows Copilot icon in the taskbar to be flipped backwards for right-to-left languages.

[Input]

Fixed a high hitting tabtip.exe crash that may have impacted the ability to type in the last couple flights.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue where switching search to be an icon in Taskbar Settings could cause explorer.exe to crash.

[Dev Drive]

Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to paste a folder path to mount into the dialog when creating a new Dev Drive.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue that could cause Task Manager to crash when using the end task option in the Details page recent builds.

[HDR Wallpaper]

Fixed a sporadic explorer.exe crash related to the use of an HDR wallpaper.

[Other]

Fixed an issue where trying to take window mode screenshots was taking screenshots of the entire screen instead of the app in focus for some Insiders.

Via

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week on the show we are joined by Sound on Sound co-founder and organiser of SynthFest. SynthFest takes place next month (October 7th) in Sheffield and was created by Sound on Sound magazine for music tech companies to showcase their synths and tech to the public. It’s a full day out with sessions, hands on and retailers. There are keyboards, desktop and modular synths and it’s a great meetup for the synth community.

Paul explains what the show is all about and what’s you will be able to see. We talk about some of the live seminars happening at the show and the Sound on Sound magazine.

Links from this week’s show:

Home | SynthFest UK
Sound On Sound Magazine
My top ten iconic eighty’s Yamaha DX7 sounds

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Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicAndroidby EmailRSSMore Subscribe OptionsIf you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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Paul explains what the show is all about and what’s you will be able to see. We talk about some of the live seminars happening at the show and the Sound on Sound magazine.

Links from this week’s show:

Home | SynthFest UK
Sound On Sound Magazine
My top ten iconic eighty’s Yamaha DX7 sounds

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Following on from my recent video on why the Yamaha DX7 is still a classic, here is my top 10 list of famous eighties sounds for the DX7 / TX7 (the desktop version of the DX7).

The DX7 was a staple of the eighties music scene with its fresh sounds, but it was difficult to program, so many people stuck to using the presets. The sounds soon became ubiquitous and clichéd of the era, but to me they still sound great.

So here are my top ten famous DX7 / TX7 sounds from the 80s. You can download my DX7 / TX7 sound set from our downloads page.

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Following on from my recent video on why the Yamaha DX7 is still a classic, here is my top 10 list of famous eighties sounds for the DX7 / TX7 (the desktop version of the DX7).

So here are my top ten famous DX7 / TX7 sounds from the 80s. You can download my DX7 / TX7 sound set from our downloads page.

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The Emby Team has released the first beta of the Windows Media Center front end for the media server. Emby has long been an alternative media center server for PC, Mac and Linux with a range of clients, and now that the Windows Media Center UI that we know, and love is back! Head over […]

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In this video I look at the new build of Windows 11 Insider Preview build 23536. This build doesn’t have any new features but there are plenty of fixes. I also look at the known issues with the build.

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For Windows Insiders on the beta channel there are new builds of Windows 11 available. KB5029347 takes the build to 22621.2265 (without features) and build 22631.2265 (with features).

The build has an update to emojis with a 3D appearance and the new home page in settings has been rolled out to all Insiders on the beta channel:

Here are the fixes and known issues:

Fixes in Build 22631.2265

[General]

Fixed an issue causing explorer.exe to crash on the login screen when attempting to enter safe mode.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue which was causing apps in the taskbar to appear cut off without a rounded corner on the end when you had a lot of app windows open and the taskbar was set to not combine.
Fixed an explorer.exe crash impacting taskbar appearing correctly after powering on your device.

[File Explorer]

Fixed a few crashes impacting File Explorer launch reliability.
Did some work to help improve File Explorer launch performance in certain scenarios.
Fixed an issue where the icons on the desktop may all go blank.
Fixed an issue where using the Reset Folders button in Folder Options could cause explorer.exe to crash.
Fixed an issue where if you tried to copy and paste a file out of a compressed folder and into a OneDrive folder might fail with an error code.
Fixed an issue which was causing File Explorer to crash when navigating to Gallery if you had a large number of images.
Fixed an issue where saving files to OneDrive locations in File Explorer could take a very long time, making it seem like the app you were saving from had become unresponsive, in the latest Insider builds.
Fixed an issue where “Automatically type into the Search Box” wasn’t working when File Explorer was open to Home.
Fixed an issue where the chevrons in the File Explorer address bar were pointing in the wrong direction if your display language was set to Arabic or Hebrew.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue which was causing some labels to be missing across various places in Settings in the last couple flights.
Did some work to help improve the performance of opening Settings for Insiders with the new Home page.

[Dev Drive]

Fixed an issue where Dev Drives might not auto-mount after upgrading to a new build, causing apps that tried to access them to not work.
Improved error messages if Dev Drives fail to format.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where if you did a search and then cleared it, the view would still be filtered.
Fixed an issue which was causing sporadic crashes when using Task Manager, including when ending tasks.
Fixed an issue where the search icon could become overlapped with the Task Manager text in the title bar.
Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to move the Task Manager window with touch or pen.

Known issues

[Narrator]

You may see some of the strings are NOT localized to the selected language. This will be fixed in a future flight.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev and canary channel. Build 25941 is for devices on the canary channel and build 23536 is for devices on the dev channel.

Neither build has any major changes but are plenty of fixes.

Build 23536 Fixes[Windows Copilot]

Fixed an issue that was causing the Windows Copilot icon in the taskbar to be flipped backwards for right-to-left languages.

[Taskbar]

Fixed an explorer.exe crash impacting taskbar appearing correctly after powering on your device.
Fixed an issue which was causing apps in the taskbar to appear cut off without a rounded corner on the end when you had a lot of app windows open, and the taskbar was set to not combine.

[Live captions]

Fixed an issue that was causing live captions to sometimes show the same line of text twice.

[Input]

Fixed a high hitting ctfmon.exe crash in recent flights, which may have impacted the ability to type for some Insiders.

[Settings]

Did some work to help improve the performance of opening Settings for Insiders with the new Home page.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue that could cause Task Manager to crash when using the end task option in the Details page recent builds.

Known issues in build 23535[Start menu]

Some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as a system component.

[Search on the Taskbar]

Sometimes the tooltip when mousing over the search box does not match the current search highlight.

[Input]

[NEW] Unicode Emoji 15 support which began rolling out with Build 23475 and the updated color font format with COLRv1 support that began rolling out with Build 23506 no longer appear after updating to Build 23531 due to a bug. This issue will be fixed in a future flight soon.

[Windows Copilot]

You can use Alt + Tab to switch out of Windows Copilot, but not back into it. Windows + C will move focus back to Windows Copilot
When first launching or after refreshing Copilot while using voice access you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

Changes for 25941 In this Insider Preview build, you may notice that there have been some changes in the advanced display settings page via Settings > System > Display > Advanced display*. Dynamic refresh rate can now be enabled via a toggle. After being enabled, Windows will then dynamically adjust the refresh rate up to the selected rate to help save power. Click here for more information on Dynamic refresh rate. * Additionally, we’ve made small changes to help bring awareness to limitations (related to the display or the cable being used) that may not allow you to set a high refresh rate while being on a high display resolution. When selecting a refresh rate, you may notice some refresh rates will show an asterisk. That means that in order to select that specific refresh rate, the display resolution will need to be changed to one that supports the selected refresh rate. This behavior happens when there are limitations due to the cable or the display’s capabilities and is not new, but we wanted to make sure you were aware of it.

The Casting changes from the dev build are now in this release:

The graph at the top of the Power & Battery page in Settings has been removed. Insiders can continue to see a graph of battery usage in the battery usage section further down the page. The Power & battery settings page is also no longer broken up by “Power” and “Battery” sections.

Fixes:

ixed issues impacting the File Explorer context menu and command bar dropdowns, causing them to become transparent, and not work with touch.
Fixed issues impacting File Explorer launch reliability.
Fixed issues causing the Japanese and Chinese IMEs to not work properly in certain apps, and to not work correctly in the File Explorer search box.
Fixed an issue causing Settings to crash when looking at detailed battery usage.
The new options for tuning intensity and color boost of Color Filters now have labels.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast. I am doing a short catch up show this week as Garry and Richard are not available this week. I thought it would be worth doing the catchup as we have the return of Windows Media Center. This isn’t a u-turn by Microsoft but a new front end to the Emby Media Server system. On the show I also talk about the new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders and a new set of sound for the Korg Modwave.

Links for this week’s show:

Windows Media Center is coming back!
Korg ModWave Vol2: The MS2000 Collection
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23531
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23531 & 25936
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2262 and 22631.2262
Why the Yamaha DX7 & TX7 are still classic synths worth buying in 2023

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This collection of patches and sounds is inspired by the Korg MS2000. The MS2000 was one of Korg’s first virtual analogue synth and it capable of some interesting sounds. As well as having the standard analogue waves it also has DWGS (digital waves) that you can sweep through. In this collection there are sounds using […]

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Long-term readers will know that I still miss Microsoft’s Windows Media Center. Its 10-foot interface is what got me into having a PC at the heart of the home, and while Microsoft may have abandoned the platform the UI is returning. Emby has long been an alternative media center server for PC, Mac and Linux […]

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 build 23531 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. There are few changes to the build including the search box which I look at, and I also look at the known issues and fixes with the build.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev and canary channel. Build 23531 has a number of fixes and 25936 has changes to the out of box experience. Build 23531 The dev build has the return of the search experience for invoking the search flyout when you hover over […]

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Microsoft has released build 22621.2262 and 22631.2262 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5029339 takes the builds to 22621.2262 (features off) and 22631.2262 (features on) and due to a bug in the previous build you may not see the Check for update button. If you don’t have the button you can start the update […]

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! On the show this week Garry and I talk about the Microsoft event coming next month and speculate on what Surface devices we will see there. We talk about Microsoft killing another project, new builds of Windows 11 and Garry has the latest EV news. Links from this week’s show: […]

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When you think of classic 80s synth, one of the most well-known is the Yamaha DX7. Slightly less well known is its little desktop brother, the TX7, which is a desktop version of the DX7 with exactly the same sounds minus the panel sound editing. These days you can download thousands of DX7 sounds from […]

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One of my top articles is how to fix MIDI issues with Korg drivers and Window 10 and Windows 11. Today I came across a new issue that will stop Korg devices connecting with Windows 11 via Bluetooth and I thought it would be worth posting the fix. With the release of 22H2 of Windows […]

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 build 23526 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. The build has a change to the expiration date and some improvements to the start menu. In the video I also look at the fixes and known issues with build 23526.

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Microsoft has released 22621.2199 (without features) and 22631.2199 (with features) for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. This build adds support for additional archive formats including zip and RAR files: tar .tar.gz .tar.bz2 .tar.zst .tar.xz .tgz .tbz2 .tzst .txz .rar .7z And more! For start menu items that do not have rich thumbnail previews Windows […]

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Microsoft has released build 23526 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. The new build has a few interesting changes and is available as an ISO for Insiders wanting to perform a clean install. The builds expiration date has been changed to 15/09/2024 so you should make sure you have this build installed. The main […]

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview build 25931. This is a new build for the canary channel, and it includes some features recently introduced in the dev channel and security improvements. In the video I also look at the fixes and known issues.

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This week’s podcast is a little different, I am joined by Jezz Dennison to talk about vintage synths. Jezz is synth enthusiast, and he gives us buying tips, tips on keeping them clean and he explains which are his favourite. He also explains why he isn’t a collector and why the Yamaha CS60 had to […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the canary channel. Build 25931 has the removal of some legacy network technology, with DC location will no longer use NetBIOS\WINS\mailslot-based discovery by default See Microsoft posts for more information. One change is that the an extension to the expiration date of […]

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The Solina String Ensemble is the classic string machine of the 1970s. It was used by Pink Floyd, Elton John, OMD, Tangerine Dream, Japan and many more. Behringer have brought back the Solina with a reproduction of the original in a smaller desktop-form factor. Still using the analogue circuit, it is 49 note polyphonic (using […]

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In this video I look at the new features in Windows 11 build 23521 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. The build has new features for Windows 365 users, Taskbar improvements and Task Manager changes. In the video I also look at the changes, fixes and probably what is going to be the least […]

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Windows Insiders on the Release Preview Channel have new build to test. KB5029351 takes the build to 22621.2213 and has a long list of improvements along with changes to the search box. Details from Microsoft: New! This update adds new functionality that affects app defaults. To learn more, see A principled approach to app pinning and app […]

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For Windows Insiders on the beta channel there is build 22621.2191 (features off) and 22631.2191 (features on). The update includes HDR background support, improved Windows 365 support and lots more!. HDR Backgrounds You can set JXR files as your desktop background if you have a GDR display. To try it out download a JXR file […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 23521 has improvements for Windows 365 users, the system tray, Task Manager and Windows Spotlight. Windows 365 Windows 365 Switch enables you to move between Windows 365 Cloud PC using the Task View in Windows 11 Windows Copilot […]

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In this video I look at the new features in build 25926 of Windows 11. The build has just been released for Windows Insiders on the canary channel and includes many of the features previously seen in the dev channel builds. In the video I also look at the known issues with the build.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard and I talk about more issues for smart home users as Hive end of lifes more devices. We talk about the changes to Windows 11 hardware compatibility and the new builds of Windows 11. We talk about my new Solina String Ensemble with its evocative seventies sound, […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the canary channel. Build 25926 gains some of the features recently added to the dev channel. Improving the screen casting experience From the dev channel comes an improved casting experience. With screen casting you can send your PCs screen to another PC […]

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After skipping a month in July Microsoft are back with updates for the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2. The update comes in at 134MB and it just includes the July Android security updates. Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin – July 2023. It is looking increasingly likely that Microsoft are not developing […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the canary channel. Build 25921 has many of the features from this week’s dev channel build including HDR background support, as well as new features like Rich thumbnail previews. HDR Backgrounds You can set JXR files as your desktop background if you […]

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The Solina String Ensemble is the classic string machine of the 1970s. It was used by Pink Floyd (Shine on You Crazy Diamond and on the Animals album), Elton John, OMD, Tangerine Dream, Japan and many more. The original 70s machines are heavy and getting increasingly rare, but there is something special about their odd […]

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In this video I look at the new features in Windows 11 build 23516. The build has just been released for Windows Insiders on the dev channel and has new screen casting features. In the video I also look at the changes, fixes and known issues with the build.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week on the show Richard, Garry and I talk about driving an EV into deepest Wales and pushing your range to the limit. We talk about the new Windows 11 builds for Windows Insiders, we talk about Windows 10 end of support, Windows Server 2003 and my trip to […]

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For Windows Insiders on the beta channel there are new builds of Windows 11. Build 22621.2129 (without features) and 22631.2129 (with features) has Windows Copilot Preview which enables you to interact with Windows via chat and do things like turn on dark mode and take a screenshot. For developers there is Dev Drive which Microsoft […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 23516 has improved screen casting, HDR Background Support and improvements to Presence Sensing. Casting improvements in build 23516 Screen casting enables you to project your Windows 11 screen to a Miracast or another Windows PC, and with this […]

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In this video, I am going to show you how to customise-your Taskbar in Windows 11. I will show you how to hide the unused chat icon, add useful icons and optimise the task bar for tablets.

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In this video I look at build 23511 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel and 25915 for Windows Insides on the canary channel. The canary channel build gains many of the features from the dev channel including the new File Explorer, so in the video I look at the changes. Build 23511 for dev […]

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev and canary channels. Build 25915 for the canary channel For Windows Insiders on the canary channel now includes all the features from recent builds of the dev channel. So that includes the new File Explorer with address bar and details pane. […]

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This week on the podcast Garry and I talk about the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview builds as we get closer to the next Windows 11 update. Garry almost rants about some of spin about the electric car debates plus lots more. Links from this week’s show: Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2050 and 22631.2050 […]

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Microsoft has released Windows 11 updates for Insiders on the beta channel. KB5028251 takes the builds to 22621.2115 (without features) and 22631.2215 (with features). Last week’s bug beta update has a lot of changes but this time it’s mainly fixes to the OS. I have a feeling that these builds are going to be the […]

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Windows 11 introduced a new widgets feature that gives you a combination of customised news feed and light weight quick access apps. The widget board includes widgets from Microsoft like Outlook and Phone Link, and you add widgets from 3rd party apps like Spotify and Facebook. In this video I show you how to customise […]

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On Friday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2050 and 22631.2050 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5028256 takes the builds to 22621.2050 (no features) and 22631.2050 (with features). This release includes many features previously in test on the dev channel including some only first show last week. The update includes the new […]

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In this video I look at build 23506 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. This build has file sharing improvements, Windows Copilot for all and security improvements. In the video I also look at the fixes and known issues in build 23506.

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It’s been a while, but Microsoft are back with Windows 11 Insider builds for the dev channel. Build 23506 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel has new security options, file sharing improvements and changes to the out of box experience. Passwordless experience with Windows Hello for Business This build has Windows Hell for Business […]

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This week on the show Garry and I are joined by our old friend Microsoft’s Richard Hay. We talk about Microsoft’s new AI assisted Q&A system that is an amazing resource for IT professionals. Richard walks me though how to create questions with the AI assisted system and how to get answers to your Microsoft […]

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In this article and video I review my 2016 Korg Minilogue. This is the most recent instrument I have reviewed, but it’s actually a bit of a retro-inspired synth that was Korg’s first analog polyphonic synthesizer since the 1985 Poly 800 Mk2. The Korg Minilogue is a four voice real analog synthesizer with 37 slim […]

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5028247 takes the build to 22621.2048 (without features) and 22631.2048 (with features) and includes new features that have made there way from the dev channel. The version of the OS is now labelled version 23H2 which will be the update […]

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 build 25905. With this build the Canary Channel switches from ZN_RELEASE to RS_PRERELEASE which means this could be the basis of the next version of Windows. The build has the introduction of some features previously seen in the Dev Channel as well as some […]

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Welcome to this week’s show. On the podcast this week Richard rants about Windows on ARM and the complications of modern cars. We talk about cloud services and media streaming, my new fibre broadband and a great resource of vintage music tech magazines. We also talk about Threads, EV charging and I have a new […]

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It’s been a while since we have a Canary Channel release, but we finally have a new build to play with. Build 25905 for Windows Insiders on the Canary channel changes the branch to RS_PRERELEASE which means many of the features that were not available in the previous branch are back. The change over means […]

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Welcome to my free sound collection for the Korg Modwave. This collection of 42 sounds is inspired by the legendary 80s synthesiser, the Korg DW8000. The DW8000 used single cycle digital waveforms with an analogue filter, which gave it a unique sound for the era. The Korg Modwave features the waveforms from the DW8000 and […]

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! Back from our week off, Richard and I talk about the new Window Copilot in Windows 11 and whether we need more AI in our OS. We of course talk about the issues with Twitter, new builds of Windows 11, and I look back at the 2006 Korg RADIAS. Links […]

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If you are like me and have too many synths, you will soon run out of inputs on your mixer. I didn’t want to buy another larger mixer so instead I picked up a sub mixer. The ALLWIN 4 channel stereo sub mixer is a USB-C powered mixer with 4 stereo (or switchable to mono) […]

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The Korg RADIAS was launched in 2006 for £999 and was one of Korg’s most advanced synthesiser at the time. The RADIAS is powered by Korg’s Multi Modelling Technology, which features analogue modelling, PCM waveforms, VPM (Korg’s version of FM), drum kits, arpeggiators, dual step sequencers, virtual patches and a vocoder. Of all the recent […]

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In this video I look at the new features with Windows 11 build 23493. This build has the new Windows Copilot feature, a new home page in Settings and adds support for many new archive formats including 7ZIP and TAR files. In the video I look at the new features, the fixes, and the known […]

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Microsoft has two new builds for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5027295 takes the build to 22621.1972 (without features) and 22631.1972 (with features). For Insiders on build 22631 there is a the new WinUI 3 version of File Explorer, and for 22621 there is a fix o “Hide date and time in the System […]

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Microsoft has just released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 23493 introduces the new Windows Copilot first show at build last month. With Copilot you can do things like take a screenshot or change to dark mode using text, and it used Bing AI and Microsoft Edge […]

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Announcing the release of my latest collection electronic music: Tangents II. The tracks are influenced by Tangerine Dream and 80s electronic music. Track List: Tangents II Ultimatum Is that really what you need? Giardino di Boboli Train of Thought 2000 A New Day Spring 76 Summer 64 End of an Era Instruments used: Korg Modwave, […]

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Microsoft has released the June 2023 Update for the Surface Duo 2. The update which comes in at 429MB was released yesterday (Microsoft only just updated the released notes) and fixes reboot issues caused by the May 30th update. The June 2023 update also includes the June Android Security update. There are some reports that […]

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In this video I look at the change to Windows 11 build 23486. The new build has improvements to passwordless sign-on to web sites using Passkeys, so I see how it works in practice. I also look at the changes dynamic lighting and I also look at the known issues to Windows 11 Insider Preview […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5027311 takes the build to 22621.1906 (without features) and 22631.1906 (with features). The build has a new option in the system tray to diagnose network problems, there is also the option to turn off the clock on in the […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 23486 has improvements for passwordless entry, a return of some File Explorer removed in previous builds and a few other nice improvements. Passwordless improvements Microsoft say they are improving the passkey experience, you can now go to app […]

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard and I talk about the new builds of Windows 11 Microsoft shipped to Windows Insiders last week. We ask why the Canary Channel is still not getting anything interesting, we talk about another vintage synthesizer and lots more. Links from this week’s show: Windows 11 Insider Preview […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Release Preview Channel. KB5027303 takes the build to 22621.1926 and there is a huge list of changes. Many of the changes have been in test on the Beta or dev channels over the last few months and should make there way […]

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This is the Yamaha DX100, Yamaha’s budget FM synth from 1985. Priced around £350, and the baby brother of the DX7, the DX100 is a 49 key mini key portable synth, that can run on batteries and even has a strap so you can use it as a keytar. While it may look like a […]

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Microsoft has released Windows 11 build 22621.1900 and 22631.1900 for Windows Insiders on the bet channel. Build 22621.1900 (features off) and 22631.1900 (features on) has a couple of minor changes to the OS. Build 22631.1900 has an improvement to toast notifications: To minimize distractions from notification toasts, we now detect if the user is interacting […]

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It’s two for one again with this week’s build video! In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview build 23481 and 25393. 23481 is for Insiders on the dev channel and 25393 is for Insiders on the Canary channel. Microsoft haven’t detailed what’s changed in 25393 but I did find […]

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! Garry and I talk about using smart home tech to keep your home cool, we talk about advances in EV battery tech and we look at the latest builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders. We also being some retro music tech and lots more! Links from this week’s show: […]

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Microsoft has released Windows 11 build 23481 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. The build has new UI features for pen users, UI improvements and a new widget. Windows Ink Improvements With this update pen used can directly enter data into edit fields, the search box for example. The recognition system has been improved […]

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Launched in 1986 for $1195, the Yamaha RX5 Digital Rhythm Programmer was Yamaha’s flagship drum machine and possibly the ultimate in 80s drum machine technology. While it doesn’t have the classic status of Roland’s TR808 or TR909, the RX5 does deserve classic status due to its sound shaping features, great 80s drum sounds and sturdy […]

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In this video I look at the two new builds for Windows Insiders. I look at build 25381 for the canary channel and 23475 for the dev channel. Microsoft haven’t documented the changes to 25381 but they have detailed the File Explorer, dynamic lighting, and other changes in build 23475. In the video I look […]

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Gary, Richard and I talk about Apples new Vision Pro headset and look whether is AR,VR or something else. We lament Microsoft lack of consumer focus, the new builds of Windows 11 and lots more. I also have a new track for you to listen to! Links from […]

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 23475 has changes to File Explorer, dynamic lighting, and emoji changes. File Explorer File Explorer has a new address bar and search box. The address bar recognises local verses cloud folders and shows OneDrive status. This feature is […]

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This is a quick video to look at the new Windows 11 build 25381. This is for Windows Insiders on the canary channel and just a couple of minor changes to the OS. Microsoft doesn’t detail the changes to the OS for the Canary Channel in the way it does the other channels so I […]

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In this video I take a look at the new features and changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23466. This build has a new feature to enable you to link your phones photos to Windows and the new Gallery feature is rolling out to all Insiders on the dev channel. In the video I […]

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5026443 takes the build to 22621.1830 (without features) and 22631.1830 (with features).

There is just the one change to this release. WPA3 support has been added to the Phone Link instant hotspot feature, this improves security when using a Phones hotspot. Also, there are fixes to meted connection settings.

There are no known issues with this build listed by Microsoft.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows 11 on the dev channel. Build 23471 has an update to File Explorer and lock screen changes.

File Explorer ImprovementsThere is a new Add Phone Photos button in File Explorer which enables you to add your phones photos to the Gallery in File Explorer. Clicking the button launches a QR code that you can use on your phone to link it to the PC.

File Explorer also has the ability to tear out and merge tabs. As well as the Gallery view is now available to all Insiders on the dev channel.

Other Changes:

The Lock screen network flyout has been updated to the Windows 11 style:

Here are the other fixes and known issues with the build:

Fixes

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue where pressing Shift + F10 wasn’t opening the context menu in File Explorer.
Fixed an issue where access keys appeared inconsistently if no button was pressed.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders previewing the Windows App SDK version of File Explorer

Fixed an issue that was causing explorer.exe to crash when opening the context menu for some Insiders. This same issue is believed to be the cause of some Insiders seeing an older design instead of the updated one.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with Gallery in File Explorer:

Fixed an explorer.exe crash in the last flight related to loading/interacting with the scrollbar in Gallery.
Fixed an issue where Gallery may require clicking twice on the node in the navigation pane for initial load.
Fixed an issue where minimizing and reopening File Explorer would lose your scroll position in Gallery.
Hovering your mouse over pictures in Gallery should now show a tooltip with information about the picture.
Live updates (including filtering) are now enabled and no longer require using the Refresh button manually.
Fixed an issue where some file types (e.g., .heic) were not rendered correctly or performantly.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with the modernized details pane in File Explorer:

Made the background for thumbnails a little lighter in light mode so it doesn’t stand out as much.
If you have Narrator running when you open the details pane, it should now announce the file name.
If the setting to show file name extensions has been enabled, that will now be reflected in the details pane too.

[Taskbar]

Fixed an issue that was causing the taskbar to get cut off when switching to and from the tablet-optimized taskbar.

[Search on the Taskbar]

We have fixed the issue causing Insiders to see an empty tooltip displayed momentarily in certain cases including while the gleam is hovered if the new hover behavior for the search box and search highlight gleam is enabled.

[Other]

Fixed an issue where Narrator with Braille support wasn’t reading numbered lists correctly in Microsoft 365 apps.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Dev Drive]

On a reboot, additional filters beyond AV might be attached to your Dev Drive. To check what filters are attached, please run ‘fsutil devdrv query :’ in Windows PowerShell. If you are seeing more than your AV filters, you can run ‘fsutil volume dismount :’ and then ‘fsutil devdrv query :’. After those steps, you should only see your AV filters.
There might be variable performance on different hardware. If you notice slower performance on your machine, please file feedback!

[Search on the Taskbar]

[NEW] Navigating the search flyout on the taskbar with the keyboard arrow keys will not work as expected.
Narrator customers may not be able to navigate down the left side panel of the search flyout.
Text scaling may not work in the search flyout.

[File Explorer]

Insiders may experience a File Explorer crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process.

Insiders who have Gallery in File Explorer will see the following issues:

Thumbnail loading performance for dehydrated cloud files and memory usage in large collections are known issues we are focused on improving. Please capture Performance traces in Feedback Hub for any performance-related issues. Rebuilding your Indexer can help if thumbnails are missing for cloud files; Search for “Indexing Options” and look in Advanced settings to find the rebuild tool.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar may not show the correct apps if you’re using multiple desktops.

[Notifications]

The copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notification toasts (first introduced in Build 23403) is currently not working in this build. A fix is coming in a future flight.

[Backup and Restore]

Backups of a PC that was set up using a restore may not show up in subsequent restores.
Restore of solid color desktop backgrounds are not yet supported.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! We return from our week off to talk about Microsoft Build what was announced for Windows users. We talk about the new feature updates to Windows 11 and the new builds of Windows for Windows Insiders. We also talk about travel technology and lots more! Links from this week’s show: […]

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Have you heard about GCU training servers and edge inference PCs? Perhaps you’ve been considering investing in one, but you’re unsure which one suits your needs best. The truth is that GPU training servers and edge inference PCs are advantageous for their own individual reasons. While similar, they are not the same, which is why it’s so important to distinguish between the two before making an investment in either.

What is a GPU Training Server?

GPU training servers handle masses of data to train complex AI models. They come equipped with graphic processing units, which allows them to train complex models with lots of speed and power.

What is an Edge Inference PC?

AI has already trained an edge inference PC and can perform complex tasks at the edge of a network. It’s used in various industries and for a wide range of purposes. For example, edge inference PCs can be used in autonomous vehicles or industrial automation systems. All edge inference PCs come compact and robust, able to withstand harsh environments. The Jetson Orin from things-embedded.com is an excellent example of a small but powerful edge inference PC commonly used to power autonomous machines at the edge of a network.

The Key Differences

Now you know what each edge inference PC and GPU training server are, here are the key differences to understand better how each one functions.

1: Power

The first significant difference is how much power each one has. GPU training servers are generally far more powerful than an edge inference PC. That’s because they are designed to train huge, complex AI models, and to do that, they need to handle masses of data. On the other hand, edge inference PCs run AI models that are already trained, so they don’t need to hold as much power. They also are a lot smaller thanks to this.

2: Location

Another key difference is where both of these systems are located. GPU training servers are usually stationed in data centers where they can train AI models. In contrast, edge inference PCs are positioned at the edge of networks and used for local processing. That’s why edge inference PCs need to be more sturdy and rugged.

3: Function

The most crucial difference between the two is their purpose. A GPU training server is part of the machine learning process; it trains complex AI models on how to perform tasks. It’s about building an AI model fit for purpose. An edge inference PC is an already trained model, and it can use that training to process data, provide outputs, and make predictions.

In Summary

As demonstrated, there are major differences between GPU training servers and edge inference PCs. Which one you pick will depend on your specific needs. For example, if you need to train large, complex AI models, invest in a GPU training server. However, if you need to run a pre-trained model locally, an edge inference PC is more suited to you.

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This week Microsoft released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel (build 23466). The build includes a new Windows Backup features. The cloud backup feature backs up your PC and then gives you the option of resorting the settings when you setup a new PC. It backs up apps installed from the Microsoft Store, PC settings and some of the personalisation settings.

In this video I backup using the new tool and then build a new virtual machine to try restoring the backup on.

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Microsoft are about to release the next feature update to Windows 11. The Moment 3 update features improvements to the widget boards, new settings, and improvements to the Taskbar. As with recent Windows 11 updates this is a small update delivered via a monthly Windows update rather than the large 4GB update we have had in the past.

WidgetsThe widgets board has been updated. The board is now split with your main widgets on the right side and the news feed on the left side. This makes it easier to see the important widgets in one place. There is also an improved Widget picker and there are also new widgets from Facebook available.

TaskbarThere are some improvements to the Taskbar with this update:

VPN status icon in the system tray showing if there is an active connection.
The option to show seconds in the system tray.
Copy button to copy two-factor authentication (2FA) codes from email notifications.
Bing AI button the search box
Animated Taskbar weather icons

File ExplorerFile Explorer now has access key shortcuts in the context menus. Use the menu key on the keyboard and it will show the quick access keys.

Settings* Settings now shows the storage capacity of your OneDrive subscription. * There is a new setting to enable how touch keyboard behaves when a physical keyboard is connected. * USB4 setting pages for viewing USB4 peripherals and devices. * Additional setting to download updates and not wait for Patch Tuesday. * A new Presence Sensor privacy setting.

Also, the performance of search in settings has been improved.

Task ManagerTask Manager has a new live Kernal dump feature for developers.

AccessibilityVoice access has an improved in-app help page along with additional languages:

Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
French (France, Canada)
German
Italian
Japanese
Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal)
Spanish
Danish
English (Ireland, other English dialects)
Korean

When will you get the Moment 3 update? It will ship in late May or early June via Windows Update.

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Welcome to show number 900! Garry, Richard and I take the opportunity to look at what has changed in the consumer space since we started the podcast and some of the forgotten brands. We look forward to next update of Windows 11 and lots more.

Links from this week’s show:

The Korg MS2000: A Synth with a History and a Future
Microsoft released Windows 11 Build 22621.1776 to the Release Preview Channel
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1755 and 22624.1755

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This is the Korg MS2000, released in the year 2000 and was Korg’s analog modelling synthesizer, aimed at evoking memories of the classic 1970s MS series including the MS20, SQ10 analog sequencer and VC-10 vocoder. In 2023, there are plenty of actual analog synths available at affordable prices, like Korg’s Minilogue, but at the start of the millennium that wasn’t the case. So, a virtual analog with real hands-on controls for around £600 was extremely exciting.

I scanned my original MS2000 brochure if you want to download it.

Analog modelling synthesizerThe MS2000 has a traditional subtractive system architecture. Two oscillators that feed into a mixer (with noise), ring mod and sync, two envelope generators, two LFOs, digital delay and Chorus/Flanager. There is a virtual patchbay, trying to bring back the memory of synths like the MS20 where you can route LFO, velocity, envelopes and midi inputs to destinations like pitch, oscillator control or the filter.

The MS2000 can be operated in four voice mode or you can have it in split or dual modes (reducing your polyphony to 2 notes). Oscillator 1 has Sawtooth, PWM and Triangle waves. There is a sine wave that can be modulated using FM, vox wave, noise, audio in and DWGS waves. The DWGS waves come from synths like the DW8000 and are 64 single cycle digital waves. The filter has 12/24dB low pass, band pass and high pass options and is self-oscillating. The filter has its only envelope generator as well as a distortion effect that beefs up the sound.

Mod Sequencer & ArpeggiatorAnother powerful feature is the mod sequencer. This is a 3 x 16 step sequencer that you can use to adjust pitch, filter, or any of the other synth parameters. You can create some interesting sequences and effects with this. You can use it for musical sequences or just to add some movement to the sound.

There is also a decent arpeggiator with six different types. When in split or layer mode each timbre can have its own arpeggiator.

Effects & VocoderThere is a digital delay, equalizer and Chorus, Flanger and Phaser effect. There are no reverbs on the MS2000. There is a vocoder which via the external microphone input using a sixteen channel bandpass system.

ConnectorsIt has full sized MIDI in, out and through. Stereo outputs, two audio inputs and foot pedal inputs.

LegacyAs well as the keyboard version, there was also the MS2000R, a rack mount version and in 2003 Korg released the MS2000B. This had an updated sound set, black colour and dedicated vocoder microphone but that was the last version that was released.

In 2002, Korg released the MicroKorg, a small minikey version of the MS2000 synth engine based on the MS2000 (less flexible Vocoda, improved arpeggiator and lack the MS2000 motion sequencer) and without the real time controls of the MS2000.

Amazingly the MicroKorg is still being manufactured in 2023 and is one of the best selling synth of all times. Korg have even produced a VST version of the MicoKorg which is part of the Korg Collection.

VideoIn this video I explain the architecture of the MS2000 and demonstrate some of its sounds and features.

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Microsoft has released Windows 11 Build 22621.1776 to Windows Insiders on the Release Preview Channel. The update comes via KB5026446 and it adds additional languages for live captions as well as many improvements seen in the beta channel over the last few months. The list is rather long!

The extra languages for live captions are:

Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
French (France, Canada)
German
Italian
Japanese
Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal)
Spanish
Danish
English (Ireland, other English dialects)
Korean

This update also redesigns the in-app voice access command help page.

The widget picker has a new UI just as the dev channel got a few weeks ago:

Here are the other changes:

New! This update adds a VPN status icon, a small shield, to the system tray. It displays when you are connected to a recognized VPN profile. The VPN icon will be overlayed in your system’s accent color over the active network connection.
New! You can now choose to display seconds in the clock on the system tray. To turn this on, go to the Taskbar behaviors section in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. You can also right-click taskbar to quickly get to taskbar settings.
New! This update provides a copy button for you to quickly copy two-factor authentication (2FA) codes. These are in notification toasts you get from apps installed on your PC or from phones linked to your PC. Note that this feature only works for English.
New! This update adds access key shortcuts to File Explorer’s context menu. An access key is a one keystroke shortcut. You can use it to quickly run a command in a context menu using your keyboard. Each access key corresponds to a letter in the display name of the menu item. To try this out, you can click on a file in File Explorer and press the menu key on your keyboard.
New! This update adds multi-app kiosk mode, which is a lockdown feature. If you are an administrator, you can specify the apps that can run on a device. Other apps will not run. You can also block certain functionalities. You can configure distinct types of access and apps to run for different users on one device. Multi-app kiosk mode is ideal for scenarios in which multiple people use the same device. Some examples are frontline workers, retail, education, and test taking. Some lockdown customizations include:
- Limit access to Settings, except certain pages, such as Wi-Fi and screen brightness
- Show only the apps that are allowed on the Start menu
- Block certain toasts and pop-up windows

New! This update provides the full amount of storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions. It also displays the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.

This update addresses an issue that affects Narrator. It now announces text attributes correctly for words, such as “misspelled”, “deletion change,” and “comment”.

This update addresses an issue that affects searchindexer.exe. It stops working after you sign out. This issue occurs after you upgrade your machine to Windows 11 Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and sign in to that machine.

This update addresses an issue that affects Server Message Block (SMB). You cannot access the SMB shared folder. The errors are, “Not enough memory resources” or “Insufficient system resources”.

The update addresses an issue that sends unexpected password expiration notices to users. This occurs when you set up an account to use “Smart Card is Required for Interactive Logon” and set “Enable rolling of expiring NTLM secrets”.

This update addresses an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). It stops working. This occurs when you use Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).

This update addresses an issue that affects the Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) cluster. It might not come online. This occurs after a periodic password rollover. The error code is 1326.

This update addresses an issue that affects access to Tab settings for IE mode sites.

This update addresses an issue that affects dot sourcing. It fails files that contain class definition in Windows PowerShell.

This update addresses an issue that affects the use of Event Viewer. The issue limits the number of event sources that users who are not administrators can access.

This update addresses an Event Viewer issue. It affects the rendering of a forwarded event log.

This update addresses a memory leak. It occurs every time you print a rich text document.

This update addresses an issue that affects a computer when it renders a halftone bitmap. The computer stops working.

This update addresses an issue that affects devices that have multiple, discreet GPUs. You cannot choose the high-performance GPUs from the default graphics settings page.

This update addresses an issue that stops your device from working when it resumes from Modern Standby. The error is 0x13A KERNEL_MODE_HEAP_CORRUPTION.

This update addresses an issue that affects applications that perform certain actions in a callback. The applications might stop working. These actions include closing a Window (WM_CLOSE).

This update changes the support phone number for Microsoft India for Windows activation.

This update changes the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) ranges for certain mobile providers.

This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Firewall. The firewall drops all connections to the IP address of a captive portal. This occurs when you choose the Captive Portal Addresses option.

This update addresses a multi-function label printer issue. It affects the installation of some of them.

This update addresses an issue that affects devices that are joined to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). The Windows Firewall cannot apply the correct domain and profile for them.

This update addresses an issue that affects audio playback. It fails on devices that have certain processors.

This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. It shows the wrong layout for the French-Canadian language.

This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). It might create audit events that you do not need. This occurs when you choose the Disabled: Script Enforcement option.

This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. Sometimes, it does not show the correct layout based on the current input scope.

This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese and Japanese Input Method Editor (IME). When you search the Emoji Panel (Windows key + period ( . ), search might fail for some of you.

This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese and Japanese Handwriting Panel. It does not show text prediction candidates or stops responding. This occurs when you select a word from the candidate list of the Handwriting Panel.

This update addresses an issue that affects the runas It stops working. The device behaves as if you did not sign in to your account.

This update addresses an issue that might affect a large reparse point. You might get a stop error when you use NTFS to access it. This issue occurs after a canceled FSCTL Set operation changes the reparse tag.

This update addresses a known issue that might affect some speech recognition apps. They might have sporadic speech recognition, expressive input, and handwriting issues. This occurs when the display language is Chinese or Japanese. The apps might not recognize certain words. They might not receive any input from speech recognition or affected input types. This issue is more likely to occur when the apps use offline speech recognition. For app developers, this issue only affects speech recognition that uses Speech Recognition Grammar Specification (SRGS) in Media.SpeechRecognition. This issue does not affect other types of speech recognition.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for devices running on the beta channel. Build 22621.1755 (features off) and build 22624.1755 (features on) are delivered by KB5026438, and this time there are just fixes.

For build 22624.1755 there is a fix to a bug when attempting to uninstall an app in grid view. For both build there is a fix with Windows Local Administrator Password Solutions:

This update addresses a race condition in Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS). The Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) might stop responding. This occurs when the system processes multiple local account operations at the same time. The access violation error code is 0xc0000005

There are a couple of known issues with these builds.

[Search on the Taskbar]

If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[Widgets]

When you launch the widgets board for the first time, you may see momentarily placeholders of the widgets/feed cards of the old 2-column layout even if your device supports 3-columns.

Via

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When Korg launched the Triton workstation back in 1999, they also announced a set of expansion boards for synths. The original Triton and the Korg KARMA, which is a special version of the Triton (see my video) had 32mb of sample ROMs built in, and the expansion slots enabled installing of two 16mb boards. Korg produced eight expansion boards for the Triton and KARMA series, costing £155 each. These boards added new sounds to the already powerful workstations, such as orchestral instruments, vintage keyboards, dance music sounds and more.

The EXB boards available were:

EXB-PCM01 Pianos/Classic Keyboards
EXB-PCM02 Studio Essentials
EXB-PCM03 Future Loop Construction
EXB-PCM04 Dance Extreme
EXB-PCM05 Vintage Archives
EXB-PCM06/07 Orchestral Collection (two-slot expansion)
EXB-PCM08 Concert Grand Piano
EXB-PCM09 Trance Attack

In this video, I am going to focus on EXB-PCM05 Vintage Archives, which I have installed on my Korg KARMA along with EXB-PCM01 and EXB-MOSS, which is a physical modelling DSP board that I have previously featured. Incidentally, you can try out all these expansion boards in the VST Korg Triton, which is part of the Korg Collection (see my video).

Vintage Archives is made up of 16mb of multi-samples from a range of vintage synths and keyboard instruments. It includes many of Korg’s vintage synths like the 700S, Polysix and Delta, as well as Oberheim, ARP and Mellotrons. Back in 1999 when they were first launched, virtual analog synths were a new thing and VST technology was in its infancy, so this was a great way of getting some classic instrument sounds into your workstation.

Some of the sounds are still very usable and relevant today. In the video, I browse the programs and look at some of the combis (6 programs combined). I also installed the KARMA GEs designed for the Vintage Archives boards, so many of the programs and combis have the special advanced arpeggio from KARMA (see my other post for details on KARMA).

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In this video you get two Windows builds for the price of one! I am looking at build 25357 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel and build 23451 for Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel. Both builds have new widgets, the Dev Channel build has updated UI in File Explorer and other interesting changes.

In the video I also look at the known issues with the builds.

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Microsoft has new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5026447 takes the builds to 22621.1690 (no features) and 22624.1690 (with features).

This time there is a new Facebook widget available (which is also available to the dev and canary channels), and there is a selection of fixes:

Changes and Improvements in Build 22621.1690 & Build 22624.1690

[General]

We are trying out providing alerts under Settings > Accounts advising users to add a recovery email address or phone number to their Microsoft account to ensure they never lose access to their account.

[Start menu]

We are trying out a small change with some Windows Insiders where the “Recommended” section of the Start menu is changed to “For you”. Let us know what you think in Feedback Hub if you see this change.

Fixes in Build 22624.1690

[Input]

Made another fix for the underlying crash impacting the ability to launch the touch keyboard / PIN entry on the login screen.

[Notifications]

Fixed another 2FA code pattern which wasn’t being recognized. If you see any others, please file feedback!

[Task Manager]

Did some work to help address an issue which was causing random processes to sometimes get grouped under Microsoft Edge even though they weren’t related.
Fixed an issue impacting Task Manager reliability.
The search icon should be easier to see now when using a contrast theme.
Made the navigation pane a bit narrower. As part of this change, when necessary, the text will be wrapped now.
The creation of live kernel memory dump file submenu has access keys now.
Pressing enter when keyboard focus is on one of the sections (like Memory) in the Performance page should now actually switch sections.
Resizing Task Manager from the top of the window should work now.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[Widgets]

When you launch the widgets board for the first time, you may see momentarily placeholders of the widgets/feed cards of the old 2-column layout even if your device supports 3-columns.

Via

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Windows Insiders with devices running on the Canary Channel have a new build of Windows 11 to test. Build 25357 has a new Facebook widget to try:

The other change with the build is a new modern volume experience that was introduced to the dev channel a few weeks ago:

Via

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel. Build 23451 has a new modern detail page in File Explorer, new widgets and changes to the Start Menu.

Modern DetailsThere is a new modern details panel in File Explorer which shows recent activity and file details:

Windows SpotlightThe build has a couple of different treatments to Windows Spotlight. One has the icon and one has a fuller, more details UI. As Microsoft are A/B testing the new UI you could have either version.

WidgetsThere is a new Facebook widget available and a new widget picker:

NotificationsAnother change is a with notifications on the start menu, something that Microsoft have been experimenting with for a while now:

There is a new animation for widgets on the task bar:

Here are the fixes and known issues in the build:

Fixes

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an explorer.exe crash impacting taskbar reliability.
Fixed an issue that was causing Quick Settings and its project options to sometimes not respond when using ALT + F4 to close them.

[Start menu]

Fixed an issue that was causing the Recommended section in Start to be blank the first time it was opened.

[File Explorer]

We fixed the following issues for Insiders previewing the Windows App SDK version of File Explorer

We fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of explorer.exe crashing when opening the context menu in the previous flight for some Insiders.
If you use an Arabic or Hebrew display language, the tabs should be displaying correctly now.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with Gallery in File Explorer:

Fixed an issue where the scrollbar for Gallery was displaying on the wrong side for Insiders with an Arabic or Hebrew display language.
If you have the Item Check Boxes setting enabled, the Gallery will now show check boxes on images.

[Search]

Did some work to fix an underlying issue which could cause Search to get stuck and not open. When this happened, you might also see a delay opening the Start menu.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where the Pinyin IME’s insert text button wasn’t displaying correctly in some cases.
Fixed an underlying crash impacting the ability to launch the touch keyboard / PIN entry on the login screen.

[Notifications]

Fixed another 2FA code pattern which wasn’t being recognized. If you see any others, please file feedback!

[Live captions]

Fixed an issue where caption characters shown in the second line of the default height window were getting clipped on top.
Features have been added to the enhanced speech recognition language files to improve performance and provide out-of-language filtering meant to limit the incorrect captions for speech not in the caption language.

[Accessibility]

Fixed an issue where using the down key while navigating by landmark with Narrator in Edge wasn’t jumping to the first line of the landmark correctly.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

There is an issue where some people may not see the search box on the taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403. We are aware of the issue, and we are working on a fix.
[NEW] When you open the search flyout you may see the content flicker before the content finishes loading.
[NEW] Narrator customers may not be able to navigate down the left side panel of the search flyout.
[NEW] Text scaling may not work in the search flyout.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have Gallery in File Explorer will see the following issues:

Gallery may require clicking twice on the node in the navigation pane for initial load.
Live updates (including filtering) are currently disabled and require using the Refresh button as a workaround.
Thumbnail loading performance for dehydrated cloud files and memory usage in large collections are known issues we are focused on improving. Please capture Performance traces in Feedback Hub for any performance-related issues. Rebuilding your Indexer can help if thumbnails are missing for cloud files; Search for “Indexing Options” and look in Advanced settings to find the rebuild tool.
Photos from OneDrive for Business currently must be hydrated to work properly.
Some file types (e.g., HEIC) might not be rendered correctly or performantly.

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer will see the following issues:

Access keys will appear inconsistently if no button is pressed. Pressing a button will cause them to reappear.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).

Via

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Microsoft has released a preview of the updated Photos app for Windows 11. Windows Insiders on the Canary and Dev Channels can try out the updated photo app which includes new features and improvements. You will need version 2023.11050.2013.0 or higher to try out the new features.

SlideshowThe updated photos app has a new slideshow feature where you can view your photos with transition, animations and 25 tracks of original music. Just click on a photo and then the Slideshow button to kick it off. It’s good to see this feature being added to the app as it was one of the top requested features from Windows Insiders.

Timeline ScrollbarThis update sees the return of the timeline scrollbar where the photos are grouped by year and month and then you can jump directly to the photo you want.

Spot FixYou can now fix up your photos with the new Spot Fix feature. You click on the spot you want re-touching and it will remove the mark from the photo.

Here are the other changes to the app:

Auto Enhance is now available for use without having to install the 93MB add-on.
When importing photos from external devices, you can now drag and drop to choose the photos you want and use the quick toggle to confirm the files that have been selected.
Hidden iCloud Photos will no longer display in the gallery.
Fixed an issue where audio on video files is muted by default. The app now plays the audio by default and persists user settings across videos.
Copying and pasting a photo from the Photos app into Outlook and Teams now inserts the image inline by default instead of adding an attachment.
Multi-select photos: hold down the SHIFT key while selecting photos in the gallery now selects multiple consecutive photos in a row; holding down the CTRL key selects multiple non-consecutive photos.

via

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Garry, Richard and I talk about options for a new Ultrabook as I show off my Netbook. We talk about the new builds of Windows 11, Korg KARMA and the latest EV news.

Links from this week’s show:

Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25352 to the Canary Channel
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1680 and 22624.1680 released
Rediscovering the Korg Karma: A Unique and Powerful Workstation
Orico 4 Port USB Hub for Windows & Mac Review

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In this video I look at the new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary channel. Build 25352 has a change of development branch and a new widgets that is rolling out to Windows Insiders.

View Details

Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary channel. The build sees a jump from the RE_PRERELEASE branch to the ZN_RELEASE and so some previously tested features have been removed. Microsoft say this branch is not specifically tied to a releases of Windows 11 and is part of the next development cycle.

There is a new feature with this build, there is now a new widget picker:

Via

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In this post and video, I am going to be looking back at my Korg Karma workstation, which is a unique member of the Korg Triton series of workstations. The Korg Karma launched in 2001 as a member of the Triton series of workstations at a price of £1599.

What is KARMAWhat made the Korg Karma unique is KARMA, which stands for Kay’s Algorithmic Real-time Music Architecture (The name comes from Steven Kay, the developer). KARMA is kind of like a super advanced arpeggiator along with auto pattern generation. It uses pre-created patterns that dynamically generate sequences based on various inputs including velocity, key, note order and timing. It produces interesting rhythms and sequences that you can change by the way you play and via real time controls.

The patterns are called GE (Generated Effects) and there are over 1000. In program mode, a single GE is applied to a sound and in Combi mode there are 4 GEs per patch. Some GEs replicate real instrument styles like guitar strumming, there are drum patterns and complete backings. Plus, there are also traditional style arpeggios. You can create your own GEs using a separate application, but it can get pretty complicated very quickly.

Synth EngineThe synth engine is straight from the Triton. Korg called it HI (Hyper Integrated) which is PCM samples through a 24db low pass and 12db lowpass/high pass filter. There are 32mb of samples made up of 425 mutlisamples and 413 drum samples. The engine has 62 voices (31 in double mode) plus six more if the EXB-MOSS board is installed. There are 5 insert and 2 master effects plus EQ, along with 55 drum kits.

The Karma can operate in Program Mode which is a single sound. There is Combi Mode which is multiple sounds split or layered, and there is sequencer mode which has 16 channel, 200,000 events and 200 songs.

ExpansionAs well as 32mb of samples there are two expansion slots. I have the EXB-PCM01 Piano/Classic keyboard expansion, and the EXB-PCM05 Vintage Archives. Also available are:

PCM02 Studio Essentials
PCM03 Future Loop Construction
PCM04 Dance Extreme
PCM07 Orchestral
PCM08 Concert Grand Piano
PCM09 Trance Attack

There is also the ESB-MOSS board which I have covered in a separate video. This is a DSP synth with physical modelling and FM type synth engines and six additional notes of polyphony.

The Karma loses the Triton’s sample features, and the large touchscreen is replaced by a smaller screen with function keys. There is no ribbon controller or serial interface on the Karma.

As soon as you start using the Karma enabled sounds you realize the power of the GEs and the wide range of styles they offer. In Combi mode I find them a little bit too much like auto-accompaniment on an arranger keyboard but in Program mode the effects are much more useful and easier to incorporate in your own music.

Karma was also available in other workstations from Korg, including the Kronos, OASYS and M3. Plus, there are software versions, but the Karma was the first instrument to ship with it included.

Over the last few years, I haven’t really used my Karma but having rediscovered it for this article I found some of the Karma patterns very inspiring. While some of the sounds have dated, some aspects of the Karma have aged very well.

In this video I demonstrate some of the Karma patterns and pre-sets to give you an idea of what it can do.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5025303 takes the builds to 22621.1680 (no features) and 22624.1680 (with features).

With this release Microsoft are updating the widget board with the main widgets grouped together and the feed info on the right-hand side in a wider three panel view.

The other main change is an animated icon for widgets on the taskbar:

Other changes and fixes:

Fixes in Build 22624.1680

[File Explorer]

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with access keys in File Explorer:

Shift + Right clicking on a file or folder should open “Show more options” again now.
Adjusted how Narrator was reading out the access keys after pressing the menu key, to make it clearer.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where the touch keyboard and PIN entry wasn’t appearing on the login screen for touch capable PCs in the previous flight due to an underlying crash.

[Live captions]

Fixed an issue which was causing clipping in live captions text for non-English languages.
Fixed an issue in Language & region settings that caused language feature installation progress to be hidden.
Adding enhanced language recognition support in Language & region settings will now install the right files on ARM64 devices. You will no longer need to restart live captions after switching between caption languages installed from Language & region settings. However, you will need to uninstall any “speech pack” entries in Settings > Apps > Installed apps which were installed before the Language & region settings fix and re-install from Language & region settings.

[Notifications]

Fixed an issue where 2FA codes weren’t being recognized if they were in parentheses.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where if you searched for service host in the Processes section, it wasn’t returning any results.
Improved the performance of the expand all / collapse all View options on the Processes page.
Fixed an issue where the search icon could end up overlapping the Task Manager icon in the title bar.
The search box should no longer be cropped at the top when the window is maximized.
Fixed an issue impacting Task Manager reliability.
Double clicking Task Manager’s title bar to maximize the window should work again now.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1680 & Build 22624.1680

New! This update changes firewall settings. You can now configure application group rules.
This update addresses an issue that affects the legacy Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) and the new Windows LAPS feature. They fail to manage the configured local account password. This occurs when you install the legacy LAPS .msi file after you have installed the April 11, 2023, Windows update on machines that have a legacy LAPS policy.
This update affects the Islamic Republic of Iran. The update supports the government’s daylight saving time change order from 2022.
This update addresses an issue that affects apps that use DirectX on older Intel graphics drivers. You might receive an error from apphelp.dll.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Resilient File System (ReFS). A stop error occurs that stops the OS from starting up correctly.
This update addresses an issue that affects protected content. When you minimize a window that has protected content, the content displays when it should not. This occurs when you are using Taskbar Thumbnail Live Preview.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Unified Write Filter (UWF). When you turn it off by using a call to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), your device might stop responding.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese input method. You cannot see all of the first suggested item.
This update addresses an issue that affects SMB Direct. Endpoints might not be available on systems that use multi-byte character sets.
This update addresses an issue that affects mobile device management (MDM) customers. The issue stops you from printing. This occurs because of an exception.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process. It might stop responding. Because of this, the machine restarts. The error is 0xc0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION).
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge IE mode. The Tab Window Manager stops responding.
This update addresses an issue that affects signed Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policies. They are not applied to the Secure Kernel. This occurs when you enable Secure Boot.
This update changes the app icons for certain mobile providers.
This update addresses an issue that affects MySQL commands. The commands fail on Windows Xenon containers.
This update addresses an issue that displays Task View in the wrong area. This occurs when you close a full screen game by pressing Win + Tab.
This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use a PIN to sign in to Windows Hello for Business. Signing in to Remote Desktop Services might fail. The error message is, “The request is not supported”.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge IE mode. Pop-up windows open in the background instead of in the foreground.
This update addresses an issue that affects Administrator Account Lockout policies. GPResult and Resultant Set of Policy did not report them.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[Widgets]

[NEW] When you launch the widgets board for the first time, you may see momentarily placeholders of the widgets/feed cards of the old 2-column layout even if your device supports 3-columns.

Via

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In this video, I look at the Orico 4 port USB hub. The hub costs £7.99 and is a slim device that is ideal for Windows laptops, Macbooks and even mobile devices. The device has 4 USB 3.0 ports and a USB type A cable that plugs into your PC or laptop (a USB C cable is also available). It supports 5Gbps data transfers and doesn’t require any additional drivers. It works with PCs, laptops, Xbox, PS5 and mobile devices. In the video I unbox the Orico hub, take a look at the design and try out copying files on my Surface. The hub costs £7.99 on Amazon UK.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! Richard is back from his travels and joins Garry and I to talk about his trip and his new EV. We talk about the latest builds of Windows 11, SpaceX, old Windows tech and physical modelling synths.

Links from this week’s show:

Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23440
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25346
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23440 & 25346
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1616 and 22624.1616
The Korg EXB-MOSS synthesizer: a hidden gem of physical modelling

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In 1999, Korg launched the OASYS PCI card for PC and Mac. It was a multi-synthesis engine that included sampling, FM and physical modelling. The high price ($2000 in 1999) meant only 2000 cards were sold and the project was cancelled.

However, the technology made its way to other products, including the Z1 physical modelling synth. Its technology then was brought down to an expansion card for the Korg Triton and Karma workstations.

The Korg EXB-MOSS (Multi-Oscillator Synthesis System) board fits inside the Triton or Karama and adds a new Bank F to the synth with 128 new programs. MOSS has PCM, analog, VPM (variable phase modulation) and physical modelling.

The 12 oscillator types are:

Standard
Ring Modulation
Cross Modulation
Sync
VPM
Comb filter
Resonance
Organ model
Electric piano model
Brass model
Reed model
Plucked string model
Bowed string model

Where this system excels over samples is that you have full control over the way the sounds are made. For example, the brass model enables you to model the physical characteristics of the instrument, including things like the bell shape. On a guitar, it models the pickup location, pluck strength and other parameters. This gives you a full range of expressions for each sound using velocity, aftertouch and real time controls (CC) so you have as much control of the sounds, just like you do with a physical instrument. So, you end up with rich and expressive sounds, but it does mean programming isn’t as simple as subtractive synthesis or using samples.

With massive gigabytes of multi-samples available now, physical modelling seems to have fallen by the wayside. But as with all music technology, the tech comes back around eventually when it becomes “vintage”.

As you can hear in the demo video, there are some great FM type sounds, expressive guitars, organs, brass and bowed sounds which all have a full range of dynamics.

In this video I give a brief overview of Korg MOSS and demonstrate how the synth engine works with various sound demos. If you want to jump to sound demos only without any talking, go to this part of the video:

View Details

Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5025308 takes the builds to 22621.1616 (features off) and 22624.1616 (features on).

This release has the addition of Danish, English (Ireland), French (Canada), Korean, Portuguese (Portugal) to live captions. The rest of the changed are just fixes:

Fixes in Build 22624.1616

[General]

Turning on the new toggle under Settings > Windows Update for “getting the latest updates as soon as they are available” introduced in the previous build should now offer a “Windows configuration update” offered via Windows Update for Insiders on Build 22624. This update is designed to help us make sure this new toggle is connected to our backend services correctly. A Update Stack Package update (version 413.2122.0) is required.
Fixed an underlying issue which was causing a noticeable increase in explorer.exe crashes in the last flight for some Insiders.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where the touch keyboard didn’t correctly recognize a hardware keyboard was available in some cases.
Updated the TextInput/EnableTouchKeyboardAutoInvokeInDesktopMode MDM policy to allow “2” as a valid value to enforce showing the touch keyboard on tapping an edit control even when the hardware keyboard is attached.

[Live captions]

Fixed an issue that was causing live captions to crash on first launch due to an issue impacting registry data retrieval.
Fixed an issue causing live captions’ Add a language menu icon and label to overlap.
Features have been added to the enhanced speech recognition language files to improve performance and provide out-of-language filtering meant to limit the incorrect captions for speech not in the caption language.

[Accessibility]

Fixed an issue that was leaving voice access’s window empty after opening.
Fixed an issue where voice access was crashing when using the command to go to the start of a document.
Fixed an issue where if you turn off the profanity filter in voice access, it wouldn’t work.
Fixed an issue where Narrator’s Ctrl + Home and Ctrl + End commands to move to the top and bottom of the web page weren’t working correctly in Edge.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer:

Shift + Right click on a file or folder is not opening “Show more options”.

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.

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In this video I look at Windows 11 build 23440 and build 25346. Build 23440 is for devices on the dev channel and build 25346 is for Windows Insiders on the canary channel. The dev channel build has changes to the start menu, the clock, and network diagnostic tools. The canary channel build has some features first tested in the dev builds and some new settings.

In the video I also look at the fixes and known issues with the build 23440 and 25346.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week on the show Garry and I are joined by Dan Caesar from Full Charged to talk about the upcoming Fully Charged Live shows. Dan gives us a flavour of what will be at the North and South shows and gives us an exclusive preview of the EV line up coming to the shows. If you’re interested in elective vehicles, home energy and electrification then this is a live show for you. Plus, we also have a catch up of the latest Windows Insider news, I revive my 2007 UMPC and ask why they are not a thing any more plus lots more!

Links from this week’s show:

Welcome – Fully Charged 2023
BYD Launches at Fully Charged LIVE – Fully Charged Show
What was Microsoft Project Origami? Looking back at rise and fall of Ultra Mobile PCs
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23435
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23435
Windows 11 Build 22000.1879 to the Release Preview Channel
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23430 & 25336
Announcing the FM Drum sound set for the Uno Drum
The Roland TR-505: A Classic Drum Machine from the 80s

Subscribe to our Podcast

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary channel. Build 25346 has a few changes previously seen in the dev channel and a couple of new features.

This build has a new content adaptive brightness control enabled on laptops and 2 in 1’s that are plugged into a charger. This setting needs to be enabled by the OEM so you may not have this featured enabled.

The build has a new connection bar for remote desktop sessions with a new light/dark mode:

Another new feature that was originally on the dev channel is a presence sensor privacy control in settings:

Microsoft has reinstated the Windows Security notification dialog that matches the Windows 11 look and feel:

The final change is its now easier to configure HDR settings when running on battery:

Configurable state of HDR when running on battery.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 23440 UI improvements, changes to search and a selection of fixes.

There is a new recommendation in the Start menu that enables you to quickly access the release notes for the new build:

If you are having network issues, then you can right click on the network icon and select Diagnose network problems:

There is now an option to hide the date and time in the system tray, which you can turn on by right clicking on the system track clock and choosing “Adjust date and time”

There is a new hover behaviour in search:

We are exploring a new hover behavior for the search box and search highlight gleam. The proposed interaction model aims to create a more engaging search experience by invoking the search flyout when you hover over the search box gleam. This behavior can be adjusted by right-clicking on the taskbar, choosing “Taskbar settings” and adjusting your preferred search box experience.

Here are the fixes and known issues with the build:

Fixes

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed a few explorer.exe crashes that were impacting taskbar reliability.

[Widgets]

Updated the Widgets invocation logic, so that if you brush your mouse quickly across the Widgets icon in the taskbar while travelling somewhere else, it should be less likely to accidentally open Widgets. As a reminder, if you’d prefer that Widgets doesn’t launch on hover, there is an option for that in the Widgets settings.

[File Explorer]

We fixed the following issues for Insiders previewing the Windows App SDK version of File Explorer

Fixed an issue where the context menu was opening far away from where your mouse had right-clicked sometimes.
Fixed an issue which was causing some of the icons in File Explorer and the context menu to be blurry after DPI changes.
Fixed an issue where the New button in the command bar might not show anything in the dropdown.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with Gallery in File Explorer:

CTRL + Mouse wheel scrolling should now resize the thumbnails.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with recommended files in File Explorer:

Made some improvements to how Narrator reads out the recommended files.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with access keys in File Explorer:

Shift + Right click on a file or folder should open “Show more options” again now.
Adjusted how Narrator was reading out the access keys after pressing the menu key, to make it clearer.

[Search]

Fixed an issue where the cursor wasn’t displaying correctly in the search box when using an Arabic display language.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where the touch keyboard didn’t correctly recognize a hardware keyboard was available in some cases.

[Windowing]

Fixed a shellexperiencehost.exe crash when disconnecting from another monitor using WIN + P.

[Notifications]

Fixed an issue where 2FA codes weren’t being recognized if they were in parentheses.

[Live captions]

Fixed an issue that was causing live captions to crash on first launch due to an issue impacting registry data retrieval.
Adding enhanced language recognition support in Language & region settings will now install the right files on ARM64 devices. You will no longer need to restart live captions after switching between caption languages installed from Language & region settings. However, you will need to uninstall any “speech pack” entries in Settings > Apps > Installed apps which were installed before the Language & region settings fix and re-install from Language & region settings.
Fixed an issue in Language & region settings that caused language feature installation progress to be hidden.
Fixed an issue causing live captions’ Add a language menu icon and label to overlap.

[Task Manager]

Double clicking Task Manager’s title bar to maximize the window should work again now.
Fixed a Task Manager crash which was impacting Insiders in the last couple flights.

[Accessibility]

Fixed an issue that was leaving voice access’s window empty after opening.
Fixed an issue where voice access was crashing when using the command to go to the start of a document.
Fixed an issue where Narrator’s CTRL + Narrator + Home and Ctrl + Narrator + End commands to move to the beginning and end of text weren’t working correctly in Edge.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

There is an issue where some people may not see the search box on the taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403. We are aware of the issue, and we are working on a fix.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have Gallery in File Explorer will see the following issues:

Gallery may require clicking twice on the node in the navigation pane for initial load.
Live updates (including filtering) are currently disabled and require using the Refresh button as a workaround.
Thumbnail loading performance for dehydrated cloud files and memory usage in large collections are known issues we are focused on improving. Please capture Performance traces in Feedback Hub for any performance-related issues. Rebuilding your Indexer can help if thumbnails are missing for cloud files; Search for “Indexing Options” and look in Advanced settings to find the rebuild tool.
Photos from OneDrive for Business currently must be hydrated to work properly.
Some file types (e.g., HEIC) might not be rendered correctly or performantly.

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer will see the following issues:

Access keys will appear inconsistently if no button is pressed. Pressing a button will cause them to reappear.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).

[Live captions]

Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

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In this video I unbox and review SoundPeat’s RunFree Lite Bluetooth headphones. The headphones cost £33 and are over ear design with a single band linking them together. The specs are:

Open-Ear design
28g
16.2mm large drivers
Bluetooth 5.3 (with Bluetooth multi-point so you can switch between devices quickly)
17-hour battery
USB C charging with small cable included.
IPX4

I found the headphones comfortable to wear once you have them tucked behind your ears, plus the open design means you get airflow around the ears. These are not the in-ear types of earbuds they place over the ear. They are unlikely to fall out of your ears and get lost on your cycle ride like the small buds. Another advantage of this open over-ear design is you can hear background sounds, so if you were using it on a bike, you can still hear traffic noise.

The sound quality is good with plenty of bass (but not as much as an in-ear design) and you can customise the EQ via the SoundPeats app. For £33 these are great for using while running or cycling. They are light with a good sound and the open design means you can still hear your environment.

Thanks to SoundPeat for sending me a set to try out (link: RunFree Lite – Bluetooth Air Conduction Sport Headphones – SOUNDPEATS)

Herer is my unboxing and review video:

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23435. This build has a new gallery view in File Explorer and the File Picker, as well as new presence sensor settings and other changes. In the video I also look at the known issues and fixes in build 23435.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 23435 has a new gallery feature in File Explorer some other interesting changes.

In File Explorer is a new Galley view which shows your photos on your PC. The view is the same layout and content as in the Photos app. The view also works in the file picker so apps that work with photos will be able to use the new feature. As ever Microsoft are rolling this out to as small set of Windows Insiders so you may not see the feature yet.

Another change with the build is Microsoft trying out different designs of Start Menu notifications:

Added to this build is a Presence Sensor privacy setting:

Here are the fixes and known issues in the build:

Fixes

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed a few explorer.exe crashes that were impacting taskbar reliability.

[Input]

Updated the TextInput/EnableTouchKeyboardAutoInvokeInDesktopMode MDM policy to allow “2” as a valid value to enforce showing the touch keyboard on tapping an edit control even when the hardware keyboard is attached.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue which was causing Settings crashes when navigating to various Windows Update related pages in the last couple flights.

[Live captions]

Fixed the issue that caused enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page to require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu on Arm64 devices.
Fixed the issue where you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions) when adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, and language feature installation progress may become hidden.

[Task Manager]

Improved the performance of the expand all / collapse all View options on the Processes page.

[Accessibility]

Updated Narrator’s default for “Context level for buttons and controls” to “3 – Immediate content name and type.”

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

There is an issue where some people may not see the search box on the taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403. We are aware of the issue, and we are working on a fix.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have Gallery in File Explorer will see the following issues:

[NEW] Gallery may require clicking twice on the node in the navigation pane for initial load.
[NEW] Live updates (including filtering) are currently disabled and require using the Refresh button as a workaround.
[NEW] Thumbnail loading performance for dehydrated cloud files and memory usage in large collections are known issues we are focused on improving. Please capture Performance traces in Feedback Hub for any performance-related issues. Rebuilding your Indexer can help if thumbnails are missing for cloud files; Search for “Indexing Options” and look in Advanced settings to find the rebuild tool.
[NEW] Photos from OneDrive for Business currently must be hydrated to work properly.
[NEW] Some file types (e.g., HEIC) might not be rendered correctly or performantly.

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer will see the following issues:

Access keys will appear inconsistently if no button is pressed. Pressing a button will cause them to reappear.
Shift + Right click on a file or folder is not opening “Show more options”.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).

[Live captions]

[NEW] Live captions will crash on first launch due to an issue impacting registry data retrieval. A new fix is expected very soon.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language

Via

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For Windows Insiders on the beta channel running the original version of Windows 11 Microsoft has released a new build of the OS. KB5025298 takes the build to 22000.1879 and has a long list of fixes:

New! This update changes firewall settings. You can now configure application group rules.
This update affects the Islamic Republic of Iran. The update supports the government’s daylight-saving time change order from 2022.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process. It might stop responding. Because of this, the machine restarts. The error is 0xc0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION).
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge IE mode. Pop-up windows open in the background instead of in the foreground.
This update addresses an issue that affects Edge IE mode. The Tab Window Manager stops responding.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) client. The client returns an HTTP server error status (500). This error occurs when it runs a transfer job in the Storage Migration Service.
This update addresses a rare issue that might cause an input destination to be null. This issue might occur when you attempt to convert a physical point to a logical point during hit testing. Because of this, the computer raises a stop error.
This update addresses an issue that affects protected content. When you minimize a window that has protected content, the content displays when it should not. This occurs when you are using Taskbar Thumbnail Live Preview.
This update addresses an issue that affects provisioning packages. They fail to apply in certain circumstances when elevation is required.
This update addresses an issue that affects mobile device management (MDM) customers. The issue stops you from printing. This occurs because of an exception.
This update changes the app icons for certain mobile providers.
This update addresses an issue that affects signed Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policies. They are not applied to the Secure Kernel. This occurs when you enable Secure Boot.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Defender Application Control. The policy that blocks software using a hash rule might not stop the software from running.
This update affects Xbox Elite users who have the Xbox Adaptive Controller. This update applies your controller remapping preferences on the desktop.
This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use a PIN to sign in to Windows Hello for Business. Signing in to Remote Desktop Services might fail. The error message is, “The request is not supported”.
This update makes improvements to the performance of the search box.
This update addresses an issue that affects Administrator Account Lockout policies. GPResult and Resultant Set of Policy did not report them.
This update addresses an issue that affects Active Directory Users & Computers. It stops responding. This occurs when you use TaskPad view to enable or disable many objects at the same time.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Unified Write Filter (UWF). When you turn it off by using a call to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), your device might stop responding.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Resilient File System (ReFS). A stop error prevents the OS from starting up correctly.
This update addresses an issue that affects MySQL commands. The commands fail on Windows Xenon containers.
This update addresses an issue that affects SMB Direct. Endpoints might not be available on systems that use multi-byte character sets.

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Microsoft has released Windows 11 Build 22621.1631 for Insiders in the Release Preview Channel running Windows 11 22H2. KB5025305 has a couple of changes including a new animation to the widget icon on the taskbar.

Here is the full list of changes:

New! This update changes firewall settings. You can now configure application group rules.
New! This update adds animations to a few icons on the Widgets taskbar button. These animations turn on when:
- A new announcement appears on the Widgets taskbar button.
- You hover over or click the Widgets taskbar button.
This update affects the Islamic Republic of Iran. The update supports the government’s daylight-saving time change order from 2022.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process. It might stop responding. Because of this, the machine restarts. The error is 0xc0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION).
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge IE mode. The Tab Window Manager stops responding.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge IE mode. Pop-up windows open in the background instead of in the foreground.
This update addresses an issue that affects protected content. When you minimize a window that has protected content, the content displays when it should not. This occurs when you are using Taskbar Thumbnail Live Preview.
This update addresses an issue that affects mobile device management (MDM) customers. The issue stops you from printing. This occurs because of an exception.
This update changes the app icons for certain mobile providers.
This update addresses an issue that affects signed Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policies. They are not applied to the Secure Kernel. This occurs when you enable Secure Boot.
This update addresses an issue that displays Task View in the wrong area. This occurs when you close a full screen game by pressing Win+Tab.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Chinese input method. You cannot see all of the first suggested item.
This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use a PIN to sign in to Windows Hello for Business. Signing in to Remote Desktop Services might fail. The error message is, “The request is not supported”.
This update addresses an issue that affects Administrator Account Lockout policies. GPResult and Resultant Set of Policy did not report them.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Unified Write Filter (UWF). When you turn it off by using a call to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), your device might stop responding.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Resilient File System (ReFS). A stop error occurs that stops the OS from starting up correctly.
This update addresses an issue that affects MySQL commands. The commands fail on Windows Xenon containers.
This update addresses an issue that affects SMB Direct. Endpoints might not be available on systems that use multi-byte character sets.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5025299 takes the builds to 22621.1610 (features switched off) and 22624.1610 (features switched on).

The build has a new Presence sensing privacy setting and API. You can now block or allow apps from accessing the sensor data. The API will enable apps to be able to tell if the user is present so it could adjust security and resource usage:

The other change to the OS is a new setting in Windows Update to get the latest update as soon as they are available. The toggle is for beta channel users to switch from 22621 to 22624.

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues:

Fixes in Build 22624.1610

[General]

Fixed an underlying issue which was causing a noticeable increase in explorer.exe crashes in the last flight for some Insiders.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1610 & Build 22624.1610

This update addresses a compatibility issue. The issue occurs because of unsupported use of the registry.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer:

Shift + Right click on a file or folder is not opening “Show more options”.

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
[NEW] Live captions will crash on first launch due to an issue impacting registry data retrieval. A new fix is expected very soon.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

Via

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Before Android devices, before iPads, before Surface tablets and when Windows laptops were still chunky devices, Microsoft tried a category of PCs for people wanting to take a PC on the go.

Project Origami was Microsoft’s attempt in 2006 to bring together a set of specifications for small lightweight mobile PCs. The category was called UMPC (Ultra Mobile PCs) and OEMs like Samsung, Sony and OQO all brought out devices.

SpecificationsThe specifications were screens of eight inches or smaller with a minimum resolution of 800×400. They had to have a touch screen or at least support a Pen input, and they ran either Intel or VIA processors. They had around 256mb to 2gb of RAM and small drives, between 25gb and 100gb.

Full versions of WindowsWhat set them apart from Windows Mobile devices was they ran full version of Windows and not a cut down version of an OS. 2006 that was Windows XP Tablet Edition and later they shipped with Windows Vista and then Windows 7. The idea was they would be full PCs but with a form factor that made them ideal for web browsing and media consumption.

Origami ExperienceWindows XP wasn’t designed for small form factor devices and even the Tablet Edition wasn’t ideal for the small screens. So, Microsoft created the Origami Experience designed for these devices running Windows XP and Windows Vista. It was a large UI with big touch targets, media player and photo viewer. It even had an application launcher but once you launched an application you were back to small touch targets.

You could also use Windows Media Center which was Microsoft’s ten-foot application designed for PCs connected to TVs, and this worked well on the small screens.

Rise and fall of the UMPCThe UMPC category started in 2006 with the Samsung Q1 (which I had) and devices from AMtek and OQO. Sony released the VIAO UX (which I still have) and the UX had a flash-based SSD which made it one of the best performing UMPCs. There were also devices from Raon and Wibrain. In 2007 Bill Gates introduced the OQO Model 2 at CES which went on to be one of the most popular UMPCs. In 2008 there was the HTC Shift which ran Windows Vista.

However, there were problems with UMPCs and its why they don’t really exist anymore. The fundamental issues with UMPCs were performance, price, and user experience.

The Samsung Q1 was over £1000 and the Sony VGN-UX1XN was around £2000. If they had been £500 or less, they may have been picked up by consumers but at over £1000 they would only ever be a niche device.

The other issue was performance. Slow processors, low amounts of RAM and small disks didn’t work well with Windows, especially Windows Vista. My Q1 was always slow, the Sony with its SSD was a little quicker but the 1.33ghz Intel Core Solo process wasn’t that quick. The final nail in the coffin was the small touch targets in Windows, the Origami Experience shell helped but you soon end up at the standard Windows UI and on a five-inch device that is not easy to use. It wouldn’t be until Windows 8 that Microsoft put the touch UI front and centre in the OS.

So, by 2010 Microsoft stopped marketing UMPCs and OEMs left UMPCs for tablets, Ultra books, and netbooks. There were some 7-inch tablets released in the Window 8 era, but we haven’t really seen the UMPC form factor return other than some specialist devices.

In this video I look back at UMPCs and my Sony UX running Windows Vista with the Origami Experience loaded.

Did you have a UMPC? Let us know in the comments.

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In this video I look at the changes, fixes and known issues with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23430 and 25336. Build 23430 is for devices on the dev channel and 25336 is for devices on the canary channel. There are new notifications and settings in the builds. I also look at the known issues with the Windows Insider builds.

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For Windows Insiders on the beta channel Microsoft has released two new builds of Windows 11. The release is Build 22624.1546 (with features) and 22621.1546 (without features) via KB5025310.

There are just a handful of changes to the builds:

[Settings]

Improved the performance of search within Settings.
Pressing the print screen key will now open Snipping Tool by default. This setting can be turned off via Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard. If you have previously modified this setting yourself, your preference will be preserved.
A limit of 20 most recent tabs has been introduced under Settings > Multitasking to show tabs in ALT + TAB and Snap Assist.

Fixes in Build 22624.1546

[Input]

Fixed an issue where text input features like touch keyboard, voice typing, and emoji panel might not launch.
Fixed an issue where the buttons in the Pinyin IME’s settings flyout were hard to see when they had focus if a contrast theme was enabled.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where some of the details in the Performance page wouldn’t display properly until you resized the window or changed pages back and forth.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer:

[NEW] Shift + Right click on a file or folder is not opening “Show more options”.

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

View Details

Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev and canary channels. Build 25336 for the canary channel has a few changes and build 23430 for the dev channel has a change to notifications and a selection of fixes.

Build 25336 for Windows Insiders on the canary channelThis canary channel build has just the three changes:

[Settings]

Improved the performance of search within Settings.
Customers with 2 or more discrete graphics adapters with no integrated graphics can now choose which of the discrete graphics adapters is considered high-performance. Navigate to Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Default graphics settings and select which of the discrete graphics adapters you would like to be designated as the Default high performance GPU.
A limit of 20 most recent tabs has been introduced under Settings > Multitasking to show tabs in ALT + TAB and Snap Assist. This change rolled out with Build 25330 last week.

Build 23430 for Windows Insiders on the dev channelBuild 23430 has a new notification design for urgent notifications when in do not disturb mode:

Urgent or important notifications that break through when do not disturb is turned on while using apps at full screen will now display a “view notification” button to view the content of the notification for privacy.

The other change is a limit of 20 most recent tabs has been introduced under Settings > Multitasking to show tabs in ALT + TAB and Snap Assist.

Fixes and known issues:

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an underlying issue causing some Insiders to see an increase in explorer.exe crashes in the last 2 flights.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where text input features like touch keyboard, voice typing, and emoji panel might not launch.
Fixed an issue where the buttons in the Pinyin IME’s settings flyout were hard to see when they had focus if a contrast theme was enabled.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue impacting Task Manager reliability.
The search box should no longer be cropped at the top when the window is maximized.

[Accessibility]

Fixed an issue where in Quick Settings, Narrator was reading out the previous page’s title instead of the active page’s.
After downloading voice access, information to help you get started with it should correctly open again now.
Fixed an issue where popups for voice access weren’t translated correctly.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

There is an issue where some people may not see the search box on the taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403. We are aware of the issue, and we are working on a fix.
If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer:

Access keys will appear inconsistently if no button is pressed. Pressing a button will cause them to reappear.
[NEW] Shift + Right click on a file or folder is not opening “Show more options”.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

Via

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This is my third custom sound set for the Uno Drum.

This set is a selection of drum sounds from my TX7 (the desktop version of the DX7) which has a unique distinct type of sound. There are kicks, snares, toms and other DX7 type sounds which you can load into an Uno Drum.

Download the set from here and then follow these instructions to upload them to your Uno Drum.

 Ian Dixon Uno Drum Custom Sound Vol3 - FM Sounds (DX7 sounds)  1 file(s) 610.23 KB   Download   You will need to have the Uno Drum Anthology kits installed and then follow these steps: You will also need a USB cable to connect your Uno Drum to your computer.

To get your sounds to the Uno Drum we can use the transfer tool that comes with the Uno Drum sound packs. So, start off by downloading and installing the Uno Drum sound sets from IK Multimedia. Get used to transferring the sets from IK Multimedia before you start with my collection.

Once you have done that you can download and unzip the file into one of the folders with the Drum transfer tool

E.g. C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\IK Multimedia\IK Product Manager\UNO Drum\UNO_Drum_Anthology_Libraries_WIN\UNO Drum Anthology Libraries WIN\UNO Drum Anthology 8 Sound Content Installer 1.0.0 WIN

Then you run the cmd file for the kit you want to install. So, for the RX5 run RX5.cmd and for the FM set run FM.cmd

Also checkout my other sets which include Fairlight, RX5 and TR-505.

Here is the FM set on the Uno Drum in action:

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Welcome to this week’s podcast. On the show this week Garry, Richard and I talk about Richard’s new EV and why it’s not as simple as an old Mini. We talk about the new builds of Windows 11 and wonder if we will see Windows 12 soon. We talk old drum machines and the new Microsoft Surface Dock.

Links from this week’s show:

The Roland TR-505: A Classic Drum Machine from the 80s
March 2023 Android update for the Surface Duo 2 released
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1537 and 22624.1537 released
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25330 & 23424
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23424 released to the dev channel
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25330 released for the Canary Channel

My new single is out:

Subscribe to our Podcast

Listen Here (download mp3)

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The Roland TR-505 was launched in 1986 for £225. It belonged to the same family as the Roland TR-909, TR-808, TR-707, TR626 and TR-606. The drum machine had similar sounds to the TR-707, with the Latin sounds from the TR-727. It was designed to be a budget-friendly entry-level machine.

The front panel featured an LCD display for viewing the functions and programming the patterns. There were 16 pads for pattern selection and real-time programming. The only controls were a volume control and a tempo control. So, there was no pitch or envelop settings.

The sixteen sounds in the TR-505 did not have the instantly recognisable classic sounds of the TR-909 or 808, but they did have a clean punchy sound from the 12-bit / 25kHz samples. The clap sounded great, as did the cowbells. In a mix with an 80s-style track, they blended in remarkably well. The sounds included kick, snare, low tom, mid tom, hi tom, rim shot, closed hi-hat, open hi-hat, low conga, high conga, timbale, low and hi cowbell, clap, crash and ride cymbal. There was also an accent pad.

Back in 1986, a cassette interface was the standard way of saving data, I remember saving patches from Yamaha DX100 synth of course tapes where the only storage medium on my ZX Spectrum, and that’s what the TR-505 supported. There was no cartridge support or midi dump of the user patterns. It had full-sized midi in and out ports, but no midi through or sync input. It supported midi sync with start and stop sync codes, and you could play the sounds over midi.

There were 48 factory patterns and 48 user patterns, and you could combine patterns to make songs. The factory patterns were the standard for the 1980s-style music. They included disco, marches, waltzes and Latin rhythms, which had their own retro charm. For your own patterns, you could change the pattern length and overall step length, and you could create your patterns in step or real-time modes.

Another budget aspect of the drum machine was a stereo / mono ¼ inch jack output (with a fixed stereo field). So, there were no individual outputs, but for the original price of £225 that was to be expected. I bought the machine a few years ago for £150 and after a bit of cleaning and polishing, the machine was as good as new. It was quick to program and had punchy 80s sounds and rhythms, which made it a really useful piece of kit alongside my Yamaha TX7 and other equipment.

The Roland TR-505 was a simple and affordable drum machine that offered 16 sounds and 96 patterns. Although it did not have the iconic sounds of the TR-909 or 808, it had a clean and punchy sound that suited the 1980s-style music. It was easy to program and use, and it supported midi sync and playback. The TR-505 may not be the most sought-after drum machine today, but it still has a nostalgic charm and a place in the history of electronic music.

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Microsoft has released the March 2023 update for the Surface Duo 2. This month the update is just includes the March 2023 Android security update and there are no features in the release. It has been a while since new features were added into the Surface Duo 2. The Android 12L update was released last October and since then it’s just been security updates.

| 022.825.33 | This update:* Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin – March 2023. |

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Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1537 and Build 22624.1537 to the Beta Channel. The update is KB5022910 and 22624.1537 has the features and 22621.1537 has the features switches off. These builds have some of the features that have been in test for Windows Insiders on the dev channel for the last few weeks.

The build has the access shortcut feature:

An access key is a one keystroke shortcut that allows a keyboard user to quickly execute a command in context menu. Each access key will correspond with a letter in the display name. It’s part of our effort to make File Explorer more accessible. To try this out, you can click on a file in File Explorer and press the menu key on your keyboard.

Also in this build is the live kernel dump feature:

To reduce energy consumption the build has Content Adaptive Brightness Control (CABC) on plugged in devices including desktop PCs.

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues with the build:

Changes and Improvements in Build 22624.1537

[Settings]

As part of the deprecation of Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) and MSDT Troubleshooters, we have begun redirecting some of the troubleshooters found under Settings > System > Troubleshoot and in other areas of the OS to the new Get Help troubleshooting platform.

[Developer]

Virtual Memory ranges which are marked by a KbCallbackTriageDumpData BugCheck Callback Routine will now be added to kernel-generated minidumps after a bugcheck.

Changes and Improvements for BOTH Build 22621.1537 & Build 22624.1537

[Search on the Taskbar]

Once you have access to the new Bing, the search box on the taskbar will include a button that opens the Bing chat experience in Edge. If you don’t have access, the search box on the taskbar will feature a dynamic search highlight button. We’re beginning to roll this out to Insiders, not everyone will see it right away.

Fixes in Build 22624.1537

[General]

Improved the experience on logon after booting up by reducing the performance impact of startup apps.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

We fixed the issue in the previous build where the option under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar in the Taskbar behavior section to show seconds in the clock on the system tray was not actually enabling the functionality. Enabling should work now.
Fixed an issue causing the show hidden icons flyout to open behind things like OneNote flyout and live captions.

[Settings]

Improved the performance of search within Settings.

[Voice access]

Fixed an issue that was causing voice access to take some time to turn on after using the wake-up command.

[Other]

Fixed an issue which was causing an unexpected error message to appear when opening Group Policy Editor in the previous flight.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1537 & Build 22624.1537

New! This update adds many new features and improvements to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. For more information, see Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
New! The search box on the taskbar will be lighter when you set Windows to a custom color mode. This will occur when you set the Windows mode to dark and the app mode to light in Settings > Personalization > Colors.
This update affects the Arab Republic of Egypt. The update supports the government’s daylight saving time change order for 2023.
This update affects jscript9Legacy.dll. It adds ITracker and ITrackingService to stop MHTML from not responding.
This update addresses an issue that affects complexity policy settings for PINs. They are ignored.
This update affects Xbox Elite users who have the Xbox Adaptive Controller. This update applies your controller remapping preferences on the desktop.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option 119 – Domain Search Option. The issue stops you from using a connection-specific DNS Suffix Search List.
This update addresses an issue that affects a Clustered Shared Volume (CSV). The CSV fails to come online. This occurs if you enable BitLocker and local CSV managed protectors, and the system recently rotated the BitLocker keys.
This update addresses an issue that might affect your audio. It might cause glitching or screeching. This occurs when the system is under a heavy load or wakes from sleep.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Narrator. It fails to read items in dropdown lists in Microsoft Excel.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) client. The client returns an HTTP server error status (500). This error occurs when it runs a transfer job in the Storage Migration Service.
This update addresses an issue that affects Active Directory Users & Computers. It stops responding. This occurs when you use TaskPad view to enable or disable many objects at the same time.
This update affects the Group Policy Editor. It adds Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 to the list of protocols that you can set.
This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Search. Windows Search fails inside of Windows container images.
This update addresses a rare issue that might cause an input destination to be null. This issue might occur when you attempt to convert a physical point to a logical point during hit testing. Because of this, the computer raises a stop error.
This update addresses an issue that affects Desired State Configuration. It loses its previously configured options. This occurs if metaconfig.mof is missing.
The update addresses an issue that affects the Remote Procedure Call Service (rpcss.exe). The issue might cause a race condition between the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) and the Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) endpoint mapper.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding on the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). This occurs when you use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
This update addresses an issue that affects the Fast Identity Online 2.0 (FIDO2) PIN credential icon. It does not appear on the credentials screen of an external monitor. This occurs when that monitor is attached to a closed laptop.
This update addresses an issue that affects the new Windows Runtime (WinRT) API. This issue stops an application from querying for location information using MBIM2.0+.
This update addresses an issue that affects USB printers. The system classifies them as multimedia devices even though they are not.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft HTML Application Host (HTA). This issue blocks code execution that uses Microsoft HTA. This occurs when you turn on Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) enforced mode.
This update affects the Group Policy Management Console. It addresses a scripting error in the Group Policy Preferences window.
This update addresses an issue that stops WDAC from parsing fields from binaries.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) certificate. The system reports some SCEP certificate installations as failed. Instead, the system should report them as pending.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding. This occurs when you use accessibility tools.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Notepad combo box in Settings. It fails to show all the available options.
This update addresses an issue that might affect Win32 and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. They might close when devices enter Modern Standby. Modern Standby is an expansion of the Connected Standby power model. This issue occurs if certain Bluetooth PhoneLink features are turned on.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[Live captions]

On Arm64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

Via

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Two builds for the price of one with this video! In this video I look at build 25330 for Window Insiders on the Canary Channel, and build 23424 for Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel.

Build 23424 has an updated widgets board and improved support for the Microsoft Wheel. Build 25330 has the new Wheel settings and some other changes. Also, in the video I look at the fixes and known issues in the builds.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 23424 has an updated Widgets board and

The Widgets board has been split into widgets on the left hand side and your news feed on the right hand side. In my option this is a better design than the current mixed view. Currently this is only rolling out to a small set of Windows Insiders so you may not see the feature yet.

Introduced in this build is adaptive brightness will now run on devices plugged into a charger:

Content Adaptive Brightness Control (CABC) is already a feature that users are familiar with. This feature in Windows 11 will dim or brighten areas of a display or monitor based on the content being displayed with the goal of striking a balance between reduced power consumption with visual experience to save battery life. Starting with this build, we are allowing this feature to run on devices such as laptops and 2-in-1’s that are plugged into a charger, as well as on desktop PCs. For most users, this change won’t be noticeable and should reduce energy consumption.

A new feature is a preview of a new settings for beta channel users to switch via enablement package:

Windows Insiders can help us preview a new experience we’re working on. Insiders will begin to see a new toggle under Settings > Windows Update for “getting the latest updates as soon as they are available”. This new toggle is meant to be used in the Beta Channel to allow Insiders to switch more seamlessly to the enablement package. But because the Dev Channel does not use an enablement package, turning this toggle on will not do anything for Insiders in the Dev Channel. However, by turning it on, a “Windows configuration update” will be offered via Windows Update that is designed to help us make sure this new toggle is connected to our backend services correctly before making it available in the Beta Channel. This update introduces nothing new for Insiders.

There is an updated Wheel setting screen which is based on the Windows 11 design:

Also in this build the performance of the search in settings has been improved.

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues with the build:

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an issue that was causing voice access to take some time to turn on after using the wake-up command.

[File Explorer]

We fixed the following issues for Insiders with recommended files in File Explorer:

We fixed the issue causing an error dialog to pop up when clicking on the “Open File Location” command.
We fixed the issue causing no action to occur when clicking on the ‘Remove from list’ command.

[Input]

Made a change to help improve performance when using a high report rate mouse while gaming. As a reminder, if you have gaming performance feedback, please follow these steps to file actionable feedback.

[Settings]

Improved the performance of search within Settings.

[Windowing]

Fixed an issue from the last flight where Microsoft Edge tabs would show when doing ALT + Tab even if Settings > System > Multitasking was set to “Don’t show tabs”.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where the search icon could end up overlapping the Task Manager icon in the title bar.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

There is an issue where some people may not see the search box on the taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403. We are aware of the issue, and we are working on a fix.
If you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer:

Access keys will appear inconsistently if no button is pressed. Pressing a button will cause them to reappear.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

Via

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel. Build 25330 is only available for Intel devices and has a few changing including a new setting for devices like the Microsoft Wheel (which I thought they had forgotten about).

If you have a Microsoft Wheel there is a new design of the settings page which matches the Windows 11 design style.

Other changes:

The Print Screen key opens the Snipping Tool by default

[Windows Sandbox]

If you have changed your primary mouse button under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse, Windows Sandbox will now follow that setting.

[Remote Desktop]

We updated the Remote Desktop Connection setup window (mstsc.exe) so that it now follows the text scaling settings under Settings > Accessibility > Text Size. In cases where the text scaling is very large, it will show a scrollbar.

[BitLocker]

When encrypting a drive using BitLocker, you can now minimize the encryption progress dialog.

[Inbox apps]

You can now uninstall the Camera app if you need to.

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This week on the podcast Gary and I talk about tips for using Tuya smart home devices. We talk about the new builds of Windows 11 and the new features included. We talk about my upload of the 1964 8mm Scaborough footage, new version of Teams and lots more.

Links from this week’s show:

Bringing my grandfather’s 8mm film of Scaborough from 1964 back to life
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25324
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1470 and 22624.1470 released
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25324 released to the Canary Channel
Boss RE-1000 Digital Multi Echo: A 90s Take on the Legendary RE-201 Space Echo
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23419
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23419

My new single is out:

Subscribe to our Podcast

Listen Here (download mp3)

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While clearing out my loft, I came across two 8mm film reels given to me by my late Grandmother. I remember my grandfather being a keen home movie maker, but I have never seen any of the films. With my grandparents and mother not being around anymore, I thought I would get the films digitized so we could see what’s on them.

I looked at a few different conversion services. As I have only two reels to convert, I didn’t need to buy a conversion projector (which would cost around £250), so I looked for online services. I did try a high street photo shop, but they wanted to charge £250! In the end, I used Bushey Digital, who charged just over £60 for the two films, and they arranged collection and delivery. It took a couple of weeks for Alan and his team to convert them and return the films along with a USB stick with the two converted films in mp4 format.

The quality of the conversion was fantastic, and my grandfather did a great job back in the 1960s putting together a film of the British seaside. I have two films, one of Scarborough in 1964 showing Scarborough harbour, a naval battle in Peasholm Park, the steam train, the tramway, Bridlington harbour, and the tree walk wonderland at night in Peasholm Park.

The second film is a family holiday from 1962, featuring my grandparents and my mother as a young girl enjoying their seaside holiday. I have to admit it was quite an emotional watch for me and my family.

As the films have no audio, I decided to add some 60’s style music to them. I used Mellotron tape loops from the 1960s to create an authentic-sounding soundtrack. I will probably do a separate post about that process.

So, it was well worth the time and money to bring the films to life for the next generation. Here is Scarborough in 1964. You can really get a feel for the British Seaside in the 1960s!

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In this video I look at the new features in Windows 11 build 25324. The build has just been released to the Canary channel which Microsoft describe off “hot off the press”, and they don’t always describe the changes but for this build they detailed the changes.

This build has an updated widgets board, USB4 support and improved password protection.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5023780 takes the builds to 22624.1470 (with features) and 22621.1470 (without features).

The build has many features that have been in included in recent dev channel builds.

The first one is USB4 support in settings. If your PC has USB4 support, you can go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 Hubs and Devices and view information about your USB4 devices.

Another feature that has been in test for a few weeks is a Copy to clipboard button when Windows detects a two-factor authentication notification.

Also added is a VPN indicator in the system tray:

The final change has also been in test for a while. Windows now gives you the option of showing seconds on the system clock:

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issue with the build:

Changes and Improvements for BOTH Build 22621.1470 & Build 22624.1470

[Search on the Taskbar]

The search box on taskbar will be lighter when Windows is set to a custom color mode. Specifically, when the Windows 11 mode is set to dark, and the app mode is set to light under Settings > Personalization > Colors you will see a lighter search box on taskbar.

The search box on taskbar will be lighter when Windows is set to a custom color mode.

Fixes in Build 22624.1470

[Live captions]

We fixed the issue causing live captions to not work for Chinese Traditional on Arm64 devices.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1470 & Build 22624.1470

[Search on the Taskbar]

Fixed rendering issues when using the touch keyboard with the search box on taskbar.
Fixed an issue when double clicking the search highlight glyph in the search box makes it disappear.
Fixed an issue where the search box would randomly disappear.
Fixed an issue where the search icon flips incorrectly for right-to-left (RTL) languages.
Fixed on issue where you might have seen some text flicker in the search box when you click into it.
Fixed an issue where the search box might disappear on one monitor if you are using multiple monitors.
Made some accessibility fixes to the settings for search under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

Known issues

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

Via

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel. Build 25324 has an updated widget board, USB4 settings and improved password protection.

Updated Widget BoardThe widget board has an updated look with a larger three column view. There is a separation of feed content and widgets so it’s clearer to see your information. Once again Microsoft are rolling this out to a small set of insiders initially so you may not have the new feature yet. Looking at the picture I would say this is an improvement.

USB4As with the recent dev channel release Microsoft have added a settings page for USB4 if your device supports it.

Unsafe password warningsA new feature is a warning if the password is unsafe on the Windows clipboard. This is using SmartScreen and has a setting to control it:

We are trying out a change starting with this build where users who have enabled warning options for Windows Security under App & browser control > Reputation-based protection > Phishing protection will see a UI warning on unsafe password copy and paste, just as they currently see when they type in their password.

Here are the other changes coming with this build:

Changes and Improvements

[Widgets]

We are beginning to roll out animated icons for Widgets on the taskbar. The animation triggers when you hover or click on the Widgets taskbar entry-point or when a new widget announcement is displayed on your taskbar. Currently, only a few weather and finance icons are supported.

[Search on the Taskbar]

Once you have access to the new Bing, the search box on the taskbar will include a button that opens the Bing chat experience in Edge. If you don’t have access to the new Bing, the search box on the taskbar will feature a dynamic search highlight button. We’re beginning to roll this out to Insiders, not everyone will see it right away.

[Input]

We have updated several simplified Chinese fonts and the Microsoft Pinyin IME to support GB18030-2022. With this update, you can enter and display characters from conformance level 1 or 2 via the additions to Microsoft Yahei, Simsun and Dengxian. Unicode Extensions E and F are now supported in our Simsun Ext-B font to meet the requirements for level 3.

[Settings]

As part of the deprecation of Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) and MSDT Troubleshooters, we have begun redirecting some of the troubleshooters found under Settings > System > Troubleshoot and in other areas of the OS to the new Get Help troubleshooting platform.
If you have multiple cameras that support Windows Hello, you can now select your preferred camera under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options.

[File Explorer]

Made some changes which should noticeably help improve the performance of the “calculating” phase when sending a large number of files at once in File Explorer to the recycle bin.

Via

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Back in 1990, Boss launched the RE-1000 Digital Multi Echo. This was an attempt by BOSS to recreate the legendary RE-201 Space Echo using modern (for 1990) design and a rack mounted format. For an early digital reverb, it has a nice, warm, and fat sound thanks to a warmth control that introduces wow and flutter, emulating the RE-201.

I got the unit cheap around 1990 due to it having some damage on the input jacks, which I really must get around to sorting out.

Here are the specs:

Two inputs
Stereo or mono output
Independent Input gain with overload indicators
Pre EQ (low and high controls)
Output Balance (from fully dry to fully wet)
Decay
Warmth

Modes:

Multi Echo 1
Multi Echo 2
Multi Echo 3
Multi Echo 4
Echo 1
Echo 2
Echo 3
Echo 4
Echo & Rev 1
Echo & Rev 2
Echo & Rev 3
Echo & Rev 4
Rev 1
Rev 2
Rev 3
Special

The combination of the warmth control and being able to overdrive the input gives some interesting tones, very much like the old Echoplexes and Space Echoes. It adds a lot of warmth to my Yamaha TX7 and old Jen SX100, and I leave the synths permanently connected via the RE-1000, even though there are plenty of effects options in the DAW.

In this video I hooked up my TX7 and demonstrated the different effects of the RE-1000.

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23419 for Windows Insiders on the rebooted dev channel (see my post for details on the changes to the channels). I look at the new features, fixes and known issues with this dev channel build.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast. On the show this week we talk about 5G home Wi-Fi, smart heating, bringing old 8mm films back to life and making new films look old. We talk about the latest Windows Insider news, creating retro music and lots more!

Links from this week’s show:

Windows 11 Build 22000.1757 to the Release Preview Channel Released
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1465 and 22624.1465 released
What is a Yamaha TX7 and why you should buy one over a DX7
The Mellotron: A Keyboard with the Power of an Orchestra (1965) | British Pathé

My new album is out:

Subscribe to our Podcast

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23419 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. As well as being available via Windows Update Microsoft have also made an ISO available for performing clean installs of Windows 11.

The main change is for developers: The update has Live Kernal memory dumps in Task Manager which will enable devs to debug their code.

To capture a live kernel memory dump (LKD), go to the Details page in Task Manager, right-click on the System process and the context menu should light up to show “Create live kernel memory dump file” to capture a Full live kernel or Kernel stack memory dumps.

The dumps will be written to a fixed location:

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\TaskManager\LiveKernelDumps

Microsoft are improving support for USB4:

For Insider with USB4 devices Microsoft have added a new Setting page (Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 Hubs and Devices). If you don’t have a USB4 device connected you will not see the new setting.

An other change Microsoft is trying out for a few insiders is the renaming of the Recommended section of the start menu to For You.

There is the VPN status on the network icon in the system tray and the abiltiy to show seconds in the system tray clock:

There is also a new Bing chat button in the search box as well as an updated in-app help page included in the 23403.

Here are the fixes and known issues in build 23419:

Fixes

[General]

Improved the experience on logon after booting up by reducing the performance impact of startup apps.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue that was causing Narrator to read the position before the name on system tray icons.
Fixed an issue causing the show hidden icons flyout to open behind things like OneNote flyout and live captions.
Fixed an issue which could cause explorer.exe crashes related to drag and drop.

[Search on the Taskbar]

Fixed a search crash from the last flight.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue which could cause explorer.exe to crash when opening Home if certain content was visible in the Recent section.
Made some improvements to the performance of loading File Explorer in the case where there’s a disconnected network drive visible in the navigation pane.

[Start menu]

Fixed an issue where dragging content across an open Start menu folder could cause a crash.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where after using voice typing your PC might not enter modern standby.

[Live captions]

We fixed the issue causing live captions to not work for Chinese Traditional on Arm64 devices.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where some of the details in the Performance page wouldn’t display properly until you resized the window or changed pages back and forth.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

There is an issue where some people may not see the search box on taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403. We are aware of the issue, and we are working on a fix.

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer:

Access keys will appear inconsistently if no button is pressed. Pressing a button will cause them to reappear.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).
Clicking on the “Open File Location” command will pop an error dialog that can easily be dismissed.
Clicking on the ‘Remove from list’ command will result in no actions.

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

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Microsoft has released an update to Window 11 for Windows Insiders on the Release Preview Channel. This is for Windows 11 running 22H2 update and KB5023778 takes the build to 22621.1483.

The update adds notification to the Start menu, so you may get notification about backups or other Microsoft notifications. This feature is just starting to roll out so not all Insiders will have it yet.

Other changes include a lighter search box in the taskbar when Windows is in custom colour mode and a button to access the new Bing chat feature.

Here are the other changes and fixes included in the build:

This update addresses an issue that affects the combo box in Settings. It fails to show all the available options.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding. This occurs when you use accessibility tools.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Narrator. It fails to read items in dropdown lists in Microsoft Excel.
This update addresses an issue that affects USB printers. The system classifies them as multimedia devices even though they are not.
This update addresses an issue that affects complexity policy settings for PINs. They are ignored.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Fast Identity Online 2.0 (FIDO2) PIN credential icon. It does not appear on the credentials screen of an external monitor. This occurs when that monitor is attached to a closed laptop.
This update addresses an issue that affects a Clustered Shared Volume (CSV). The CSV fails to come online. This occurs if you enable BitLocker and local CSV managed protectors, and the system recently rotated the BitLocker keys.
This update addresses an issue that affects Active Directory Users & Computers. It stops responding. This occurs when you use TaskPad view to enable or disable many objects at the same time.
The update addresses an issue that affects the Remote Procedure Call Service (rpcss.exe). The issue might cause a race condition between the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) and the Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) endpoint mapper.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding on the Azure Virtual Desktop. This occurs while you are using Think-Cell Features.
This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Search. Windows Search fails inside of Windows container images.
This update affects the Group Policy Editor. It adds Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 to the list of protocols that you can set.
This update affects the Arab Republic of Egypt. The update supports the government’s daylight saving time change order for 2023.
This update affects jscript9Legacy.dll. It adds ITracker and ITrackingService to stop MHTML from not responding.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft HTML Application Host (HTA). This issue blocks code execution that uses Microsoft HTA. This occurs when you turn on Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) enforced mode.
This update affects the Group Policy Management Console. It addresses a scripting error in the Group Policy Preferences window.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) client. The client returns an HTTP server error status (500). This error occurs when it runs a transfer job in the Storage Migration Service.
This update addresses an issue that affects Desired State Configuration. It loses its previously configured options. This occurs if metaconfig.mof is missing.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option 119 – Domain Search Option. The issue stops you from using a connection-specific DNS Suffix Search List.
This update addresses a rare issue that might cause an input destination to be null. This issue might occur when you attempt to convert a physical point to a logical point during hit testing. Because of this, the computer raises a stop error.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) certificate. The system reports some SCEP certificate installations as failed. Instead, the system should report them as pending.
This update addresses an issue that affects the new Windows Runtime (WinRT) API. This issue stops an application from querying for location information using MBIM2.0+.
This update addresses a known issue that affects kiosk device profiles. If you have enabled automatic logon, it might not work. After Autopilot completes provisioning, these devices stay on the credential screen. This issue occurs after you install updates dated January 10, 2023, and later.

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For Windows Insiders running the original version of Windows 11 on the Release Preview Channel there is a new update. KB5023774 takes the build to 22000.1757 and includes a number of fixes:

This update addresses an issue that affects the command line. It fails when you set the system locale to Japanese and cmd.exe is configured in legacy mode.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Notepad box in Settings. It fails to show all the available options.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding. This occurs when you use accessibility tools.
The update addresses an issue that affects the Remote Procedure Call Service (rpcss.exe). The issue might cause a race condition between the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) and the Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) endpoint mapper.
This update affects the ms-appinstaller URI. It now works with the DesktopAppInstaller policy.
This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft PowerPoint. It stops responding on the Azure Virtual Desktop. This occurs while you are using Think-Cell Features.
This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Search. Windows Search fails inside of Windows container images.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft HTML Application Host (HTA). This issue blocks code execution that uses Microsoft HTA. This occurs when you turn on Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) enforced mode.
This update addresses an issue that affects Desired State Configuration. It loses its previously configured options. This occurs if metaconfig.mof is missing.
This update addresses compatibility issues that affect some printers. These printers use Windows Graphical Device Interface (GDI) printer drivers. These drivers do not completely adhere to GDI specifications.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) certificate. The system reports some SCEP certificate installations as failed. Instead, the system should report them as pending.
This update addresses an issue that affects the new Windows Runtime (WinRT) API. This issue stops an application from querying for location information using MBIM2.0+.
This update addresses an issue that affects USB printers. The system classifies them as multimedia devices even though they are not.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Fast Identity Online 2.0 (FIDO2) PIN credential icon. It does not appear on the credentials screen of an external monitor. This occurs when that monitor is attached to a closed laptop.
This update affects the “Set a default associations configuration file” Group Policy Object (GPO). You can now use it to create an extension to specific applications.
This update addresses an issue that affects the SharedPC account manager. It cannot delete multiple accounts during cleanup.
This update addresses an issue that affects Xbox subscribers. If you purchase an Xbox subscription using the “Redeem code” option, the Xbox subscription card does not appear on the Settings Accounts page. This occurs when recurring billing is off.
This update addresses an issue that might affect lsass.exe. It might stop responding. This occurs when it sends a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query to a domain controller that has a very large LDAP filter.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5023775 takes the builds to 22621.1465 (no features) and Build 22624.1465 (with features).

There are a handfull of new features, most of which have been tested on the dev channel.

The new features in the build are more languages for the live captions feature:

Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish and other English dialects.

The other new feature which has been tested on the dev channel for the last few weeks are new touch keyboard options:

“Never” suppresses the touch keyboard even when no hardware keyboard is attached.
“When no keyboard attached” will show the touch keyboard only when the device is used as a tablet without the hardware keyboard.
“Always” will show the touch keyboard even when the hardware keyboard is attached.

Here are the other changes and known issues with the builds:

Changes and Improvements in 22624.1465

[Taskbar & System Tray]

We have added a glanceable VPN status into the system tray when connected to a recognized VPN profile. The VPN icon, a small shield, will be overlayed in your system accent color over the active network connection.

Glanceable VPN status in the system tray using system accent color.

[Voice access]

The redesigned in-app help page in voice access introduced with Build 22624.1391 now includes all commands and the supplementary information accurately.

Redesigned in-app help page in voice access.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1465 & Build 22624.1465

This update implements phase three of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) hardening. See KB5004442. After you install this update, you cannot turn off the changes using the registry key.
This update addresses an issue that affects a computer account and Active Directory. When you reuse an existing computer account to join an Active Directory domain, joining fails. This occurs on devices that have installed Windows updates dated October 11, 2022 or later. The error message is, “Error 0xaac (2732): NERR_AccountReuseBlockedByPolicy: ‘An account with the same name exists in Active Directory. Re-using the account was blocked by security policy.'” For more information, see KB5020276.

Known issues

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Live captions for Chinese Traditional currently does not work on Arm64 devices.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

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If you are looking for classic 80s vintage synth sounds, then you are instantly going to think of the Yamaha DX7. It’s one of the most iconic and influential synths of all time and used on countless eighties hits. Think A-ha, Kenny Loggins, Phil Collins and Brian Eno. However, before you hit ebay or Reverb searching for the DX7 you should consider its little brother: the TX7.

The TX7 is a desktop module version of the DX7. It has the same sound engine as its big brother, with 6 operator / 32 algorithm FM and 12bit Digital to Analog converters.

Back in 1985 when the TX7 was launched Yamaha aimed the TX7 at existing DX7 owners as module that expanded the DX7, so you could layer sound and create split sounds on the TX7 to use in conjunction with the DX7. Yamaha envisioned TX7 owners controlling the TX7 from a DX7 or from the CX5M MSX based computer.

With this design Yamaha decided not to put any sound editing function on the TX7, so from the front panel there is no way to edit or create sounds on the device. In the eighties that meant it was only worth looking at if you had a DX7 but now with a PC or Mac you can edit patches, create sounds, and manage banks of patches without a DX7.

Sound Editing on the TX7You can use tools like Sound Quest Midi Quest, DX Manager, or syx transfer tools to manage and edit sounds on the TX7. You can also transfer sounds from the free virtual DX7 emulator called Dexed. With a tool like DX Manager you can edit the sounds in real time on the TX7 and manage the patch banks.

There are literally thousands of DX7 patches available online and all of them work with the TX7. There is a massive range of patches available including the orignal factory banks for the DX7,DX5 and DX1.

Why chose a TX7 over a DX7One reason to buy a TX7 over a DX7 is price. On eBay or Reverb you can find a TX7 for less that £300, while a DX7 is going to cost well over £500.

Another reason is size. The TX7 is a desktop module, it originally designed to sit on top of the DX7. So, it is going to take up a lot less space than the DX7 and you can control it over MIDI from your own keyboard of choice. It’s also a lot lighter than a 14kg DX7 so its way more portable.

I wanted the DX7 sound but didn’t have enough space for another keyboard. I also think the TX7 has that classic 80s synth look.

Extra Performance controlsThe TX7 also has extra performance patch memories over the DX7. Each of the 32 patch memories also stores performance data. This means that you can adjust parameters like MIDI channel, note range, pitch bend range, portamento time, etc., for each individual sound and save them with it.

This allows you to create splits and layers with other synths or modules without having to change settings every time you switch patches. For example, you can set up one patch to play only on the lower half of your keyboard and another one to play only on the upper half. Or you can set up two patches with slightly different tuning or effects and layer them together for a richer sound.

The DX7 only has a single performance memory so you would have to change the parameters manual each time.

ConclusionThe Yamaha TX7 is a much-underrated synth that deserves more attention from vintage synth enthusiasts. It has all the classic sounds of the legendary DX7 but it’s cheaper, more portable, and more flexible than its bigger brother.

If you are looking to get into vintage FM synthesis and want real vintage hardware, then the TX7 is a device well worth looking into.

In this video I look at the history of the TX7, the sounds and the editing options.

Yamaha TX7 Video

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This week on the show Garry and I talk about the challenges of getting whole home Wi-Fi out to this home office in the Garden, we talk about 5G backup for the home and the latest builds of Windows 11. We also talk about Microsoft Build, old Yamaha synths and lots more.

Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25314 & 23403
Microsoft releases the first Canary Channel build: Windows 11 Build 25314
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23403
Video: Explaining the new Windows Insider Channels
Retro: 1989 Yamaha EMT-10 Sound Expander, how good does it sound?
https://build.microsoft.com/en-US/home

My new album is out:

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Microsoft has released a cumulative update to Windows 11, version 22H2. KB5023706 takes the build to 22621.1413 and includes the feature update released at the end of February.

The main changes with this build:

This update implements phase three of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) hardening. See KB5004442. After you install this update, you cannot turn off the changes using the registry key.
This update addresses an issue that affects a computer account and Active Directory. When you reuse an existing computer account to join an Active Directory domain, joining fails. This occurs on devices that have installed Windows updates dated October 11, 2022 or later. The error message is, “Error 0xaac (2732): NERR_AccountReuseBlockedByPolicy: ‘An account with the same name exists in Active Directory. Re-using the account was blocked by security policy.'” For more information, see KB5020276.

Here are the changes to Windows 11 in the March 2023 Update:

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Back in 1989 when I used a DX100 with its distinctive FM sound, I wanted a sound module that added real sounding pianos to my setup. Professional sounding piano modules were expensive at the time, so I picked up this little budget unit. The Yamaha EMT-10 costs around £250 and gives you twelve sample sounds in a small compact unit. Designed by Yamaha’s Piano and home organ division, rather than the professional instruments unit like the DX7 meant that this was designed for home users but for the times the sounds were actually pretty good.

The EMT-10 uses AWM (Advanced Wave Memory), which is a sample-based-technology and has eight note polyphony. You could chain two units together for sixteen note polyphony, to help with this it has an audio input and power output.

As well as piano sounds it also has electric piano, guitar, harpsichord, strings, brass, upright bass, electric bass, and slap bass. You can split the bass sounds so you can have any of the bass sounds for the left hand, and the other sounds for the right hand. There are also some controls for adjusting the brightness and envelope.

As you can hear in the video for 1989 the sounds are good, 8 note polyphony is a bit of a limit but it was a budget device. In 2023, there isn’t much call for the EMT-10 but some of the sounds have an interesting quality.

Did you have an EMT-10? Or one of the other EM instruments in the range? Let me know in the comments!

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview build 25314 and 23403. 25314 is for the new Canary Windows Insider channel and 23403 is for the rebooted Dev channel. If your device was on the dev channel before it will automatically be pushed to the Canary channel as get the new build.

Many of the changes are shared across both builds to I thought it would make sense to cover both in one video. I look at the changes, fixes and the known issues in both builds.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Garry, Richard and I talk about the changes to the Windows Insiders Program and what the new Canary channel is for. We talk about the new audio mixer in Windows 11 and other build changes. We also talk EV charging and I look back at an old analog synth in my collection.

Links from this week’s show:

Video: Explaining the new Windows Insider Channels
Microsoft announces a new Canary Channel for the Windows Insider Program
How to Use the New Audio Mixer and Other Features in Windows 11 Build 25309
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1391 and 22624.1391 released
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25309
Retro: 1977 Jen SX1000 Italian Analog Mono Synth
Windows 11 Phone Link adds iPhone support in the latest version for Windows Insiders

My new album is out now:

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Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft has released the first Windows 11 build for the new Canary channel. Build 25314 shares many of the changes that the new dev channel build of 23403 includes, Microsoft say they are not always going to blog about the changes to the builds on the Canary Channel but this time they have detailed the changes:

Access Keys in File Explorer

Microsoft have added access key shortcuts to the context menu in File Explorer. You can try this by pressing the menu key when in File Explorer:

File Recommendations in File Explorer

File recommendation are going to show up in File Explorer

This feature (as pictured below) will be available to users signed into Windows with an Azure Active Directory (AAD) account. Files that are recommended will be cloud files associated with that account, either owned by the user, or shared with the user.

Here are the other changes:

Introducing LSA Protection Enablement on Upgrade

Local Security Authority (LSA) protection helps protect against theft of secrets and credentials used for logon by preventing unauthorized code from running in the LSA process and by preventing dumping of process memory.

Narrator will now retrieve updates to its Outlook support when Narrator is started. You can learn more about the work we did for Outlook in Chapter 5 of the Narrator User Guide. We have not added any additional functionality to our Outlook support, but this work will allow updates to the Outlook experience to be made through the Microsoft Store.

Changes and Improvements

[General]

To increase security in Windows 11, starting with this build and later we are disabling the Remote Mailslot Protocol by default. The legacy Remote Mailslot Protocol is a simple, unreliable, insecure, and unidirectional inter-process communications protocol between a client and server and was introduced in Windows NT 3.1 and will be deprecated in a future Windows release. If an application attempts to open a Remote Mailslot session over the SMB protocol, you may see one or more of the following errors:

3025 ERROR_REMOTE_MAILSLOTS_DEPRECATED
“The requested operation failed. Remote mailslots have been deprecated.”

If your application still uses Remote Mailslot, contact your vendor about updating their software. The legacy Remote Mailslot is not secure and should not be used under any circumstances. If you need to temporarily enable Remote Mailslot, run the following command in an elevated PowerShell console:

PS C:> Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableMailslots $true

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Microsoft has released a build 23403 of Windows 11 for Windows Insider on the dev channel. This week Microsoft added a new Canary channel to the Windows Insider Program (see my blog post) and devices on the old Dev channel are being moved to the new Canary channel. This build is a lower build number than the one shipped to the dev channel last week (25309), so if you had last week’s dev build you device will go to the Canary channel.

To get this build you will either have to perform a clean install of Windows, enrol a new device in the Windows Insider Program or move a device on the Release Preview or Beta channel to the dev channel.

Changes in build 23403With this build Microsoft have added more languages to the live caption feature:

Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish and other English dialects

Access Keys in File ExplorerMicrosoft have added access key shortcuts to the context menu in File Explorer. You can try this by pressing the menu key when in File Explorer:

File Recommendations in File ExplorerFile recommendation are going to show up in File Explorer

This feature (as pictured below) will be available to users signed into Windows with an Azure Active Directory (AAD) account. Files that are recommended will be cloud files associated with that account, either owned by the user, or shared with the user.

Here are the other changes and known issues with the build:

Changes and Improvements

[General]

Users will now see a copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notification toasts from apps installed on the PC or from phones linked to the PC. We make a best effort to determine if a notification toast has an authentication code but please send us feedback if we got it wrong or if we failed to detect the code in a notification toast. This change is beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will see it right away.

New copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notification toasts.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

We have added a glanceable VPN status into the system tray when connected to a recognized VPN profile. The VPN icon, a small shield, will be overlayed in over the active network connection. Currently, the overlayed VPN icon does not use your system accent color but will do so in a future build.

A glanceable VPN status into the system tray.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The search box on taskbar will be lighter when Windows is set to a custom color mode. Specifically, when the Windows 11 mode is set to dark, and the app mode is set to light under Settings > Personalization > Colors you will see a lighter search box on taskbar.

The search box on taskbar will be lighter when Windows is set to a custom color mode.

[Input]

We have updated the Simplified Chinese handwriting recognition engine to be faster and more accurate as well as supported characters defined in GB18030-2022. Currently you can write characters in GB18030-2022 Level 2 and some of characters in GB18030-2022 Level 1 in the handwriting panel or directly into the text field when it’s supported. Please try it and let us know what you think.

The Simplified Chinese handwriting recognition engine is faster and more accurate and now supports characters defined in GB18030-202.

[Settings]

Right-clicking on a Win32 app in Start, or searching for the app, and choosing “Uninstall” will now take you to the Settings to uninstall the app.

Fixes

[Search on the Taskbar]

Fixed rendering issues when using the touch keyboard with the search box on taskbar.
Fixed an issue when double clicking the search highlight glyph in the search box makes it disappear.
Fixed an issue where the search box would randomly disappear.
Fixed an issue where the search icon flips incorrectly for right-to-left (RTL) languages.
Fixed on issue where you might have seen some text flicker in the search box when you click into it.
Fixed an issue where the search box might disappear on one monitor if you are using multiple monitors.
Made some accessibility fixes to the settings for search under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of File Explorer unexpectedly jumping into the foreground sometimes.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[File Explorer]

Insiders who have access keys in File Explorer:

Access keys will appear inconsistently if no button is pressed. Pressing a button will cause them to reappear.

Insiders will have issues with the following commands on recommended files in File Explorer:

Clicking on the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (non-OneDrive).
Clicking on the “Open File Location” command will pop an error dialog that can easily be dismissed.
Clicking on the ‘Remove from list’ command will result in no actions.

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Live captions for Chinese Traditional currently does not work on Arm64 devices.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

[Voice access]

Please note that the redesigned in-app help page in voice access may not include all commands and the supplementary information may be inaccurate. We plan to update this in future builds. If you want an exhaustive list of Voice Access commands and extra information about them, we recommend you refer Use voice access to control your PC & author text with your voice – Microsoft Support.

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This week Microsoft announced their plans for the Windows Insider Program for 2023 and introduces a new Channel. The new channel is called the Canary Channel and be used for testing major changes, APIs and development that need a longer lead time. With the new channel Microsoft have also taken the opportunity to change the Dev channel.

In this video I explain the changes to the Windows Insider Channels, what the build number ranges mean and how you can move between the channels.

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Microsoft has announced a change to the build channels for Windows Insiders. Microsoft are introducing a new Canary Channel for Windows Insiders that is going to be used for testing platform changes and other features some of which may not ship for some time (if at all). The builds may be more frequent, they may be unstable and how no documentation.

The Dev channel will be for testing new features that are not necessarily linked to a specific release. The beta channel will be for testing out the features before they ship to normal users.

With this change the build numbers are going to split:

Canary Channel: 25000 series.
Dev Channel: 23000 series.
Beta Channel: 22000 series.
Release Preview: Released versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Devices currently on the Dev channel (with 25000+) will be moved to the Canary Channel. As you can’t go to a lower build number you will have to perform a clean installation of Windows 11 if you want to switch to a lower channel.

Hopefully, this means we are going to be able to test more Windows features in the future!

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In this video, I look at the main changes to Windows 11 build 25309 for Windows Insiders. Build 25309 has a new modern style audio mixer, finally getting rid of the old Windows 7 style UI. With this mixer you can control the volume levels of each app separately and control your audio devices.

Also in the build, are updates to the touch keyboard, snap layouts and why you may see for a pizza icon in your File Explorer.

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Microsoft has new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5023011 takes the build to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1391 (no features) and Build 22624.1391 (with features) and includes redesigned in-app help pages:

We have completely renovated the in-app command help page in voice access to make it simpler to use and comprehend. The search bar allows users to quickly find commands and the different categories provide further guidance. Every command now has a description and examples of its variations, making it easier to understand and use.

Voice access is now available in English dialects including: English -UK, English – India, English – New Zealand, English – Canada, English – Australia.

Here are fixes and known issues:

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1391 & Build 22624.1391

This update improves the reliability of Windows after you install an update.
Fixed an issue from the last Beta Channel flight which was causing Notification Center, Quick Settings, and taskbar jump lists to not work for some Insiders.

Known issues

[Voice access]

Please note that the redesigned in-app help page in voice access may not include all commands and the supplementary information may be inaccurate. We plan to update this in future builds. If you want an exhaustive list of Voice Access commands and extra information about them, we recommend you refer Use voice access to control your PC & author text with your voice – Microsoft Support.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25309 has new UI for volume mixer, updated File Explorer and touch keyboard.

New Sound MixerIn quick settings there is fresh look volume mixer that allows you to do quick customization of audio settings on a per-app basic. There is also a new keyboard shortcut Win + CTRL + V to take you directly to the volume mixer.

We’re introducing a new enhanced volume mixer into Quick Settings! The updated audio quick settings experience brings a modern volume mixer that allows for quick customization of audio on a per-app basis, with additional control to swap devices on the fly. We’ve also added a new keyboard shortcut (WIN + CTRL + V) to bring you directly to the volume mixer for faster control of the experience. With this change, you can now tailor your audio experience better with more control and fewer clicks to better manage your favorite apps.

Touch keyboard changesMicrosoft has re-introduced the change to the touch keyboard options from a few builds ago (25188) which gives you three options for the touch keyboard:

“Never” suppresses the touch keyboard even when no hardware keyboard is attached.
“When no keyboard attached” will show the touch keyboard only when the device is used as a tablet without the hardware keyboard.
“Always” will show the touch keyboard even when the hardware keyboard is attached.

File Explorer UpdateMicrosoft are switching File Explorer from WinUI 2 to WinUI 3 and you will see a pizza icon showing if you are running the new version.

Windows Insiders will begin noticing a “pizza” icon on the command bar in File Explorer. This icon denotes that an Insider is previewing the Windows App SDK version of File Explorer. Functionality in File Explorer remains unchanged, it just switches from using WinUI 2 to using WinUI 3.

Returning featuresWith this build two experimental features are returning: Windows Spotlight experiments are back as are Snap Layouts.

Other changesOther changes include theme-aware icons for Widgets that respect dark and light modes as well as changes to the search bar colour:

The search box on taskbar will be lighter when Windows is set to a custom color mode. Specifically, when the Windows 11 mode is set to dark, and the app mode is set to light under Settings > Personalization > Colors you will see a lighter search box on taskbar.

Here are the fixes and known issues with the build:

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an issue causing USB devices (including keyboard and mouse) to not work for some Insiders after upgrading to Build 25295+.
Fixed an issue for some Insiders where if you’d uninstalled the previous flight, it would cause your Start menu and taskbar to cyclically crash.
Fixed an issue where when using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition, it may not have worked on Arm64 PCs.
Fixed an issue with the Windows Insider Program settings page showing a newer build was available in Windows Update even though you were on the latest available build in the Dev Channel.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed multiple Explorer.exe crashes impacting taskbar and system tray.
Fixed a display issue that could result in the taskbar appearing duplicated when making resolution changes.
Fixed an issue which was causing app icons on the taskbar to appear on the wrong monitor for some Insiders with multiple monitors.

[Widgets]

We fixed an issue where under certain circumstances third-party widgets were not loading as expected.

[Search on the Taskbar]

Fixed rendering issues when using the touch keyboard with the search box on taskbar.
Fixed an issue when double clicking the search highlight glyph in the search box makes it disappear.
Fixed an issue where the search box would randomly disappear.
Fixed an issue where the search icon flips incorrectly for right-to-left (RTL) languages.
Fixed on issue where you might have seen some text flicker in the search box when you click into it.
Fixed an issue where the search box might disappear on one monitor if you are using multiple monitors.
Made some accessibility fixes to the settings for search under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue which caused Insiders with custom desktop icon arrangements / sizes to get set back to default in the previous build.
Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of File Explorer unexpectedly jumping into the foreground sometimes.
The “Open in new tab” context menu option and middle clicking folders will now open the tab in the background rather than switching focus.
Fixed an issue where the close button could get stuck in a highlighted state when you moved your mouse across it.

[Input]

Fix an issue where when using the French-Canadian layout for the touch keyboard, the letters output when typing didn’t always match what was displayed on the keys.
When using the Korean IME, CTRL + F10 should no longer open the IME context menu.

[Settings]

Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the root cause of why some Insiders saw their startup app settings get reset with the previous build.
Going to Privacy & Security > Phone Calls should no longer crash Settings.

[Windowing]

Fixed a high hitting DWM.exe crash in the last couple flights.

[Other]

Fixed multiple issues that were preventing some of the new live captions language models from downloading correctly.
Fixed an underlying issue causing Insiders on Arm64 PCs to not be able to activate M365, with it citing a network issue.
Fixed a search indexer crash.
Fixed an underlying issue that could cause UWP apps to appear in English after upgrading although that wasn’t your display language.
Fixed an issue which was causing .appinstaller packages to fail to install with an error message that says “The parameter is incorrect” (even though it wasn’t).
Fixed an underlying issue causing certain cameras to not work in apps with the last flight.
Fixed an underlying issue which was leading to Microsoft Edge crashes for some Insiders in the last few flights.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

We are investigating an issue where some users are experiencing longer than expected update times installing recent builds. If you experienced this issue, please submit a new feedback item with logs in Feedback Hub.
Some AAD (Azure Active Directory joined users are now seeing “Getting ready for you” screens when signing into Windows after updating the latest builds. We are investigating the issue.
Launching Group Policy Editor may show an error about a displayName attribute not being found.

[Snipping Tool]

We’re working on the fix for an issue causing the New button in Snipping Tool to not work for some Insiders after upgrading to Build 25295. If you are impacted by this, going to Settings > Apps > Default apps, and setting screen snipping as the default for ms-screenclip, it should resolve the issue.

[Live captions]

On ARM64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support installed through the Language & Region settings page will require restarting live captions if you switch languages in the live captions Caption language menu.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live caption setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
The Language & Region settings page may not offer the necessary speech recognition language support for live captions for up to an hour after first login.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

[Voice access]

[NEW] Please note that the redesigned in-app help page in voice access may not include all commands and the supplementary information may be inaccurate. We plan to update this in future builds. If you want an exhaustive list of Voice Access commands and extra information about them, we recommend you refer Use voice access to control your PC & author text with your voice – Microsoft Support.

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Looking at my little classic synthBack in 1988, people were hyped up about digital synths and getting rid of their old analog synths. Classics were almost given away which are now worth thousands. While I didn’t have the foresight to pick up a real classic which would now be worth thousands, I did buy a Roland JX3P in 1989 which are now worth over £1200 but I sold it just before the prices of old synths blew up. I did buy this little gem for £30 if you go off Reverb prices are now worth around £1000.

In this blog post, I will share with you my experiences with the Jen SX1000 mono synth. The Jen SX1000 is an analog mono synth released in 1977 for around £210 and was a budget synth aimed at beginners. It was sold through mail order catalogues (remember them?) along with cheap hifi and home electronics.

Jen was an Italian company that also produced a not so well loved electronic piano, a string synth and a pre-set SX2000 synth and closed its doors in 1982.

Jen SX100 SpecsBack to the SX1000, on the synth most of the circuitry is analog but there is a basic DCO which feeds analog circuits. It is actually a great synth for a beginner due to its simple controls and self-explanatory layout. (no menus on this synth!) There is a dedicated ADSR envelope for the VCA and VFC and a noise section containing white and pink noise with its own level control.

The VCO puts out Triangle, Square and Pulse Width waveforms and the pulse width can be modified by a dedicated control and by the LFO. Running a slow LFO on the pulse width makes for some interesting low rich sounding sounds, without it the single oscillator sound a bit thin.

The VCF has a frequency control, resonance, LFO and envelope level (with its own ADRS). Turning the resonance up gives you plenty of self-oscillation.

There are no performance controls, there is a glide control and a tune control but this doesn’t return to centre so it’s not really a replacement for a pitch wheel. The LFO can be used to add vibrato and to modify the filter cut-off. The LFO can’t be pushed up to FM type sounds, but it is good for vibrato and PWM.

The 37 note C-to-C keyboard isn’t great, it’s very clunky which isn’t a surprise given the age and the budget nature of synth and there is nothing fancy like velocity or aftertouch. There are wooden sides, and it has a metal front. The little coloured caps on the knobs tend to fall off and mine was missing some when I got it in 1988. Mine also has a broken top C key which I have never been able to find a suitable replacement.

Maintaining the synthAs with lots of vintage equipment they need a little love every now and then, I clean the knobs with some contact cleaner which removes some of the noise from the controls.

LimitationsAnother limitation is there are no external controls, no midi or CV/Gate inputs. There are 3rd party kits available but I kept mine as it was so its strictly old school audio out only.

While Jen SX1000 hasn’t got the classic status of many vintage synths I have seen it listed over £1000 on Reverb which seems a little optimistic to me. With the broken key and missing caps I don’t think mine is worth that much but then it’s been with me for over 30 years so I am not going to get rid of it now and I still use it for the odd low bass drone sound.

Here is the synth in action, let me know what you think in the comments.

Video demo of the Jen SX1000

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Garry and I talk about the new update to Windows 11 coming this week, we discuss the new features in Phone Link app for iPhone users, music tech downloads, smart home, and lots more.

Windows 11 Phone Link adds iPhone support in the latest version for Windows Insiders
Microsoft launches the next update to Windows 11
What’s new in the latest Windows 11 feature update (March 2023)
http://musictech.thedigitallifestyle.com/

My new album is out now:

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Microsoft has announced a preview of Phone Link for iOS on Windows 11. The update app will be rolled out to Windows Insiders, starting with a small group of users (so not everyone will see the features straight away).

Once you get the update you will see the option to link your iPhone to Phone Link and you will be able to pair via Bluetooth.

You will then be able to view calls, messages, and contacts from your PC via your iPhone. While it’s not as integrated as the Android features which supports apps, calling and music controls it is good to finally see iPhone integration.

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Today Microsoft have announced the next feature update to Windows 11. The update also known as Moment 2 update has been in test for Windows Insiders for the last few months and includes new tablet features, updated search UI, improved Task Manager and an updated apps like the snipping tool which now has screen recording and Notepad with tabs.

The update is small and just requires quick reboot to apply it. It will ship via Windows Update and the apps will update via the Microsoft Store.

Here are my favourite features of the Windows 11 feature update:

Notepad with TabsNotepad now has tabs just like other apps like File Explorer and Terminal.

Screen recording from Snipping ToolSee my video on how to record your screen with the updated Snipping tool.

Tablet Optimized taskbar

For users of tablets Windows 11 now has a tablet optimized taskbar. When you use Windows 11 on a touch device without a keyboard the taskbar automatically collapses and then you can swipe up to bring up a larger, finger friendly task bar with larger icons. When you select an app the task bar automatically collapses again.

New search UI

The search button has been replaced with a search box you can type directly into. In settings you can change between this new mode or back to the icon.

Updates to the notification area

The notification area has been updated with rounded corners and an improved Windows 11 look.

Task Manager

Task Manager has a few improvements. You can now search or filter on the application name, publisher or PID of a task which should make it easier for you to find the task you are looking for. The update also adds support for dark and light mode.

Energy consumption recommendations

Windows 11 now has energy consumption recommendations. The OS will recommend setting changes to reduce energy consumption and then apply the changes if you want them.

Accessibility

There is an updated Narrator with more voices and additional controls. Also, there is enhanced support for braille devices.

How to get the Windows 11 March 2023 Update

Getting the update is just a case of waiting for Microsoft to release the update and it will come down via Windows Update. The update is small and just requires a quick reboot to apply the changes.

Let me know your thoughts on the changes to the OS in the comments.

Video: What’s new in the Windows 11 March 2023 Feature Update

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In the next couple of weeks Microsoft will release its next feature update to Windows 11. There is a small but useful set of improvements in the March 2023 update for Windows 11 (also known as the Moment 2 update) and in the post and video I will show my highlights and why you will want it.

Tablet Optimized taskbarFor users of tablets Windows 11 now has a tablet optimized taskbar. When you use Windows 11 on a touch device without a keyboard the taskbar automatically collapses and then you can swipe up to bring up a larger, finger friendly task bar with larger icons. When you select an app the task bar automatically collapses again.

New search UIThe search button has been replaced with a search box you can type directly into. In settings you can change between this new mode or back to the icon.

Updates to the notification areaThe notification area has been updated with rounded corners and an improved Windows 11 look.

Task ManagerTask Manager has a few improvements. You can now search or filter on the application name, publisher or PID of a task which should make it easier for you to find the task you are looking for. The update also adds support for dark and light mode.

Energy consumption recommendationsWindows 11 now has energy consumption recommendations. The OS will recommend setting changes to reduce energy consumption and then apply the changes if you want them.

AccessibilityThere is an updated Narrator with more voices and additional controls. Also, there is enhanced support for braille devices.

How to get the Windows 11 March 2023 UpdateGetting the update is just a case of waiting for Microsoft to release the update and it will come down via Windows Update. The update is small and just requires a quick reboot to apply the changes.

Let me know your thoughts on the changes to the OS in the comments.

Video: What’s new in the Windows 11 March 2023 Feature Update

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard and I talk about the reaction to Microsoft’s Bing AI chat engine which hasn’t all been positive, and we talk about whether it can mean a switch from a web search. We talk about the new builds of Windows 11, removing audio hum with a ground loop filter, Mellotron Genesis sounds and what not to do in your loft.

Links from this week’s show:

How to Eliminate Ground Hum from Your Drum Machines and Synths with a Ground Loop Filter
Windows 11 Build 22000.1639 to the Release Preview Channel
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1325 and 22623.1325 released
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25300
TDL Music Tech Downloads

My new album is out now:

Subscribe to our Podcast

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Release Preview Channel. KB5022913 is for Windows Insiders running the 22H2 build of Windows 11 on the Release Preview channel and takes the build number to 22621.1343.

The update includes many of the new features and UI changes that have been in the dev and beta channels for the last few months.

There is the new tablet optimised taskbar which has a collapsed state which you can then swipe up to show a tablet optimised tasks bar and then swipe down to hide it:

The search experience has been updated you can now control how you want the taskbar search to look:

There are other changes like the system tray having rounded corners with an improved flyout layout.

Here are the full list of changes:

New! This update provided access Windows Studio Effects directly from quick settings on the taskbar for devices that had a supported neural processing unit (NPU). This made it quick and easy to turn on and configure camera effects. Those effects included Background blur, Eye contact, Automatic framing, and Audio effects (Voice focus). You can still access these effects in the Settings pages.
New! This update made it easier to get help if you were having PC issues. It added a link to the Quick Assist app at the bottom of Settings > System > Troubleshooters. You could also find Quick Assist in the Start menu’s All apps list.
New! This update improved the search box experience on the taskbar. As you typed in the search box, search results appeared in the search box. You could also change the search experience you wanted for your taskbar by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. For commercial customers, this update added a new policy for IT administrators to manage how the search box on the taskbar appears in your organization. For more information, see Customizing search on the Windows 11 taskbar.
New! This update provided energy recommendations. If you used them, they could help to improve the energy efficiency of your PC and reduce your carbon footprint. Go to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Energy Recommendations.
New! This update enhanced the system tray (formerly called the notification area). All icons had a rounded focus and hover treatment in the lower right, including the “Show hidden icons” flyout menu. You could move icons to rearrange them in the “Show hidden icons” flyout menu or move icons to the taskbar.
New! This update introduced a touch-optimized taskbar for 2-in-1 devices that you could use as a tablet. There were two states of this taskbar: collapsed and expanded. To switch between the two states, swipe up and down on the bottom of your screen. When collapsed in tablet mode, the taskbar receded to give you more screen space and kept you from accidentally opening the taskbar. When expanded in tablet mode, the taskbar was optimized to be easier to use with touch. Your taskbar automatically changed to this optimized version when you disconnected or folded back the keyboard.
- This feature only worked on devices that could be used as tablets and was on by default. To change that, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors. The setting is called “Optimize taskbar for touch interactions when this device is used as a tablet.” If your company manages Windows updates for your device, this feature will be off by default. Administrators can turn it on using the new commercial control for continuous innovation.
New! This update provided enhanced support for braille devices. They continued working while you switched between Microsoft Narrator and third-party screen readers. Narrator automatically changed braille drivers. For more information, see Chapter 8: Using Narrator with braille.
New! This update also added support for new braille displays and new braille input and output languages in Narrator. Some of the new braille displays included the APH Chameleon, the APH Mantis Q40, the NLS eReader, and many more. For more information, see Chapter 8: Using Narrator with braille.
New! This update made voice access more flexible and supported interaction with more user interface (UI) controls. For example, voice interacted with controls that contained:
- Names that had numbers, such as “Click 5”
- Names without whitespaces between them, such as “click PivotTable” or “click PivotChart”
- Names that had special characters, such as Bluetooth & devices (“click Bluetooth and devices”) or Dial – up (“click dial hyphen up”)
New! This update added voice access support for spin controls, thumb controls, and split buttons. You interact with these controls by using the “click” command or number overlays. This update also fixed issues that affected snapping commands that snapped a window left or right. Commands that moved the cursor in a text box ran instantly.
New! This update also provided voice scrolling enhancements. You could use voice to scroll to the extreme left and right on a page. You could also use continuous scrolling to the left or right like what is already present for vertical scrolling. For more information about the new voice access commands, see Voice access command list.
New! For devices that were joined to Azure Active Directory (AAD), this update provided AI-powered recommended content on your Start menu. On the Start menu, you found content to help you to prepare for meetings, quickly access files you were collaborating on, and more.
New! We added the new Tamil Anjal keyboard for the Tamil language. To add it, make sure Tamil (Singapore), Tamil (Malaysia), Tamil (Sri Lanka), or Tamil (India) appears in Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region. Select the ellipses (…) next to the language. Select Language Options. Add Tamil Anjal (QWERTY) to the list of keyboards.
We fixed an issue that affected the Color filters setting. When you selected Inverted, the system set it to Grayscale instead.
We improved the reliability of Windows after you installed an update.
We supported the United Mexican States’ daylight-saving time change order for 2023.
We fixed a date information issue. It affected the format of dates sent between Windows and some versions of the Heimdal Kerberos library.
We fixed an issue that affected IE mode. The text on the status bar was not always visible.
We fixed compatibility issues that affected some printers. Those printers used Windows Graphical Device Interface (GDI) printer drivers. Those drivers did not completely adhere to GDI specifications.
We fixed an issue that affected the software keyboard. It did not appear in the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) after a Push-button reset (factory reset). This type of reset required an external keyboard to be attached to provide credentials.
We fixed an issue that displayed a blue screen during video playback. This occurred after you set high dynamic range (HDR) on your display.
We fixed an issue that might have affected the touch keyboard and the PIN entry keyboard. You might not have been able to use them to enter text when you signed in to your device.
We fixed an issue that affected AppV. It stopped file names from having the correct letter case (uppercase or lowercase).
We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Edge. The issue removed conflicting policies for Microsoft Edge. This occurred when you set the MDMWinsOverGPFlag in a Microsoft Intune tenant and Intune detected a policy conflict.
We fixed an issue that affected provisioning packages. They failed to apply in certain circumstances when elevation was required.
We fixed an issue that affected Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). Using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning failed.
We fixed an issue that affected Universal Print’s Configuration Service Provider (CSP). A command prompt window appeared when you installed a printer.
We fixed a reliability issue that occurred when you used Task View.
We fixed an issue that affected which folders appeared in the Browse for Folder picker.
We fixed an issue that affected File Explorer. When you used Shift +Tab or Shift+F6, the input focus did not move.
We fixed an issue that affected the user interface (UI). The volume up and volume down commands from a Bluetooth keyboard did not display.
We fixed an issue that affected Xbox subscribers. If you purchased an Xbox subscription using the “Redeem code” option, the Xbox subscription card did not appear on the Settings Accounts page. This occurred when recurring billing was off.
We fixed an issue that might have affected lsass.exe. It might have stopped responding. This occurred when it sent a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query to a domain controller that had a very large LDAP filter.
We fixed an issue that affected the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). LSASS might have stopped responding. This occurred after you ran Sysprep on a domain-joined machine.
We fixed an issue that affected copying from a network to a local drive. Copying was slower than expected for some users.
We fixed an issue that affected parity virtual disks. Using Server Manager to create them failed.

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When I run an Uno Drum machine into my mixing desk while it’s connected to my PC via USB, I get an annoying ground hum. I also get the same problem when I plug my Yamaha synth in if I control it via a USB midi interface. However, using a Ground Loop Filter / Isolator, I was able to remove the annoying noise.

A Ground Loop Filter / Isolator is a passive device that breaks the electrical connection between two audio sources and prevents unwanted currents from flowing through them. The one I have tried is a Friencity Ground Loop filter which has a 3.5mm input and output. So, I plugged my drum machine into the filter and then the filter into my mixer. This completely got rid of the noise and I can keep my drum machine connected via USB.

The unit costs £8.49 from Amazon and has solved my problem with the hum from my drum machines and synths. Here is my video of the device in action:

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Microsoft has released the February 2023 Update for the Surface Duo 2. This month the update for the dual-screened Android phones has no new features and the update is just made up of the February 2023 Android Security Update. The coming in at around 318MB.

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Microsoft have updated Window 11 for Windows Insiders on the Release Preview Channel still running the original release of Windows 11 (not the 2022 update). KB5022905 takes the build to 22000.1639 and has several changes:

New! We added an advanced auto-learning feature for facial recognition.

We fixed an issue that stopped hyperlinks from working in Microsoft Excel.

We fixed an issue that affected the Color filters setting. When you selected Inverted, the system set it to Grayscale instead.

We fixed an issue that affected the Appx State Repository. When you removed a user profile, the cleanup was incomplete. Because of that, its database grew as time passes. This growth might have caused delays when users signed into multi-user environments like FSLogix.

We provided support for the United Mexican States’ daylight-saving time change order for 2023.

We fixed an issue that affected IE mode. The text on the status bar was not always visible.

We fixed an issue that affected the Z-order of two maximized windows. A window that was behind another window might have appeared on top.

We fixed an issue that affected AppV. It stopped file names from having the correct letter case (uppercase or lowercase).

We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Edge. The issue removed conflicting policies for Microsoft Edge. This occurred when you set the MDMWinsOverGPFlag in a Microsoft Intune tenant and Intune detected a policy conflict.

We fixed an issue that affected Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). Using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning failed.

We fixed an issue that affected a certain streaming app. The issue stopped video playback after an advertisement played in the app.

We fixed an issue that affected the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). LSASS might have stopped responding after you ran Sysprep on a domain-joined machine.

We fixed an issue that affected parity virtual disks. Using Server Manager to create them failed.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5022914 takes the builds to 22623.1325 (with features) and 22621.1325 (without features).

This release has the widgets that were released to the dev channel a few weeks ago. There is a Facebook Messenger widget enabling you to see recent messages, there is a Spotify widget, Game Pass widget and a Phone Link widget.

Click on the + button in the widgets board to see the new option.

Here are the other changes and fixes in the new builds:

Changes and Improvements in 22623.1325

[Start menu]

For devices that are Azure Active Directory (AAD) joined, we are personalizing your experience by delivering AI-powered recommended content within your Start menu. When you open the Start menu, you will find related content to help you prepare for upcoming meetings, quickly access files you’re collaborating on, and more.

AI-powered recommended content within your Start menu for AAD-joined devices.

Fixes in Build 22623.1325

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue that was causing taskbar to be cut off after resolution changes.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1325 & Build 22623.1325

We fixed compatibility issues that affected some printers. Those printers used Windows Graphical Device Interface (GDI) printer drivers. Those drivers did not completely adhere to GDI specifications.
We fixed a reliability issue that occurred when you used Task View.
We fixed an issue that affected copying from a network to a local drive. Copying was slower than expected for some users.
We provided support for the United Mexican States’ daylight-saving time change order for 2023.
We fixed a date information issue. It affected the format of dates sent between Windows and some versions of the Heimdal Kerberos library.
We fixed an issue that affected provisioning packages. They failed to apply in certain circumstances when elevation was required.
We fixed an issue that affected which folders appeared in the Browse for Folder picker.
We fixed an issue that affected File Explorer. When you used Shift + Tab or Shift + F6, the input focus did not move.
We fixed an issue that affected the user interface (UI). The volume up and volume down commands from a Bluetooth keyboard did not display.
We improved the reliability of Windows after you installed an update.
We fixed an issue that might have affected lsass.exe. It might have stopped responding when it sent a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query to a domain controller that had a very large LDAP filter.
We fixed an issue that affected Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). Using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning failed.
We fixed an issue that affected the software keyboard. It did not appear in the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) after a Push-button reset (factory reset). This type of reset required an external keyboard to be attached to provide credentials.
We fixed an issue that affected AppV. It stopped file names from having the correct letter case (uppercase or lowercase).
We fixed an issue that affected Universal Print’s Configuration Service Provider (CSP). A command prompt window appeared when you installed a printer.
We fixed an issue that might have affected the touch keyboard and the PIN entry keyboard. You might not have been able to use them to enter text when you signed in to your device.
We fixed an issue that displayed a blue screen during video playback. This occurred after you set high dynamic range (HDR) on your display.
We fixed an issue that affected parity virtual disks. Using Server Manager to create them failed
We fixed an issue that affected IE mode. The text on the status bar was not always visible.
We fixed an issue that affected the Color filters setting. When you selected Inverted, the system set it to Grayscale instead.
We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Edge. The issue removed conflicting policies for Microsoft Edge. This occurred when you set the MDMWinsOverGPFlag in a Microsoft Intune tenant and Intune detected a policy conflict.
We fixed an issue that affected the Appx State Repository. When you removed a user profile, the cleanup was incomplete. Because of that, its database grew as time passes. This growth might have caused delays when users signed in to multi-user environments like FSLogix.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! Richard, Garry and I talk about the new Bing AI engine which I have been playing around with. Can Bing’s AI chat replace Google search? We talk about the new builds of Windows 11, I have a tip for removing ground hum and we look at why people are scrambling to remove Java.

Garry also has a special interview with Andy Gray of Raw Charging

Links from this week’s show:

Introducing My Free Custom Sound Sets for the Uno Drum
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview 25295
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1255 and 22623.1255
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25300
How to Boost Your Network Speed with the D-Link DUB-2332 Adapter

My new album is out now:

Subscribe to our PodcastApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicAndroidby EmailRSSMore Subscribe OptionsIf you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 build 25300. The build has just been released for Windows Insiders on the dev channel and I look at the changes, fixes and the new known issues with build 25300.

Make sure you check out our other videos on our YouTube channel.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25300 has an update to snap layouts, live captions in more languages and is available as an ISO.

Last year Microsoft introduced live captions into Windows 11 for US English and now it’s available for other English additions and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish.

Ther other change to the build is an update to the Snap Layout features. Microsoft are trying out different treatments:

We are trying out different treatments for snap layouts with Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. We are investigating ways to improve the discoverability and usage of the snap layouts such as decreasing the hover time required to invoke the flyout when you mouse over the maximum/restore button in an app’s title bar. In addition to a few other tweaks, you’ll notice some treatments will also pull in the icon of the app window you are working in and adding a descriptive title. If you see one of these treatments, give us feedback on what you think. As a reminder, it is normal for us to try out different concepts in the Dev Channel to get feedback.

Example of a snap layout treatment we’re trying with Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

Not all Windows Insiders will get the changed UI as Microsoft are testing with a small group of Windows Insiders.

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues with the build:

[Voice typing]

The change to sync voice typing settings, Automatic punctuation and Voice typing launcher, across all devices signed in using the same Microsoft account that began rolling out with Build 25227 is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. You can toggle this feature via Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Remember my preferences > Accessibility This currently only works with Microsoft accounts today with AAD support coming later.

[Settings]

Updated Settings > Apps > Startup to make it easier to access more information about the apps listed.
Right-clicking on a Win32 app in Start, or searching for the app, and choosing “Uninstall” will now take you to the Settings to uninstall the app.

[WSL]

Improved the upgrade experience to the new Windows Subsystem for Linux Store app (mentioned in Build 25272), so it now prompts for installation if wsl.exe is invoked.

[Voice typing]

The change to sync voice typing settings, Automatic punctuation and Voice typing launcher, across all devices signed in using the same Microsoft account that began rolling out with Build 25227 is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. You can toggle this feature via Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Remember my preferences > Accessibility This currently only works with Microsoft accounts today with AAD support coming later.

[Settings]

Updated Settings > Apps > Startup to make it easier to access more information about the apps listed.
Right-clicking on a Win32 app in Start, or searching for the app, and choosing “Uninstall” will now take you to the Settings to uninstall the app.

[WSL]

Improved the upgrade experience to the new Windows Subsystem for Linux Store app (mentioned in Build 25272), so it now prompts for installation if wsl.exe is invoked.

Fixes

[General]

We fixed the underlying issue related to combase.dll, causing crashes with multiple apps using GetKnownFolder APIs after upgrading to Build 25290, including Notepad and Windows Terminal for IME users. This issue is also believed to be the root cause of some Insiders finding that certain actions in File Explorer were taking minutes to complete in these builds.
We fixed the issue causing rendering issues and difficulty using Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
Fixed an issue where some users experienced issues authenticating into enterprise websites that require windows integrated authentication.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The ability to show seconds in the clock on the system tray, first introduced with Build 25247, should return after updating to Build 25300 if it had disappeared for you after updating to Build 25295 last week.
Fixed an issue that was causing taskbar to be cut off after resolution changes.
We fixed an issue where when hovering over app icons on the taskbar could switch window focus unexpectedly.

[Widgets]

As a result of fixing the issue causing third-party widgets to get unpinned when signed in with a Microsoft account across multiple Windows 11 devices, the most recent Widgets update in the Dev Channel will unpin third-party widgets. Insiders will need to go back to their widgets board and re-pin these widgets again. If you still see issues where widgets are being unpinned unexpectedly – please file feedback.
The link for “Find more widgets” in the widgets picker currently is no longer broke and will point to the Store collection here.

[Input]

We are beginning to roll out a fix for an issue where the IME candidate window and IME toolbar weren’t shown or cropped sometimes.

[File Explorer]

Drag and dropping files and folders across tabs should work again.

[Task Manager]

Process names typed into the search box should no longer unexpectedly get spellchecked.
Fixed a couple of issues with how Narrator was reading out content in Task Manager.
Fixed an issue where the dropdowns in settings might not match your currently selected theme.
When using search on the App History page, results should no longer suddenly disappear.
If you open the Default Start Page dropdown in settings, clicking the Task Manager window should make the dropdown disappear now.
Dragging the window using the search box area should work now (like other areas of the title bar).
Fixed an issue where ending processes in the Details tab wasn’t showing a confirmation dialog.
Increasing the text scaling should no longer result in a “see more” button appearing with no contents.
If you do a search and then press the down arrow, keyboard focus should now move from the search box into the results.
If you have a contrast theme enabled and select one of the rows in the Processes page, that row should now show that it’s selected.
Fixed an issue where focus might not get set properly to search, leading to Narrator not saying that focus was on the search box.

[Other]

Fixed an issue where Narrator’s focus wasn’t going back to the Quick Settings’ window correctly when using the back button in the Cast page.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

We are investigating an issue where some users are experiencing longer than expected update times installing recent builds. If you experienced this issue, please submit a new feedback item with logs in Feedback Hub.
Some AAD (Azure Active Directory joined users are now seeing “Getting ready for you” screens when signing into Windows after updating the latest builds. We are investigating the issue.
Launching Group Policy Editor may show an error about a displayName attribute not being found.
Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on Arm64 PCs. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.
We are investigating reports that the Windows Insider Program settings page is showing that a newer build is available in Windows Update even though they are on the latest available build in the Dev Channel.
[NEW] We’re investigating reports that the New button in Snipping Tool isn’t working for some Insiders after upgrading to Build 25295. If you are impacted by this, going to Settings > Apps > Default apps, and setting screen snipping as the default for ms-screenclip, it should resolve the issue.

[Widgets]

We’re investigating an issue where under certain circumstances third-party widgets may not load as expected.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

App icons on the taskbar may appear on the wrong monitor for some Insiders with multiple monitors.

[Windows Spotlight]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments of Windows Spotlight that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25281:

Clicking on a secondary monitor does not dismiss the full screen experience.

[Live captions]

On Arm64 devices, enhanced speech recognition support will install incorrectly through the Language & Region settings page. Arm64 users who don’t have support for speech recognition with live captions in their preferred language can use this work-around: (1) Uninstall all “Speech Pack – ” app entries in Settings > Apps > Installed apps; (2) Temporarily set the first language in their preferred language list in Settings > Time & language > Language & region to an acceptable alternative language; (3) Launch live captions.
Live captions for Chinese Traditional currently does not work on Arm64 devices.
Certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.
When adding a language through the Language & Region settings page, language feature installation progress may become hidden, and you may not see install completion of “Enhanced speech recognition” (required by Live Captions). (You can use the language’s “Language options” to monitor progress.) If this happens, there may be an unexpected delay before the live captions setup experience detects this and lets you continue.
The Language & Region settings page may not offer the necessary speech recognition language support for live captions for up to an hour after first login.
Captioning performance may be degraded in non-English languages and missing out-of-language filtering in non-English (United States) languages which means that incorrect captions will be shown for speech not in the caption language.

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If you are a fan of the Uno Drum, the analog/PCM drum machine from IK Multimedia, you might be interested in my new custom sound sets that I created for it. In this blog post, I will share with you details of my sound set, and how you can get it for yourself.

NOTE: Custom kits are not supported by IK Multimedia so you upload these sets are your own risk. If you want to understand how the process works read my how create your own Uno Drum set guide.

What is the Uno Drum?The Uno Drum is a portable and affordable drum machine that combines analog and PCM sounds, with up to twelve elements per kit. It has a built-in sequencer, effects, and a touch interface that allows you to tweak and perform your beats on the fly. It also has a USB port and MIDI, so you can connect it to your computer or other devices.

What are my custom sound sets for the Uno Drum?Set 1 – Yamaha RX5The Yamaha RX5 is a programmable digital sample-based drum machine built by Yamaha in 1986. It has 24 built-in digitally sampled sounds which I have sampled and loaded into the collection. There are also a couple of extra samples included and a snare that I have added some reverb to get that 80s sound.

Set 2 – Simmons SDS5Over the years I have built up a selection of Simmons SDS5 samples. Released in 1981 the hexagonal padded devices were used by many classic eighties artists.

Set 3 – Linn Drum and Roland TR-505The Linn drum came out in 1982 and these samples I have collection of the years, so I am not exactly sure which models they came from. Also in this set are all the sounds from my Roland TR-505 was released in 1986 and has a nice simple 80s sound. There is bonus snare that sounds like the snare Jan Hammer used for Miami Vice also included.

My custom sound sets are a collection of custom sample kits that I created by following my how to create your own sound sets for the Uno Drum guide. I wanted to create a sound set of some specific instruments including my own Yamaha RX5 and Roland TR-505. I also created kits that are suitable for techno, house, hip hop, trap, dubstep, synthwave, and other genres. Most of the sounds have a vintage vibe.

Due to the memory limitations of the Uno Drums not all pads have sound on each of the five options.

How can you get my custom sound set?If you are interested in getting my custom sound set for the Uno Drum, you can download it from my website for free! Each kit is made up of a DFU file and a file to upload the kits the Uno Drum. You will need to have the Uno Drum Anthology kits installed and then follow these steps: You will also need a USB cable to connect your Uno Drum to your computer.

Once you have done that you can download and unzip file into one of the folders with the Drum transfer tool

Then you run the cmd file for the kit you want to install. So, for the RX5 run RX5.cmd and for the LINN/TR505 run TR505.cmd

This will copy the required file and start the Uno Drum transfer tool. After rebooting the Uno Drum you should have the new sounds.

ConclusionI hope you like my custom sound set for the Uno Drum, and that it will help you make some awesome beats. I would love to hear your feedback and suggestions, and to see what you create with the kits. You can contact me through my website or social media and share your music with me and other Uno Drum users.

Here are sounds in action and how to transfer them to your Uno Drum.

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In this review and video, I want to share with you my experience with the D-Link DUB-2332 adapter, which is a USB-C (with USB-A adapter included) to 2.5G Ethernet adapter that lets you connect your laptop or desktop to a high-speed wired network. As well as having the ethernet port it also has three USB 3.0 ports. If you need to connect to a wired network or are getting tired of the slow and unreliable Wi-Fi connection, then this is a device worth looking at.

FeaturesThe D-Link DUB-2332 adapter was easy to set up and use. I just plugged it into my laptop’s USB-C port and connected it to my Ethernet cable. No drivers or software were needed, it was plug and play. The adapter has a sleek and compact design, with an LED indicator that shows the network status and speed. It also supports IEEE 802.3bz standard, which means it can automatically detect and switch between 2.5G, 1G, and 100Mbps network speeds. The three USB ports are USB 3.0 which makes it great for a device like my Surface Laptop Studio which only has a couple of USB C ports.

PerformanceThe performance of the adapter was impressive. I ran some speed tests and got consistent results of over 2Gbps download and upload speeds over my local network, which was a huge improvement from my Wi-Fi connection. I also noticed a significant reduction in latency and packet loss, which made things like video streaming and Teams calls much smoother.

ConclusionOverall, I am pleased with the D-Link DUB-2332 adapter. It is a simple and effective solution to get your PC on to a wired network. If you are looking for a USB-C to 2.5G Ethernet adapter, I highly recommend you check out the D-Link DUB-2332 adapter. The D-Link DUB-2332 adapter costs £22.49 from Amazon. Leave a comment below if you have any questions or feedback about the adapter.

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview build 25295. The new build is available for Windows Insiders on the dev channel and has relatively few changes. In the video I look at the new search UI options, the fixes, and the new known issues in the build.

Make sure you check out our other videos on our YouTube channel.

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Windows Insiders on the beta channel have a new build of Windows 11 to try. KB5022918 takes the build to either 22621.1255 without features or 22623.1255 with features. The main change with this build is the new tabbed version of Notepad is rolling out. Other than that, there are just these fixes:

Fixes in Build 22623.1255

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue where Start would open behind the taskbar when entering it while using the touch keyboard.

Fixed an issue where the taskbar would disappear when switching from Task view to a Win32 app icon through the tablet-optimized taskbar.

[Task Manager]

Process names typed into the search box should no longer unexpected get spellchecked.

Fixed a couple of issues with how Narrator was reading out content in Task Manager.

Fixed an issue where the dropdowns in settings might not match your currently selected theme.

When using search on the App History page, results should no longer suddenly disappear.

If you open the Default Start Page dropdown in settings, clicking the Task Manager window should make the dropdown disappear now.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25295 has few minor changes and a selection of fixes.

Update: Here is my hands on video

The first change is the recent changes to the search box which is now available to all Windows Insiders. You can adjust this in Settings – Personalization – Taskbar – Taskbar Items.

The other change is a copy to clip board button on notification popups from two factor authentication alerts:

Here are the fixes and known issues with the build, lookout for my hands on video soon.

Fixes

[General]

The issue causing repeated bugchecks for some Insiders after upgrading to Build 25284+ should be fixed now.
Made another fix for an issue causing Insiders to experience freezes in recent flights (specifically in this case where apps might freeze if you tried to use them while also trying to play games).
Fixed an issue where the Update history page under Settings > Windows Update > Update history was blank for some users after installing Build 25290.
Fixed an issue where some users experienced longer than expected update times installing recent builds. If you experience this issue again, please submit a new feedback item with logs in Feedback Hub.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue where the add and close tab buttons weren’t working in File Explorer if File Explorer was maximized, and you were using an Arabic or Hebrew display language.

[Input]

Fixed an issue which could lead to app windows becoming unresponsive after using multi-finger on screen touch gestures.
Fixed an underlying issue which was causing your mouse to appear like pointer trails was enabled when sharing your screen.

[Settings]

The Add a Device dialog should no longer have an unexpectedly big border.

[Windowing]

Fixed an issue which could cause certain apps to move very slowly when you dragged it across the screen.
Fixed a DWM crash in recent flights which could cause your screen to flash black.
Fixed an issue where snapped windows might not remember their positions if you disconnected and reconnected your monitor.

[Other]

Fixed an underlying crash impacting the ability the ability for apps using Graphics.Capture to take screen captures in recent flights.
Fixed an underlying issue causing crashes in certain apps when trying to print to PDFs in recent flights.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

[NEW] Some AAD (Azure Active Directory joined users are now seeing “Getting ready for you” screens when signing into Windows after updating the latest builds. We are investigating the issue.
[NEW] Some users are experiencing issues authenticating to enterprise websites that require windows integrated authentication. This will be addressed in a future update.
Launching Group Policy Editor may show an error about a displayName attribute not being found.
Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on Arm64 PCs. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.
We’re working on the fix for an underlying issue related to combase.dll, causing crashes with multiple apps using GetKnownFolder APIs after upgrading to Build 25290, including Notepad and Windows Terminal for IME users.
While using Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) or in doing a clean install of Build 25290, users may encounter rendering issues which create difficulty in using these processes. If you need to do a clean install to your device, please obtain the latest Dev Channel ISO from https://aka.ms/wipISO.

[Widgets]

The link for “Find more widgets” in the widgets picker currently is broken. This will be fixed and linked to the Store collection here in a future update.
Third-party widgets may occasionally disappear from the widgets board. They can be re-added by clicking refresh or by re-pinning them from the widgets picker.
Third-party widgets may occasionally get unpinned when the Microsoft account is used to sign-in multiple Windows 11 devices.
The undo button on the widget pinned/unpinned toast notification sometimes doesn’t work.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

App icons on the taskbar may appear on the wrong monitor for some Insiders with multiple monitors.

[Search on the Taskbar]

There is an issue where you will be unable to change taskbar search box to show as icon only via taskbar settings in some cases. To work around this issue, first change to a different option and then after, you should be able to choose to show as icon only.

[Windows Spotlight]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments of Windows Spotlight that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25281:

Clicking on a secondary monitor does not dismiss the full screen experience.
Spotlight wallpaper doesn’t show the correct resolution on multiple / mixed resolution monitors.

Via

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Welcome to this week’s podcast where we talk about Microsoft’s AI integration into Bing and what that means for search. We talk about the new builds of Windows 11, using Python to customise drum machines, Microsoft’s mixed reality post and lots more.

Links from the show:

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1250 and 22623.1250 released
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/mixed-reality-blog/microsoft-committed-to-hololens-2-and-mixed-reality/ba-p/3732405
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25290
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25290 with more widgets
Machine Gateway – My new electronic music album

My new album is out now:

Listen Here (download mp3)

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IK Multimedia’s Uno Drum is a great little drum machine and has a wide range of kits available for from IK Multimedia but it lacks a simple way of loading your own samples into it. Thanks to a clever developer on github who worked out how to unpack the Uno Drum libraries there is now a way of loading custom sounds into the device. Before you start, I would get familiar with the Uno Drum sounds sets available from IK Multimedia so you are used to the idea of swapping sound sets.
The developer has posted sample files to his github site but there were a few things I needed to do for the upload to work correctly. So, in this guide (and video at the bottom of the page) I walk through the steps you need to load samples into the Uno Drum.

Step 1 – Download the toolsThe first step is to download the kit from github and then unzip the contents to a folder on your PC.

Next you need to install the tool for converting the audio files called Sox. Get that from http://sox.sourceforge.net/

Go through the installer and leave all the settings as default.

Step 2 – Get your samples togetherNext you need to organize your samples. I recorded the drum sounds from my old Roland TR-505 and then saved each sound as a wave file. So I have a wav file for each drum sound.

I also downloaded some Linn drum samples which I put into their own folder.

Then you need a copy of one of the Uno drum DFU files (the file that contains the sounds). The best way was to install all the Uno Drum sound packs from IK Multimedia. Once you have these you can select one of the sample files. Eg

Place the file in the directly containing the sound packager tool (where you unzipped the download file in step 1) and rename it to Uno_Drum_lib_Anthology8.dfu

Step 3 – modify the batch fileTo get it to work for me I took the do_it.bat file from the sound_pack_demo folder and saved it to the main folder, I then renamed it to TR505.cmd so I could start editing it for TR-505 sounds.

Next, I had to edit the batch file.

In the file I had to change the path of the SOX tool as my install was 14-4-2 and not 14.4.2 so I changed:

set sox=”C:\Program Files (x86)\sox-14.4.2\sox.exe”

to:

set sox=”C:\Program Files (x86)\sox-14-4-2\sox.exe”

Next, I changed the paths of each line to match the samples on my system. So, I swapped out the drumsample file path for the path to my samples

eg:

%sox% DrumSamples.org-DS1000\Bongos\bongo5.wav %ss% unpacked\sample-01-1.wav fade 0 0.17 0.01

%sox% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\Samples\linndrum\linndrum\tom.wav %ss% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\uno-drum-utils-v0.2.0-prebuilt\unpacked\sample-01-1.wav fade 0 0.17 0.01

When you look at the file you can see each pad on the Uno Drum has up to five sounds, for example the cowbell section has five lines so you can have five different samples on each pad which can be selected on the Uno Drum.

REM Tom2

%sox% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\Samples\linndrum\linndrum\tomh.wav %ss% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\uno-drum-utils-v0.2.0-prebuilt\unpacked\sample-02-1.wav

%sox% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\Samples\linndrum\linndrum\congah.wav %ss% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\uno-drum-utils-v0.2.0-prebuilt\unpacked\sample-02-2.wav

%sox% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\Samples\linndrum\linndrum\tomllh.wav %ss% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\uno-drum-utils-v0.2.0-prebuilt\unpacked\sample-02-3.wav

%sox% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\Samples\Tr505\CongaC.wav %ss% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\uno-drum-utils-v0.2.0-prebuilt\unpacked\sample-02-4.wav

%sox% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\Samples\Tr505\TomM.wav %ss% C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\uno-drum-utils-v0.2.0-prebuilt\unpacked\sample-02-5.wav fade 0 0.18 0.01

So go through the file and allocate your sounds to each sample.

I also changed the end two lines to include the full path to the decoder:

C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\uno-drum-utils-v0.2.0-prebuilt\build\exe.win-amd64-3.6\decode_sound_packs.exe –pack unpacked -o TR505.dfu Uno_Drum_lib_Anthology8.dfu

C:\Users\isdix\OneDrive\Documents\uno-drum-utils-v0.2.0-prebuilt\build\exe.win-amd64-3.6\decode_sound_packs.exe -s TR505.dfu

Notice on the last part I changed the name to be the name of my sound pack.

Step 4 – Transfer to the Uno DrumTo get your sounds to the Uno Drum we can use the tranfer tool that comes with the sound packs. Go to the folder when the Uno drum sound packs are installed eg:

C:\Users\dixoni\OneDrive\Documents\IK Multimedia\IK Product Manager\UNO Drum\UNO_Drum_Anthology_Libraries_WIN\UNO Drum Anthology Libraries WIN\UNO Drum Anthology 8 Sound Content Installer 1.0.0 WIN

Copy DFU file you created in step 3 to this folder, rename the file Uno_Drum_lib.dfu to Uno_Drum_lib.dfu.org (in case you want it back) and then rename your own file to Uno_Drum_lib.dfu

Then run the Uno Drum Sound Content Installer.exe which will enable you to copy the file to your Uno Drum.

Your Uno should then have your fresh new kit.

It seems a complicated process but once you have gotten it working it’s easy to create new sound sets and then make your own custom kits.

Here is my video guide on how to load your own samples into the Uno Drum

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Introducing my new album of electronic music: Machine Gateway. The collection consists of eleven new tracks recorded over the last six months at my home studio. Now available on Spotify, Amazon Music, iTunes/Apple Music plus other music stores.

This album has influences including Tangerine Dream, Genesis, Jan Hammer and eighties music like the Pet Shop Boys. Have a listen and let me know what you think.

Equipment used:

Korg Modwave
Korg Minilogue
Yamaha TX7
Nord Electro 3
Uno Drum
Roland TR-505
Jen SX100
Volca FM
BOSS RE-1000 Reverb

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5023008 takes the builds to 22621.1250 (without features) and build 22623.1250 (with features). This build has new options for IT administrators to control the search box and task bar. Other than that, there are just fixes:

Fixes in Build 22623.1250

[Task Manager]

Typing F in the search box should work again now.
Fixed an issue where Narrator wasn’t reading out some of the text in dialogs.
Dragging the window using the search box area should work now (like other areas of the title bar).
If you do a search and then press the down arrow, keyboard focus should now move from the search box into the results.
Fixed an issue where ending processes in the Details tab wasn’t showing a confirmation dialog.
Increasing the text scaling should no longer result in a “see more” button appearing with no contents.
Fixed an issue where focus might not get set properly to search, leading to Narrator not saying that focus was on the search box.
If you have a contrast theme enabled and select one of the rows in the Processes page, that row should now show that it’s selected.

[Search on the Taskbar]

Fixed an issue where the search box would randomly disappear sometimes when you clicked it (leaving a blank space on the taskbar).
Fixed an issue where the search box was shifting to the side slightly when you clicked it.
If you have the taskbar set to auto-hide and press the Windows key and start typing, the taskbar should no longer unexpectedly hide.

Via

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 in build 25290 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. This build has new widgets for you to try and is once again available on ARM devices. In the video I look at the new widgets, the fixes with the build and look at the new known issues with build 25290.

Make sure you check out our other videos on our YouTube channel.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! On the show this week we discus 8mm conversion prices, MiniDV formats, the new build of Windows 11, VR, EV, VST and lots more acronyms!

Links from this week’s show:

Phone Link widget rolling out for Windows Insiders on the dev channel
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1245 and 22623.1245 released
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 January Update released
Phone Link widget rolling out for Windows Insiders on the dev channel
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25284 adds a new Messenger widget
How to start using the Vocoder in the Korg microKorg VST

My new album is out now:

Listen Here (download mp3)

View Details

Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25290 has new widgets and is once again available for ARM devices.

Last week Microsoft added a Facebook messenger widget and a Phone Link widget and with this build Microsoft added a Spotify widget. This gives you quick access to Spotify from the widgets panel. To try it out make sure you have the latest version of the Spotify app installed.

With this build Microsoft are trying out two distinct set of badges on the start menu, and Microsoft are looking for feedback on the changes:

Here are the fixes and known issues with the new build:

Fixes

[General]

We fixed the issue causing Arm64 devices to fail to resume from sleep/hibernate when running Build 25281 and getting stuck at the OS boot logo.
Fixed an issue where some Insiders may have issues accessing websites and other resources via VPN connections. If you used the workaround documented in this forum post, please reverse those changes once you have this new build installed.
Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to experience freezes when using the browser and certain other apps in recent Dev Channel builds.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an explorer.exe crash which could cause the taskbar not to load for some Insiders.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The fixes only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

Fixed an issue where the search box would randomly disappear sometimes when you clicked it (leaving a blank space on the taskbar).
Fixed an issue where the search box was shifting to the side slightly when you clicked it.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where the data content area of the Processes page might flash once when theme changes were applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
Fixed an issue where some dialogs did not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
Fixed an issue where properties in the Memory section of the Performance page were getting truncated even though there was space to display them.
Reduced the transparency of graph colors in the Performance page, and adjusted the borders, to help make them stand out more.
Fixed a few issues causing Task Manager crashes.
Typing F in the search box should work again now.
You now shouldn’t have to make Task Manager be as wide before the navigation pane appears.
If text scaling has been increased, the search box shouldn’t overlap with the title bar text anymore.
Made some tweaks to address cases where text in dialogs was getting cut off when text scaling was increased.
Fixes an issue where certain parts of the title bar couldn’t be used to drag the window.

[Windows Spotlight]

The following fixes only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments of Windows Spotlight that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25281:

We fixed the issue causing some people to not get a consistent refresh of images on a daily basis.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue where the preview for Sans Serif Collection in Personalization > Fonts was displaying broken glyphs.

[Other]

Fixed an issue that was preventing Narrator from announcing dropdown lists in Excel.
Fixed an underlying issue which could cause Snipping Tool screenshots to become stretched out and distorted in the last few builds if you had multiple monitors.
Fixed an issue which could cause a bugcheck with SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION.
Fixed an issue which could make the Open With dialog crash on launch.
Fixed an issue where the Open File dialog would hang if you clicked it while using an IME after having selected “Choose an app on your PC” from the Open With dialog.
Fixed an issue which could cause Group Policy Editor to unexpectedly show “An error has occurred in the script on this page” with an invalid character error when editing a group policy.
If you have OpenSSH Server set to start at boot (instead of manual), that preference should be remembered across OS upgrades now. Please note, you need to be on a build with this fix before it will take effect with your next upgrade.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

[NEW] The Update history page under Settings > Windows Update > Update history is blank for some users after installing Build 25290. This will be fixed via a newer Update Stack Package delivered via Windows Update when available.
[NEW[ Investigating reports that some Insiders are experiencing repeated bugchecks after upgrading to Build 25284.
[NEW] Launching Group Policy Editor may show an error about a displayName attribute not being found.
Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on Arm64 PCs. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.
Some users are experiencing longer than expected update times installing recent builds. We are actively investigating this issue.

[Widgets]

[NEW] The link for “Find more widgets” in the widgets picker currently is broken. This will be fixed and linked to the Store collection here in a future update.
Third-party widgets may occasionally disappear from the widgets board. They can be re-added by clicking refresh or by re-pinning them from the widgets picker.
Third-party widgets may occasionally get unpinned when the Microsoft account is used to sign-in multiple Windows 11 devices.
The undo button on the widget pinned/unpinned toast notification sometimes doesn’t work.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

[NEW] App icons on the taskbar may appear on the wrong monitor for some Insiders with multiple monitors.
The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar. You may also see this issue on secondary monitors.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

There is an issue where you will be unable to change taskbar search box to show as icon only via taskbar settings in some cases. To work around this issue, first change to a different option and then after, you should be able to choose to show as icon only.

[Windows Spotlight]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments of Windows Spotlight that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25281:

Clicking on a secondary monitor does not dismiss the full screen experience.
Spotlight wallpaper doesn’t show the correct resolution on multiple / mixed resolution monitors.

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Many laptops and tablets come with USB-C ports so a USB-C hub is now an essential part of your kit. The D-Link DUB-2327 is a 6 in 1 USB-C hub that works phones, tablets and laptops. It has full sized HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports, SD and MicroSD slots and a USB C port which can be used for accessories or as a power supply (up to 60W).

I tested it with my Surface Go and used it to charge my device, connect a 4k monitor and a wireless keyboard and mouse. So now I can use it as a dock on my desk and with it being small I can throw it my bag when travelling. I also tried it with my Surface Duo 2 Android phone and a Samsung Galaxy phone where I could also use the hub as a dock.

The hub costs £60.98 on Amazon which makes it a lot cheaper than official docks like the Microsoft Surface Dock.

Here is my video review of the D-Link DUB-2327 6 in 1 USB-C Hub:

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In this video I look at the main power modes and settings in Windows 11. Windows 11 manages your PCs power consumption for you but there are some key settings to getting the most performance and battery life in Windows. I also at the control you have over apps and how much power they can consume.

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Microsoft has added another widget to Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. With build 25284 Microsoft introduced a Facebook Messenger widget and today I noticed on my dev machine there was a new Phone Link widget.

Once added the widget shows your phones status including battery status and signal strength as well as recent notification. Clicking on a notification takes you to the Phone Link app. The new widget didn’t show up until the Phone Link app was updated so make sure you have the latest version installed if you want to try it.

Hopefully more widgets are on the way, I find the news items less useful but the app widgets like Outlook and Phone Link better use of the screen space.

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5022358 takes the builds to 22621.1245 (without features) and 22623.1245 (with features enabled) and the builds have a long list of fixes. Also for Insiders on the beta channel is screen recording in the Snip Tool. I tested this a few weeks ago (see my video) when it shipped to the dev channel and found it worked well but lacks audio recording.

Here are the fixes and known issues with the build:

Fixes in Build 22623.1245

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed a high hitting ShellExperienceHost crash related to interacting with Quick Settings.

[Task Manager]

Fixed a few issues causing Task Manager crashes.
You now shouldn’t have to make Task Manager be as wide before the navigation pane appears.
If text scaling has been increased, the search box shouldn’t overlap with the title bar text anymore.
Made some tweaks to address cases where text in dialogs was getting cut off when text scaling was increased.
Fixes an issue where certain parts of the title bar couldn’t be used to drag the window.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1245 & Build 22623.1245

New! This update changed the experience for preview .NET Framework updates. After you installed this update, all future preview (optional) .NET Framework updates would be displayed on the Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates On that page, you could control which optional updates you wanted to install.
We fixed an issue that affected the ReFS. The issue caused high nonpaged pool usage, which depleted system memory.
We fixed an issue that affected copying from a network to a local drive. Copying was slower than expected for some users.
We fixed an issue that caused Windows Server 2022 domain controllers (DC) to stop responding. This occurred when they processed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests.
We fixed an issue that affected a Group Policy for Expanded Toasts.
We fixed an issue that might have occurred when the Input Method Editor (IME) was active. Applications might have stopped responding when you used the mouse and keyboard at the same time.
We fixed an issue that affected conhost.exe. It stopped responding.
We fixed a resource conflict issue between two or more threads (known as a deadlock). This deadlock affected COM+ applications.
We fixed an issue that affected devices that are subject to Microsoft Exploit Protection Export Address Filtering (EAF). Some applications stopped responding or did not open. These included Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader.
We fixed an issue that stopped you from searching for a file based on the file’s contents.
We fixed an issue that affected searchindexer.exe. It randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out.
We fixed an issue that might have occurred when you converted or reconverted Japanese Kanji using a multibyte character set (MBCS) app. The cursor might have moved to the wrong location when you typed.
We changed how you enabled the Windows diagnostic data processor configuration in preparation for EU Data Boundary To learn more, see Enable Windows diagnostic data processor configuration.
We fixed an issue that affected mstsc.exe. It stopped responding while connecting to a RemoteApp and Desktop Connection.
We fixed an issue that might have affected FindWindow() or FindWindowEx(). They might have returned the wrong window handle.
We fixed an issue that affected picture files you found using search on the taskbar. This issue stopped you from opening those pictures.
We fixed an issue that might have affected applications that used Microsoft Edge WebView2 to display content. Applications that used WebView2 included Microsoft Office and the Widgets app. The content might have appeared blank or greyed out.

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Microsoft has released the January update for the Surface Duo 2. This month there are just security updates to the OS with the Android Security Bulletin for January 2023 included. A few months ago Microsoft released Android 12 for the Duo but there are no signs of Android 13 turning up yet.

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In this video I look at the new Messenger widget and other changes to Windows 11 build 25284. The new build is for Windows Insiders on the dev channel and has a new Facebook Messenger widget included. In the video I also look at the fixes and known issues with build 25284.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard and I talk about the closure of Altspace and what Microsoft layoffs mean for Microsoft’s VR projects. We talk converting 8mm film to digital, tabs in Notepad, new builds of Windows 11, Korg software, EV chat and lots more.

Links from this week’s show:

How well does Korg’s Modwave Native software work on a Windows touch laptop?
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25281
Tabs in Notepad now rolling out for Windows Insiders
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1180 and 22623.1180 released
Here is one simple solution to fix a dead Microsoft Surface keyboard problem
How to uninstall and remove apps in Windows 11

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25284 has a new Messager widget and small set of fixes. Windows Insiders running ARM devices won’t get this build due to a known issue.

To try out the new Messenger widget make sure you have the latest version of Messenger installed from the Microsoft Stire and then click on the “+” button.

The issue with Arm64 devices is that the PC may not resume from sleep or hibernate when running build 25281 and the only way is to use the Windows Recovery Environment to roll back to the previous build.

Here are the fixes and known issue issues with build 25284:

Fixes

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue where right clicking on certain icons in the hidden icons flyout would make the flyout dismiss rather than bringing up the context menu for that icon.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The fixes only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

Fixed an explorer.exe crash which was impacting some Insiders, related to the search box in the taskbar.

[Input]

When search suggestions are triggered while using the Pinyin IME, keyboard focus will now stay on the current candidate. To move focus to the search suggestions, press Tab.

[Windowing]

Fixed an issue for PCs with touch, where when using certain apps in full screen mode it wasn’t possible to swipe down from the top of the screen to make the title bar appear.

[Other]

Fixed an issue which was causing certain apps to hang or crash when saving files as PDF in the last few builds.
Fixed an issue where using the cast option in an app may unexpectedly not show any devices in recent builds.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

[NEW] Some Insiders may have issues accessing websites and other resources via VPN connections. See this forum post for details and how to workaround the issue.
IMPORTANT: Some Arm64 devices may fail to resume from sleep/hibernate when running Build 25281, experiencing a hang at the OS boot logo. To bypass this bug, please use the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to roll your device back to the previous build. Instructions can be found here: ms/WinRERollback.
Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on Arm64 PCs. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.
Some users are experiencing longer than expected update times installing recent builds. We are actively investigating this issue.
We’re investigating reports that some Insiders are experiencing freezes when using the browser and certain other apps after the previous Dev Channel flight.

[Widgets]

[NEW] Third-party widgets may occasionally disappear from the widgets board. They can be re-added by clicking refresh or by re-pinning them from the widgets picker.
[NEW] Third-party widgets may occasionally get unpinned when the Microsoft account is used to sign-in multiple Windows 11 devices.
[NEW] The undo button on the widget pinned/unpinned toast notification sometimes doesn’t work.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar. You may also see this issue on secondary monitors.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

There is an issue where you will be unable to change taskbar search box to show as icon only via taskbar settings in some cases. To work around this issue, first change to a different option and then after, you should be able to choose to show as icon only.

[Task Manager]

Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.

[Windows Spotlight]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments of Windows Spotlight that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25281:

[NEW] Clicking on a secondary monitor does not dismiss the full screen experience.
[NEW] Spotlight wallpaper doesn’t show the correct resolution on multiple / mixed resolution monitors.
[NEW] In some cases, people are not getting a consistent refresh on a daily basis.

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Part of the Korg Collection of VST instruments included the now legendary microKorg which part of its appeal is its brilliant vocoder. You can use it as a standalone instrument but it’s more useful when used in your DAW.

Using the microKorg’s vocoder is a little different to using a standard synth sound from the VST so in this video I show you how you can use the VST microKorg as a vocoder effect on your audio tracks. It’s simple once you know how and great fun playing with the vocoder. I don’t go into details on the actual vocoder settings on the microKorg as that is a video for another time!

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In this Windows 11 quick tip I am going to show you how to remove apps from Windows 11. Sometimes you want to get rid of old apps or free up space and Windows 11 makes it easy for you to remove them.

Go to Settings and then apps and you should see a list of apps installed on your PC. From there you can sort by name and date installed. I find most useful is sort by Size, so you can find out which apps are using the most space.

Once you find the app you want to remove click on the … and select remove. You will be then asked to confirm you want to remove the app and prompted with a User Account Control dialog so you can confirm you want to remove the app.

Windows will then remove the app from your system. Some apps give you the option of keeping or removing user files, this varies from app to app.

Here is my video guide on how to uninstall apps from Windows 11:

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Recently my Surface Go keyboard stopped working. The keyboard and trackpad stopped working completely and the only sign of life was a brief flash of the caps lock light when I connected it but that was it.

I tried the fix that I wrote about a few years ago which involves going into the BIOS but that didn’t work this time. I tried reinstalling drives, going in and out of the BIOS and nothing worked.

Then someone posted a comments on my previous post saying to try draining the battery and have to say I was skeptical. But I tried it, completely drained the battery, and then rebooted and to my surprise the keyboard and trackpad now work.

Hopefully, that works for someone else and saves you thinking you need a new keyboard!

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In this video I look at the update to Notepad that brings tabs that has started rolling out for Windows Insiders along with build 25281. The new build is for Windows Insiders on the dev channel and has updates to Spotlight and graphics settings.

Also in the video I look at the fixes and known issues with build 25281.

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Windows Insiders on the beta channel have new builds of Windows 11 to test. KB5022363 takes the builds to 22621.1180 (no features) and 22623.1180 (with features). The update adds an updated Accounts screen in settings which now shows your OneDrive storage including Outlook.com attachments.

The other change is that you don’t have to be signed into your Microsoft account to view widgets. So you can get things like weather and headlines without having to sign in.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video:

Here are the changes and fixes:

Fixes in Build 22623.1180

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue where right clicking on certain icons in the hidden icons flyout would make the flyout dismiss rather than bringing up the context menu for that icon.
Fixed an explorer.exe crash which could happen when attempting to load certain app icons.
Task view should no longer show behind the taskbar when using tablet-optimized taskbar options.
Fixed an issue that was preventing taskbar from showing in Safe Mode when using the new search box option.

[Task Manager]

When the Task Manager window size is small and the search box collapses to an icon, hovering over the icon will now show a tooltip.
Fixed a few issues with how icons and labels were displayed when a contrast mode is enabled.

[Other]

Fixed an issue where Braille devices were incorrectly saying there was no screen on the latest version of Braille.

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We love using tabs in Windows. Our browsers have them, last year we got them in Windows Explorer and now they have arrived in Notepad. Rolling out for Windows Insiders the update adds tabs in Notepad and you can drag the tabs out to a new window and you can choose whether new files open in a new window or a new tab.

The update is available for Windows Insiders now and should eventually roll out to all users.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25281 has an update to Windows Spotlight, new graphics settings and a selection of fixes.

With the new build Microsoft say they are trying different treatments to the Windows Spotlight feature which you see on the lock screen or the desktop. The update has additional UI elements with more details about the image. Microsoft say they are also trying different ways of switching between pictures, and different treatments are being tried with Insiders so you may not get the changes straight away.

Also changed in this build is a redesigned graphics settings page in Settings/Display/Graphics.

The final change is: When removing a paired Bluetooth device from Settings > Bluetooth and Devices, it will no longer pop up a prompt to confirm before removing it.

Here are the fixes and known issues:

Fixes

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Updated the printer icon in the system tray when printing something, so it better aligns with other modern icons.
When navigating the taskbar using WIN + T and arrow keys, the position of the app icon should now be called out by Narrator (for example, File Explorer might say “one out of fifteen”, if it’s in the first position and there are 15 app icons on your taskbar).

[File Explorer]

Updated the error dialog when network discovery is off so that it points to the correct location to enable it.
Fixed an explorer.exe crash which could happen when closing File Explorer.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue where SSID wasn’t being populated on the properties page for your Wi-Fi in Network & Internet Settings.
In the scenario where you are prompted with the UAC dialog when switching a network between private and public, that UAC dialog should now come to the foreground rather than being behind other windows.
Fixed an issue where Quick Settings might not be able to re-open after going to the Wi-Fi section and closing the flyout.

[Windowing]

Right clicking a snap group in Task View and selecting “show this group on all desktops” shouldn’t crash explorer.exe anymore.

[Other]

Fixed an issue where Narrator wasn’t announcing when the @ mentions window popped up in Outlook.
Fixed an issue that could cause some app uninstalls to get stuck and fail the uninstall in the last few builds.
Fixed an issue which was causing the Windows print queue window to crash sometimes in recent builds.
Fixed an issue which could cause SQL Server Management Studio to fail to launch.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on Arm64 PCs. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.
Some users are experiencing longer than expected update times installing recent builds. We are actively investigating this issue.
We’re investigating reports that some Insiders are experiencing freezes when using the browser and certain other apps after the previous Dev Channel flight.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar. You may also see this issue on secondary monitors.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

There is an issue where you will be unable to change taskbar search box to show as icon only via taskbar settings in some cases. To work around this issue, first change to a different option and then after, you should be able to choose to show as icon only.

[Task Manager]

Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.

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In this video I try out Korg’s Modwave Native software on a Surface Laptop Studio to see how well the virtual instrument works on a Windows touch device. The ModWave native is a virtual version of the Korg ModWave which is hands on synth with multiple controllers and the touch KAOSS pad.

In the video I see how well touch works on the Modwave Native and how you can control the KAOSS pad and controls like envelopes and wave selection. You can use it as a VST or standalone. Normally I used it as a VST in Cubase but for this demo I used it in standalone mode.

Korg’s Modwave native costs $199 from Korg and if you have a Modwave you get the crossgrade price of $49.99

Apologies for my light reflecting on the screen at times! Hopefully it’s not to distracting.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast where Garry, Richard and I talk about the latest Windows Insider news, we talk about the colourisation of old black and white TV shows, more issues with Microsoft updates, ChatGPT coming to Azure, smart home tech and more vintage synth demo tapes. We also talk about digitising old analogue content.

Links from this week’s show:

Windows 11 Quick Tip: How to create Start Menu folders
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25276
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25276
Retro: Listen to the 1987 Yamaha DX7S demo tape
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/general-availability-of-azure-openai-service-expands-access-to-large-advanced-ai-models-with-added-enterprise-benefits/
Digital Paradise on Spotify

Listen Here (download mp3)

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For Windows Insiders running the original version Windows 11 on the Release Preview Channel Microsoft has just released an update. KB5019274 takes the build to 22000.1515 and includes updated storage settings, Xbox subscription details and plenty of fixes. If you are running Windows 11 22H2 Microsoft has a different update available (KB5022360) via Windows Update.

New! We combined Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page. This made it easier for you to discover and turn on the Windows Spotlight feature.
New! We improved the Microsoft Account experience in Settings. For example, you could manage OneDrive subscriptions and storage alerts.
New! We provide the full amount of storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions. It also displayed the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
New! We displayed storage alerts for Microsoft OneDrive subscribers on the Systems page in the Settings app. The alerts appeared when you were close to your storage limit. You could also manage your storage and purchase additional storage, if needed.
New! We displayed Xbox subscription details on the Accounts page in the Settings app. Xbox subscribers could also manage their subscription on that page. Users who are not subscribers could explore Xbox subscription options on the Accounts page
We fixed an issue that affected searchindexer.exe. It randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out.
We fixed an issue that stopped you from searching for a file based on the file’s contents.
We fixed a resource conflict issue between two or more threads (known as a deadlock). This deadlock affected COM+ applications.
We fixed an issue that affected conhost.exe. It stopped responding.
We fixed an issue that affected some modern applications. This issue stopped them from opening.
We fixed an issue that affected the Domain Name System (DNS) suffix search list. When you configured it, the parent domain might have been missing.
We added support for long URL lengths of up to 8196 characters.
We fixed an issue that might have occurred when the Input Method Editor (IME) was active. Applications might have stopped responding when you used the mouse and keyboard at the same time.
We fixed an issue that might have affected FindWindow() or FindWindowEx(). They might have returned the wrong window handle.
We fixed an issue that damaged memory. The issue occurred when you used certain HD audio controller hardware.
We fixed an issue that affected certain systems that had firmware Trusted Platform Modules. (TPM). This issue stopped you from using AutoPilot to set up those systems.
We fixed an issue that affected printing in landscape mode in Microsoft Edge. The print output was incorrect. This issue occurred when you used Microsoft Defender Application Guard.
We fixed an issue the stopped the touch keyboard from opening.
We fixed an issue that stopped explorer.exe from responding. This issue occurred when you used the play and pause buttons on your keyboard on certain devices.
We fixed an issue that affected Windows Server 2022 domain controllers. They stopped responding when they managed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests.
We fixed an issue that affected the Resilient File System (ReFS) MSba tag. The issue caused a nonpaged pool leak.
We fixed an issue that affected ReFS. The issue caused high nonpaged pool usage, which depleted system memory.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Release Preview Channel. KB5022360 takes the build to 22621.1192 for Windows Insiders running Windows 11 22H2, and starting this month Microsoft are reducing the number of reboots after upgrading. After going to 22H2 Windows will automatically get the .NET and feature updates so there is only one reboot to install to get the latest fixes and .NET updates.

Here are the list of changes:

New! We changed the experience for preview .NET Framework updates. After you installed this update, all future preview (optional) .NET Framework updates will be displayed on the Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates page. On that page, you could control which optional updates you wanted to install.
We fixed an issue that affected searchindexer.exe. It randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out.
We fixed an issue that stopped you from searching for a file based on the file’s contents.
We fixed a resource conflict issue between two or more threads (known as a deadlock). This deadlock affected COM+ applications.
We fixed an issue that affected conhost.exe. It stopped responding.
We fixed an issue that might have affected the Domain Name System (DNS) suffix search list. When you configured it, the parent domain might have been missing.
We fixed an issue that might have occurred when the Input Method Editor (IME) was active. Applications might have stopped responding when you used the mouse and keyboard at the same time.
We fixed an issue that might have affected FindWindow() or FindWindowEx(). They might have returned the wrong window handle.
We fixed an issue that might have occurred when you converted or reconverted Japanese Kanji using a multibyte character set (MBCS) app. The cursor might have moved to the wrong location when you typed.
We fixed an issue that might have affected applications that used Microsoft Edge WebView2 to display content. Applications that used WebView2 included Microsoft Office and the Widgets app. The content might have appeared blank or greyed out.
We fixed an issue that affected certain systems that had firmware Trusted Platform Modules. (TPM). This issue stopped you from using AutoPilot to set up those systems.
We fixed an issue that affected picture files you found using search on the taskbar. This issue stopped you from opening those pictures.
We fixed an issue that affected mstsc.exe. It stopped responding while connecting to a RemoteApp and Desktop Connection.
We fixed an issue that affected a Group Policy for Expanded Toasts.
We fixed an issue that caused Windows Server 2022 domain controllers (DC) to stop responding. This occurred when they processed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests.
We fixed an issue that affected the Resilient File System (ReFS) MSba tag. The issue caused a nonpaged pool leak.
We fixed an issue that affected the ReFS. The issue caused high nonpaged pool usage, which depleted system memory.
We fixed an issue that affected devices that were subject to Microsoft Exploit Protection Export Address Filtering (EAF). Some applications stopped responding or did not open. These included Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader.
We fixed an issue that affected some game controllers. When the game controller was connected to the computer, the computer might not have gone to Sleep mode.

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Last year’s update to Windows 11 introduced a new Start Menu folder feature. With folders you can tidy up your Start Menu and make things easier to find.

The first step is to make sure you have the Windows 11 2022 Update installed. You can check you have the update by going to Settings, System and About. You should see the system version as 22H2 and if you do you are good to go. If it says 22H1 then you haven’t gotten the update yet, and you checkout my guide on how to getting the Windows 11 2022 Update.

To create folders on the Start Menu in Windows 11 you drag one icon over the other and Windows then creates a folder. You can then drag additional items into the folder and give it a suitable name.

It’s as simple as that. It makes your Start Menu much cleaner and it’s a great way of organising your Start Menu.

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In this video I look at the changes to build 25276 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. In the video I look at the new features, changes, and the known issues with the build 25276. There are new features for Task Manager and some new known issues to watch out for.

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. The new build is 25276 and as well as being available via Windows Update it’s also available as an ISO from Microsoft. The main change with this build is a new live kernel memory dump for developers to debug their applications.

In Task Manager you can go to the details page and right click on the system process. Then select “Create live kernel memory dump file” option.

The dumps will be written to a fixed location:

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\TaskManager\LiveKernelDumps

Another change is the addition of Outlook.com storage alerts on your account page in Settings. This will alert you when your outlook.com mailbox is full.

The reason for the change is that Outlook.com attachments storage will be part of your OneDrive storage going forward. so will count towards your total OneDrive space used.

Here are the other changes, known issues and fixes:

Changes and Improvements

[General]

We have updated the dialog that shows when an app has a known compatibility issue to use the new Windows 11 design.

The dialog that shows when an app has a known compatibility issue now uses the new Windows 11 design.

[Windows Security]

We are temporarily disabling the updated the Windows Security (firewall) notification dialogs that match the Windows 11 visuals that we introduced with Build 25267. We plan to re-introduce this change in a future flight after addressing some bugs.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25267 and later Pro editions no longer allow a user to connect to a remote share by using guest credentials by default, even if the remote server requests guest credentials. This matches the stronger security of the Enterprise and Education editions that’s been in place since Windows 10, to further improve Windows 11 default security. For more information on this behavior and to configure insecure guest authentication to a third party SMB server device that only supports guest authentication, review this documentation.

Fixes

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue where switching windows through taskbar previews wasn’t working.
Fixed multiple explorer.exe crashes affecting the system tray.
When opening a flyout from the taskbar, pressing the Esc key to close the flyout should now return keyboard focus to the button it was invoked from.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The fixes only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

We fixed the layout issues with the text in the search box on taskbar when using right-to-left display languages like Arabic.
Fixed an issue where the selected search style in Taskbar Settings wasn’t persisting across updates. This setting should persist now on subsequent Insider Preview build upgrades.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an explorer.exe crash which could happen when opening File Explorer, related to loading your recent files.

[Voice access]

Voice access will now work correctly for entering numbers in the Calculator app.
Fixed a crash when giving move left and right commands with voice access.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where the “insert text” button wasn’t working when using the Pinyin IME in double pinyin mode.

[Widgets]

Fixed an issue where the widgets board will get stuck open in an invisible state for Insiders in China (and potentially others), causing clicks on the left side of the screen to not work. If you’re continuing to experience this, please make sure to check the Microsoft Store for the latest app updates.

[Other]

To improve clarity, when Windows Defender Credential Guard is enabled, when attempting to use remote desktop with default credentials, it will now explicitly say “Windows Defender Credential Guard does not allow using Windows logon credentials. Please enter your credentials”.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on Arm64 PCs. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.
[NEW] Some users are experiencing longer than expected update times installing recent builds. We are actively investigating this issue.
[NEW] We’re investigating reports that some Insiders are experiencing freezes when using the browser and certain other apps after the previous Dev Channel flight.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar. You may also see this issue on secondary monitors.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

There is an issue where you will be unable to change taskbar search box to show as icon only via taskbar settings in some cases. To work around this issue, first change to a different option and then after, you should be able to choose to show as icon only.

[Task Manager]

Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.

[Widgets]

In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, content animates out of view before the widgets board resizes when clicking to expanded view of the widgets board.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! On the show this week Garry, Richard and I talk the latest news from CES, new builds of Windows 11, Raspberry Pi news, and Microsoft’s planned investment in OpenAI. We wonder if its all over for the Surface Duo and I have bring you some new music gadgets and a very cheesy 80s demo tape.

Links from this week’s show:

Windows Subsystem for Android with Android 13 for Windows Insiders
FAJIA 6 Channel Line USB-C Powered Stereo Mixer Review
Retro: Listen to the 1986 Yamaha DX100 demo tape
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25272
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1095 and 22623.1095
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25272
Digital Modifier / Digital Paradise on Spotify

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Following on from my find of my old Yamaha DX100 demo tape (take a listen), I have uploaded my copy of the 1987 DX7S demo tape. The tape was produced by Yamaha UK for the promotion of the newly launched DX7S. The DX7S was a cut down version of the DX7II which replaced the ultimate 80s synthesizer the DX7.

The tape features demos of the DX7S along with some RX5 drum machine. While it’s not as cheesy as the DX100 demo tape it does give you an idea of how Yamaha were promoting the DX7S back in the 80s.

Iansdixon · 1987 Yamaha DX7S Demo Tape

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Microsoft has updated the Android subsystem for Windows 11 to Android 13 for all Windows Insiders. The update (2211.40000.11.0) takes the version of Android to version 13 from version 12 and several performance improvements included.

With the Windows Subsystem for Android you can run Android apps on Windows 11.

What’s New

Windows Subsystem for Android updated to Android 13
Improvements in boot performance
Improvements to mouse click input
Improvements in clipboard stability
Improvements to application resizing
Reliability improvements to media files opening in Windows
Jumplist entries for applications supporting app shortcuts

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In this video I look at the FAJIA Ultra Low Noise 6 Channel Line Stereo Mixer. The USB-C Powered mixer is designed for mixing microphones, guitars, keyboards into a single output with six switchable stereo / mono ¼ inch Jack inputs and a single ¼ inch jack output. The compact unit has a metal case, it feels solid and well made with individual level controls for each input and a single output. There is also a four LED output level monitor. The manufacturer says it’s ultra-low noise with no hum or hissing.

After running out of inputs on my main mixer and having setup new racking for the synths on the other side of the room I decided rather than running multiple cables around the room I would use this mixer on one side of the room and run a single cable around the room to my main mixer. The unit is powered by USB-C and included is a USB-B to USB-C cable, the mains plug is not included so you will need to provide that yourself. It does give you the flexibility to power it from a mains plug, PC or power bank.

The main thing I wanted to check was if there was any noise introduced and I am pleased to say there wasn’t. The individual volume control means you have some flexibility in levels, and I could turn down the input of my noisy old Yamaha RX5 drum machine. You can see and hear in the video there wasn’t any extra noise introduced by the mixer.

For £28.99 on Amazon it compares well to my Moukey MAMX3 8 (£39.99) which is a great sub-mixer but isn’t available at the moment.

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Before YouTube influencers, Spotify and SoundCloud demos music instrument manufacturers used to make demo tapes to show off their latest synthesisers and music tech. Over the weekend I came across a tape in my loft that I haven’t played for many years: A 1986 Yamaha DX100 demo tape. My Grandpa sent for the tape for me back in 1986 and the tape includes demos of the DX100 which was the baby brother of the 80s classic synth the DX7.

Side one includes relatively sensible demos of the DX100 sounds and side two is one of the most cheesy 80s sounding things I have ever heard. It’s a fake radio station with songs from the era recorded with the DX100 and RX15 drum machine, it has a brilliant fake American DJ and tracks from Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, Phil Collins and there is a very 80s rendition of the Star Wars theme.

Having found the tape again and just fixed my old Denon DRM-510 tape player I thought I would update the tape so you can take a listen.

So here is the tape, hopefully nobody at Yamaha UK will mind me uploading the tape. Make sure you listen to the fun quiz on side 2! BTW I still have the DX100 I bough in 86!

Side1

Iansdixon · 1986 Yamaha DX100 X-PERIENCE demo tape (Side one)Iansdixon · 1986 Yamaha DX100 X-PERIENCE demo tape (Side two)

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Microsoft are back with Windows Insider builds! In this video I look at build 25272 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. This build has a few useful tweaks and fixes and in the video, I also look at the known issues with build 25272.

Make sure you check out our YouTube channel for more videos and have a list to our weekly podcast.

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For Windows Insiders on the beta channel Microsoft has a new build for you. Build 22621.1095 (no features) and build 22623.1095 (with features) are now available for Windows Insiders on the beta channel and it includes an updated Search UI box and a few fixes.

The search text box has round corners to match the Search button on the Start menu.

Here are the other changes and fixes:

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.1095

[General]

Moved Quick Assist out of Windows Tools so it displays directly in the Start menu’s All apps list and is easier to find.

Fixes in Build 22623.1095

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed a couple issues which could result in the top half of the taskbar getting clipped.

[Start]

Fixed an issue where the uninstall app dialog might not display correctly in the Start menu in certain cases, making the buttons inaccessible.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue causing filtering by publisher name to not match correctly on the Processes page.
Fixed an issue causing some services to not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
Fixed an issue which resulted in new processes appearing in a filtered list if launched while a filter is set.
We fixed the issue where some dialogs were not rendering in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The issue causing the data content area of the Processes page to flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page is fixed.
The Startup apps page in Task manager will now list apps as expected.
Fixed an issue which could cause a black flash when opening Task Manager.
If there are no matching search results, Task Manager will now explicitly say that.
Fixed a Task Manager crash that could happen when attempting to end certain processes.
You can now set focus to the search box by pressing CTRL + F.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1095 & Build 22623.1095

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar as mentioned here this blog post:

We’ve made improvements to reliability to fix some crashes and the performance of animations and transitions.
We fixed the issue causing the search box on taskbar to not render correctly and display visual artifacts.
We fixed the issue causing layout issues with right-to-left display languages like Arabic.

[Other fixes]

New! We changed the experience for preview .NET Framework updates. After you installed this update, all future preview (optional) .NET Framework updates would display on the Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates On that page, you could control which optional updates you wanted to install.
We fixed an issue that affected Windows Server 2022 domain controllers (DC). They stopped responding when they handled Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests.
We fixed an issue that might have occurred when the Input Method Editor (IME) was active. Applications might have stopped responding when you used the mouse and keyboard at the same time.
We fixed an issue that affected conhost.exe. It stopped responding.
We fixed an issue that affected how fast you could copy items from a network to a local computer. For some users, the copy speed was slower than expected.
We fixed an issue that affected certain systems that had firmware Trusted Platform Modules. (TPM). This issue stopped you from using AutoPilot to set up those systems.
We fixed a resource conflict issue between two or more threads (known as a deadlock). This deadlock affected COM+ applications.
We fixed an issue that affected devices that were subject to Microsoft Exploit Protection Export Address Filtering (EAF). Some applications stopped responding or did not open. These included Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader.
We fixed an issue that affected searchindexer.exe. It randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out.
We fixed an issue that might have occurred when you converted or reconverted Japanese Kanji using a multibyte character set (MBCS) app. The cursor might have moved to the wrong location when you typed.
We fixed an issue that affected mstsc.exe. It stopped responding while connecting to a RemoteApp and Desktop Connection.
We fixed an issue that might have affected FindWindow() or FindWindowEx(). They might have returned the wrong window handle.
We fixed an issue that affected picture files you found using search on the taskbar. This issue stopped you from opening those pictures.

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Microsoft is back with a new Windows 11 build for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25272 has the removal of a suggested action feature, changes to Quick Assist and a long list of fixes including a fix for ARM64 users.

Changes:Quick Assist has been moved out of Windows Tools so it’s in the Start menu’s All apps list and easier to find.

The suggestion action for searching copied text in Microsoft Edge has been removed. It may come back in the future, but Microsoft hasn’t confirmed their plans with the feature.

With this build the inbox version of WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) has been removed. So, if you are a WSL user you can get the latest version (see this thread). Microsoft say they are working on automating this for future builds.

Here are the fixes and known issues with build 25272:

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an issue where some Arm64 devices experienced a black screen while resuming from sleep or hibernate.
Fixed an issue causing various UI elements in apps to disappear and reappear sometimes in recent builds.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The fixes only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

We fixed the issue causing the search box on taskbar to not render correctly and display visual artifacts.
Japanese IME candidate items should display correctly now inside the search box on the taskbar.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue causing filtering by publisher name to not match correctly on the Processes page.
Fixed an issue causing some services to not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
Fixed an issue which resulted in new processes appearing in a filtered list if launched while a filter is set.
Fixed an issue where Task Manager did not display light and dark content correctly, rendering potentially unreadable text.
Fixed an issue causing the Startup apps page in Task manager to not list any apps for some Insiders.
If there are no matching search results, Task Manager will now explicitly say that.
Fixed a Task Manager crash that could happen when attempting to end certain processes.
You can now set focus to the search box by pressing CTRL + F.

[Narrator]

Fixed an issue that was causing Settings to crash after turning Narrator on or off in Lithuanian and Hungarian builds.
Narrator should now be working correctly with Windows Defender Application Guard for Edge.

[Live Captions]

We fixed the issue that was causing Live Captions to not work in the latest Insider Preview builds in the Dev Channel.

[Input]

When using the Japanese IME with Narrator, Narrator will no longer read out the entire composition string each time you press a key.
The message displayed the first time you use ALT + Shift should no longer display if you only have one input language installed.
Fixed an issue where the Surface Pen could no longer advance PowerPoint slides in recent builds.
Made a change to help improve performance when using a high report rate mouse while gaming.
Fixed an issue where if you used the touch gesture for opening the Start menu, it could get stuck halfway.
Fixed an issue which could cause Excel to stop responding on certain mouse drag events when using the Japanese or Chinese IMEs.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue which could cause a hang if you cancelled out of certification authentication when connecting to VPN.
Fixed an issue which was causing Settings to crash when opening Power and Battery sometimes.
Fixed an issue causing Quick Settings crashes sometimes when navigating to the Bluetooth section.
Fixed an issue where the app icons under Settings > Apps > Default apps might be blurry.

[Windowing]

Fixed an issue causing a black screen when ALT + Tabbing out of certain games in recent builds.
The maximize button should no longer be slightly smaller than the close and minimize buttons when you highlight it in File Explorer and certain other apps while using dark mode.
Fixed a couple DWM crashes that were introduced in recent builds.

[Other]

Fixed an issue which was causing some Windows Security app crashes.
Fixed an issue where the print queue was showing stale job information for printer connection printers.
Fixed an issue where when creating a FIDO2 credential for a website in a browser, you might see the dialog twice in a row in certain cases.
This build contains the fix for an issue impacting Windows Hello on certain PCs. We are continuing to investigate an issue specific to Arm64 PCs (see known issues).
Fixed an issue which could lead to the Camera app showing that something went wrong if you pressed Pause while recording video.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on Arm64 PCs. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar. You may also see this issue on secondary monitors.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, there are layout issues with the text in the search box on taskbar.

[Task Manager]

Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.

[Widgets]

We’re investigating an issue where the widgets board will get stuck open in an invisible state for Insiders in China (and potentially others), causing clicks on the left side of the screen to not work. If you encounter this, pressing WIN + D may resolve the issue.
In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, content animates out of view before the widgets board resizes when clicking to expanded view of the widgets board.

Via

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Welcome to our first show of 2023. This week Garry and I catch up and we talk about another smart home provider pulling service from their devices, upsetting many of their loyal customers. We talk new gadgets, CES 2023, EVs and lots more!

Links from this week’s show:

Arlo is taking away security camera features you paid for – The Verge
Rackspace identifies ransomware threat actor behind December attack via Exchange | Cybersecurity Dive

Listen Here (download mp3)

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In this video I try out a cheap wireless USB adapter to see how well it works and whether it’s a suitable replacement for running midi cables around my room. The SHUIAGUO MS1 mini wireless MIDI adapter which costs £15.89 on Amazon and included in the kit is the Midi In / Out plugs, a USB receiver that you plug into your PC (for iPhone/iPad and Mac you don’t need the USB part) and a microUSB cable for charging up the Midi receiver. The manufacturers say you can get around 48 hours battery life and you can plug it into the USB adapter to charge it up.

In the video I try connecting up to my Windows laptop and my some of my synths. I see how easy it is to get started and compare the latency to a standard MDI cable so I can find out how much latency the wireless connection introduces.

So far, I haven’t had any drop out or connection issues and the device is saving me from running MIDI cables around the room. It would also be great if you want to get into a bit of Keytar action!

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3X8t5dH

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Welcome to our final show of 2022! This week is our Christmas show so I pull on my Christmas jumper and come up with a new quiz. Before we get to our end of year quiz we talk smart home news, my new Korg Modwave, Garry’s new shed garden studio, new builds of Windows 11, Windows 10 update that causes blue screens and lots more!

To all our listeners and viewers, have a great Christmas and we will see you in the new year!

Links from this week’s show:

Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1037 and 22623.1037
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25267
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25267
How to upgrade the firmware on a Korg Modwave synth on Windows 10 or Windows 11

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft has released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5021304 takes the builds to 22621.1037 (no features) and 22623.1037 (with features). If you are on the lower build without features, you can move to the higher build via Windows Update.

The update improves the voice access feature of Windows 11:

Voice access is now more flexible and supports interaction with UI controls having different names such as:

Names which contain numbers in them, for example the Calculator app where you can now directly say “Click 5”.

Names without any whitespaces between them, for example in Excel, under the Insert tab, you can interact with UI controls like “PivotTable” and “PivotChart” directly by saying “click pivot table” or “click pivot chart”.

Names with special characters in them, for example items like “Bluetooth & devices” or “Dial – up”. You can now say “click Bluetooth and devices” or “click dial hyphen up” and interact with these UI controls.

We have improved the horizontal scroll experience where we now support scrolling to the extreme left and right ends of a page, and you can do a continuous scroll left/right similar to what is already present in vertical scroll experience.

We have also added support for UI controls such as spin controls, thumb control and split buttons which enables you to interact with these controls with “click” command or by using number overlays. Commands that move the cursor in a text box now execute instantly and issues with snapping commands that snap a window left or right are fixed.

There are also additional voice commands, see Microsoft’s blog post for details.

With this build Microsoft are testing an update to the search button UI (just as they are in the dev channel):

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues in the builds:

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an issue which caused some Insiders to have issues casting (with WIN + K) in the previous flight.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue causing the Bluetooth section of Quick Settings to crash for some people.
Updated the Quick Settings icons in the taskbar when using a screen reader so if you set focus to each of the icons it no longer includes the words system state and instead just says what the icon is (for example instead of “system volume state” it just says “volume”).
If focus is set to an app icon on the taskbar and you use ALT + Shift + Left/Right to move it, Narrator will now say that it has been moved.
Fixed a high hitting explorer.exe crash which was impacting some Insiders in the last two flights.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The fixes only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

We fixed the issue causing a search box which appeared to be floating on the desktop when you changed your primary monitor or plugged in an external display.
Text in the search box should no longer be clipped on the bottom when using increased text scaling.

[Input]

Clicking the notification received the first time you press ALT + Shift should open the customize option now, rather than unexpectedly opening a Command Prompt window.
We fixed an issue which was causing the first candidate item to be invisible or clipped sometimes in the Simplified Chinese IME candidate window.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue where using “Browse for Folder” from an app was only showing Desktop (and no other folders) for some people.

[Settings]

If a Windows Update failed to install, the error code in Windows Update history can now be selected if you want to copy it out.

[Other]

Fixed an issue where restartable copies of a file (for example using robocopy) with alternate data streams were hanging frequently in the latest Dev Channel builds.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

[NEW] Some Arm64 devices will experience a black screen while resuming from sleep or hibernate. A workaround is to press the power button a few times to wake the device up and get to the Lock screen to login.
[NEW] Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on certain devices. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.
We’re working on the fix for an issue causing various UI elements in apps appear to disappear and reappear sometimes in recent builds.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar. You may also see this issue on secondary monitors.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar as mentioned above in this blog post:

You may see issues with the search box on taskbar not rendering correctly and displaying visual artifacts.
In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, there are layout issues with the text in the search box on taskbar.
Some Japanese IME candidate items are clipped inside the search box on taskbar.

[Task Manager]

Filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
Some services may not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
If a new process is starting while a filter is set, then that process may appear for a split second in the filtered list.
Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
There’s an issue we’re investigating where Task Manager isn’t displaying light and dark content correctly, leading to unreadable text. This happens when you have your mode in Settings > Personalization > Colors set to Custom – as a workaround for the time being, please switch it to Light or Dark.
The Startup apps page in Task manager does not list any apps for some Insiders. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Apps > Startup for the time being.

[Widgets]

We’re investigating an issue where the widgets board will get stuck open in an invisible state for Insiders in China (and potentially others), causing clicks on the left side of the screen to not work. If you encounter this, pressing WIN + D may resolve the issue.
In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, content animates out of view before the widgets board resizes when clicking to expanded view of the widgets board.

[Live Captions]

[NEW] Live Captions is not working in this build. Our goal is to quickly flight a new build after the holidays with a fix.

Via

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In this video I look at the build 25267 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25267 has some changes to the search UI on the taskbar as well as plenty of fixes. In the video I also look at the known issues.

Make sure you check out our YouTube channel for more videos and have a list to our weekly podcast.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard and I discus Richard’s purchase of a new EV and why he has chosen now to get a new electric vehicle. I talk about Raspberry Pi powered Korg synths and how the compute module is being used. We talk about availability of Raspberry Pi devices and their new somewhat controversial hire.

We also talk about Windows 11 updates, the new feature in the Snipping Tool, Surface, ARM processors and lots more.

Links from this week’s show:

Korg synthesizers – Raspberry Pi
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25262 released, widgets no longer need a Microsoft account
Surface Duo 2 December 2022 update released, fixes issues with calls going directly to voicemail
How to record your screen with the new Windows 11 Snipping Tool

My new music:

‎Tomorrow 85 – Single by Ian S Dixon on Apple Music
Tomorrow 85 on Spotify
Tomorrow 85 by Ian S Dixon on Amazon Music

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 25267 has more experiments with the search UI, fixes, and a few known issues. As well as being available via Windows Update there is also a ISO available.

With this build there are a few different versions of the search UI:

Microsoft are rolling out these changes to Windows Insiders so they can get your feedback.

Something to watch out for if you have an ARM device watch out for an issue a black screen resuming from sleep:

“Arm64 devices will experience a black screen while resuming from sleep or hibernate. A workaround is to press the power button a few times to wake the device up and get to the Lock screen to login”

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video with the build:

Here are the fixes and known issues with the build:

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an issue which caused some Insiders to have issues casting (with WIN + K) in the previous flight.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue causing the Bluetooth section of Quick Settings to crash for some people.
Updated the Quick Settings icons in the taskbar when using a screen reader so if you set focus to each of the icons it no longer includes the words system state and instead just says what the icon is (for example instead of “system volume state” it just says “volume”).
If focus is set to an app icon on the taskbar and you use ALT + Shift + Left/Right to move it, Narrator will now say that it has been moved.
Fixed a high hitting explorer.exe crash which was impacting some Insiders in the last two flights.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The fixes only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

We fixed the issue causing a search box which appeared to be floating on the desktop when you changed your primary monitor or plugged in an external display.
Text in the search box should no longer be clipped on the bottom when using increased text scaling.

[Input]

Clicking the notification received the first time you press ALT + Shift should open the customize option now, rather than unexpectedly opening a Command Prompt window.
We fixed an issue which was causing the first candidate item to be invisible or clipped sometimes in the Simplified Chinese IME candidate window.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue where using “Browse for Folder” from an app was only showing Desktop (and no other folders) for some people.

[Settings]

If a Windows Update failed to install, the error code in Windows Update history can now be selected if you want to copy it out.

[Other]

Fixed an issue where restartable copies of a file (for example using robocopy) with alternate data streams were hanging frequently in the latest Dev Channel builds.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

[NEW] Some Arm64 devices will experience a black screen while resuming from sleep or hibernate. A workaround is to press the power button a few times to wake the device up and get to the Lock screen to login.
[NEW] Using Windows Hello to sign in with facial recognition may not work on certain devices. A workaround for this is to use the Hello PIN path.
We’re working on the fix for an issue causing various UI elements in apps appear to disappear and reappear sometimes in recent builds.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar. You may also see this issue on secondary monitors.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar as mentioned above in this blog post:

You may see issues with the search box on taskbar not rendering correctly and displaying visual artifacts.
In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, there are layout issues with the text in the search box on taskbar.
Some Japanese IME candidate items are clipped inside the search box on taskbar.

[Task Manager]

Filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
Some services may not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
If a new process is starting while a filter is set, then that process may appear for a split second in the filtered list.
Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
There’s an issue we’re investigating where Task Manager isn’t displaying light and dark content correctly, leading to unreadable text. This happens when you have your mode in Settings > Personalization > Colors set to Custom – as a workaround for the time being, please switch it to Light or Dark.
The Startup apps page in Task manager does not list any apps for some Insiders. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Apps > Startup for the time being.

[Widgets]

We’re investigating an issue where the widgets board will get stuck open in an invisible state for Insiders in China (and potentially others), causing clicks on the left side of the screen to not work. If you encounter this, pressing WIN + D may resolve the issue.
In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, content animates out of view before the widgets board resizes when clicking to expanded view of the widgets board.

[Live Captions]

[NEW] Live Captions is not working in this build. Our goal is to quickly flight a new build after the holidays with a fix.

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Korg recently released an upgrade to the Korg Modwave, and in this video I show you how to upgrade it to the latest version. My Korg Modwave shipped with version 1.0.3 and the latest version from Korg is 1.1.3, there are few steps you have to take to perform the upgrade.

Step 1- Switch to NCM networking modeFor Windows 10, Windows 11 and Mac OS you must switch the USB Network setting on the Modwave to NCM from RNDIS. So, to do this press Utility on the Modwave and press the Page+ button to go to the USB Network setting and make sure it’s set on NCM (use the Value button to switch between NCM and RNDIS). If you are using Windows 8 you will need to use RNDIS.

Once you have the Modwave set to NCM start the synth for the setting change to be applied.

Step 2 – Install and run the upgrade toolDownload the upgrade tool from this Korg link.

Next run the installation on Windows and then run the update tool. It will scan for the Modwave and once it finds it you have the upgrade button. Hit Upgrade to start off the procedure.

The Modwave will show the upgrade process and once complete it restarts and you are ready to go.

If you want to check what version of the Modwave firmware you have installed go to Utility and press Page – until you get to the About page. At the time of writing the current version was released 8/12/2022 and is version 1.1.3.

Video: How to upgrade the firmware on a Korg Modwave synthesizer on Windows 10 or Windows 11

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Welcome to my latest Windows 11 hands on video! In this video I look at the changes in Windows 11 build 25262 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. This build has a change to Widgets and extra support options, in the video I also look at the fixes and known issues in build 25262.

Make sure you check out our YouTube channel for more videos and have a list to our weekly podcast.

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Microsoft has released build 25262 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. The new build removes the need to be signed into a Microsoft account to access widgets and there is a nice long list of fixes included.

Now, you can now get weather updates on the taskbar, pin widgets from your favourite apps or access personalized dynamic feed without an account.

Here are the fixes and known issues in the build:

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an issue where if the Widgets app package was missing on your PC, explorer.exe would crash in a loop after upgrading to Build 25252. This issue is also believed to be the cause of Windows Sandbox not working in this build.
Fixed an issue that caused secondary drives or other PCI devices to not be viewable for certain Insiders.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue where, with the system tray design updates, auto-hiding the taskbar would stop working after you had interacted with the hidden icons flyout.
Fixed an issue that was causing a gap between full screen windows and the taskbar on secondary monitors.
The system tray area should no longer shift as the numbers change in the clock.
Fixed an issue causing the top half of the media controls in Quick Settings to be missing sometimes.

[Search on the Taskbar]

We fixed the issue where you needed to press backspace after typing before you will see results for certain files ending with .cmd, .exe or .bat.
Improved the performance of launching the search window in certain cases.

The fixes only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar that began rolling out to Insiders with Build 25252:

Fixed an issue where the search box would not show up on multiple monitors as expected when clicking on either one.
Fixed an issue when clicking the search box on taskbar, the search box would momentarily flash before the Search flyout displayed.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where when dragging a window to a monitor with lower DPI your mouse might appear to jump away from the window it was holding.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue causing explorer.exe to crash when opening certain items from the Recent section in File Explorer.

[Settings]

The Wi-Fi section of Quick Settings should no longer unexpectedly sometimes say network venue on certain entries.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where the graphs on the performance page in Task Manager might not update (even though the real time update speed setting wasn’t paused).

[Other]

The Microsoft Account sign in window should no longer unexpectedly sometimes have a black title bar when using light mode.
Adjusted the text when using the Wireless Display feature if you haven’t enabled input yet, so it guides you to the correct place to do that.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

Based on incoming feedback rates with the latest updates, we’re removing audio issues from the known issues list. We’ll continue to monitor feedback in this space – if you’re experiencing issues, please follow these steps for filing actionable feedback for audio issues.
We’re investigating reports of crashes with a few different apps and games in recent builds.
We’re working on the fix for an issue causing various UI elements in apps appear to disappear and reappear sometimes in recent builds.
You may have issues casting (with WIN + K) in this build. We’re working on a fix.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar. You may also see this issue on secondary monitors.
We’re working on the fix for an issue causing the Bluetooth section of Quick Settings to crash for some people. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Bluetooth & Devices for the time being instead.

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar as mentioned above in this blog post:

[NEW] You may see issues with the search box on taskbar not rendering correctly and displaying visual artifacts.
When you change your primary monitor, for example by plugging an external display in, you will see a search box that appears to be floating on the desktop. You can fix this issue by going into Personalization > Taskbar > Search and toggling the setting.
In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, there are layout issues with the text in the search box on taskbar.
Some Japanese IME candidate items are clipped inside the search box on taskbar.

[Task Manager]

Filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
Some services may not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
If a new process is starting while a filter is set, then that process may appear for a split second in the filtered list.
Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
There’s an issue we’re investigating where Task Manager isn’t displaying light and dark content correctly, leading to unreadable text. This happens when you have your mode in Settings > Personalization > Colors set to Custom – as a workaround for the time being, please switch it to Light or Dark.
The Startup apps page in Task manager does not list any apps for some Insiders. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Apps > Startup for the time being.

[Widgets]

[NEW] We’re investigating an issue where the widgets board will get stuck open in an invisible state for Insiders in China (and potentially others), causing clicks on the left side of the screen to not work. If you encounter this, pressing WIN + D may resolve the issue.
In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, content animates out of view before the widgets board resizes when clicking to expanded view of the widgets board.

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Microsoft has released the December 2022 update for the Surface Duo 2. A couple of months ago Microsoft released the Android 12L update for the Surface Duo and Duo 2, and this month there is just a fix for one issue along with the December 2022 Android Security Bulletin.

The fix is for an issue with calls going directly to voicemail and outgoing calls would end as soon as you place them. I haven’t had these issues on my Surface Duo 2 but I have heard other users having this issue.

| 2022.819.57 | This update:* Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin – December 2022. * Fixes scenario following upgrade to Android 12L when incoming calls would go directly to voicemail and outgoing calls would end immediately. |

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In this video I show how you can use the updated Windows 11 Snipping Tool to record the screen.

Microsoft are testing a new screen recorder feature in the Windows 11 Snipping Tool. Currently testing Windows Insiders on the dev channel with the feature you can record a screen session and then save and share it later. I found it only records the screen and not audio, but it will be a handy tool for capturing the screen.

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Microsoft have just added a very handy feature to the Windows 11 Snipping Tool. With the update you can record videos of your session and share or save then. I spend a lot of time recording the screen for my Youtube videos so it will be great to have the built in Snipping Tool that can be used to capture videos.

The new feature is rolling out to Windows Insides on the dev channel.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! On the show this week Garry, Richard and I discuss what the future is for Amazon Alexa given Amazon’s recent results. We talk smart home, Windows 11 Insider builds, AI song lyrics, Microsoft and consumers and lots more!

Links from this week’s show:

Video: Tonor UHF Wireless Microphone Review
What’s in the Korg Collection 4?
Windows 11 November 2022 non-security preview release is now available
Microsoft could be eyeing its own ‘super app.’ – The Verge

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft have released new builds of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. KB5021866 takes the build to 22621.1028 (no features) or 22623.1028 (with features), and with this release there are just bug fixes while Microsoft get ready for the December 2022 bug bash.

Here are the full list of changes and known issues in the builds

Fixes in Build 22623.1028

[General]

Made another fix to address explorer.exe crashing repeatedly in safe mode.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an issue where, with the system tray design updates, auto-hiding the taskbar would stop working after you had interacted with the hidden icons flyout.
Made a small refinement for tablet-optimized taskbar users to make it a bit easier to expand the taskbar without invoking the Start menu.
Fixed an issue which could lead to the taskbar jump lists and preview thumbnails not appearing in the correct position for Insiders with 2-in-1 PCs.
Improved the transition animation when switching between collapsed and expanded views of the tablet-optimized taskbar.
The tablet-optimized taskbar should collapse more reliably now after launching an app from the Start menu.
Fixed an explorer.exe crash when using Alt + F4 with the show hidden icons flyout in the system tray open.
Updated the battery icon’s tooltip to let you know if your device is charging slowly.
Fixed an issue causing the top half of the media controls in Quick Settings to be missing sometimes.
Fixed a GDI handle leak in recent builds related to receiving certain types of notifications. This could cause UI issues or explorer.exe crashes for Insiders who receive a lot of notifications.
Fixed an issue that was causing the NVIDIA icon in the system tray to show empty notifications.

[Search]

Fixed an issue causing search to not work in the previous flight for Insiders with Arm64 PCs.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue where the sleep recommendation on the Energy Recommendations page and Battery & Power page were sometimes inconsistent.

[Task Manager]

Task Manager colors in light and dark should display correctly now for people with their mode set to Custom.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1028 & Build 22623.1028

We fixed an issue that affected some games and applications. This issue was related to GPU performance debugging features. This lowered the expected game performance.

Known issues

[General]

Based on incoming feedback rates with the latest updates, we’re removing audio issues from the known issues list. We’ll continue to monitor feedback in this space – if you’re experiencing issues, please follow these steps for filing actionable feedback for audio issues.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.

[Task Manager]

[NEW] When using the search box at the top of Task Manager, Task Manager may become unresponsive.
Filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
Some services may not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
If a new process is starting while a filter is set, then that process may appear for a split second in the filtered list.
Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
The Startup apps page in Task manager does not list any apps for some Insiders. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Apps > Startup for the time being.

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In this video I look at Tonor’s wireless microphone. It would be ideal for karaoke, speeches, podcasting or anytime you want a microphone free of cables. The kit includes a cardioid microphone which is powered by two AA batteries and a rechargeable receiver. Toner say you get around 6-8 hours from a 2-3 hour charge time.

There are 15 channels of RF that can be used, and it has a 200ft operating range.

In the video I unbox and setup the system and try out the microphone. You can hear the audio quality of the microphone and I go for a wander around my house to check the signal strength.

The microphone costs $42.99 from Amazon.

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Korg recently launched version 4 of its collection of virtual synths and in this video I look at what’s included in the collection. The original collection was launched back in 2004 as the Korg Legacy Collection with five synths and has now grown to twelve instruments ranging from classic mono synths from 1971 to virtual analogs of 2002.

With the Korg Collection 4 Korg have added the miniKorg, Electribe and KAOSS pad.

In the video I look at each synth in the collection and give you a flavour of what each one can do. The full package costs $299 from Korg and support VST and AAX as well as standalone versions. They run on Mac and PC.

Including in the collection:

microKorg
Electribe
KAOSS Pad
miniKorg 700s
Prophecy
Triton / Triton Extreme
ARP Odyssey
MS-20
Polysix
MonoPoly
M1
Wavestation
MXE-X

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! In this show we talk Microsoft’s ARM dev kit and Richard’s experiences with it, we talk about the latest Windows Insider builds, we talk smart home, EV and I talk about Korg’s latest software synths.

Links from this week’s show:

Microsoft release Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1020 and 22623.1020
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25252
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25252

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Microsoft have released an preview of the non-security update coming to Windows 11. KB5020044 takes the build to 22621.900 and includes an updated Settings page with information on your OneDrive storage.

Here are the full list of changes:

New! It gives Microsoft OneDrive subscribers storage alerts on the Systems page in the Settings app. The alerts appear when you are close to your storage limit. You can also manage your storage and purchase additional storage, if needed.
New! It provides the full amount of the storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions. It also displays the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
New! It combines Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page. This makes it easier for you to discover and turn on the Windows Spotlight feature.
New! It adds a new mobile device management (MDM) policy for organizational messages. It gives your company the option to enroll tenant devices so that they receive custom messages from you. For example, you can use Intune to write the messages. They will render within Windows.
It addresses an issue that affects some modern applications. It stops them from opening.
It addresses an issue that affects some devices that are managed by an enterprise. We improve the reliability of app installations for them.
It addresses the suspension of daylight saving time (DST) in the Republic of Fiji for this year.
It addresses an issue that affects Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) authentication hardening. We will automatically raise the authentication level for all non-anonymous activation requests from DCOM clients to RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY. This occurs if the authentication level is below Packet Integrity.
It addresses an issue that affects Unified Update Platform (UUP) on-premises customers. It removes the block that stops them from getting offline language packs.
It addresses an issue that affects process creation. It fails to create security audits for it and other related audit events.
It addresses an issue that affects cluster name objects (CNO) or virtual computer objects (VCO). Password reset fails. The error message is, ” There was an error resetting the AD password… // 0x80070005″.
It addresses an issue that affects transparency in layered windows. This occurs when you are in High Definition remote applications integrated locally (RAIL) mode.
It addresses a known issue that affects the Input Method Editor (IME). Certain applications might stop responding. This occurs when you use keyboard shortcuts to change the input mode of the IME.
It addresses an issue that affects microphone streams that use the Listen To feature to route to the speaker endpoint. The microphone stops working after you restart the device.
It addresses an issue that might affect applications that run on the Windows Lock Down Policy (WLDP). They might stop working.
It addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Defender when it is not the primary antivirus. Microsoft Defender fails to turn off passive mode. This issue occurs when you turn off Smart App Control (SAC).
It adds .wcx to the list of Dangerous Extensions that some app control policies do not allow.
It addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Automated investigation blocks live response investigations.
It addresses an issue that affects printing in landscape mode in Microsoft Edge. The print output is incorrect. This issue occurs when you use Microsoft Defender Application Guard.
It addresses an issue that causes File Explorer to stop working. This occurs when you close context menus and menu items.
It addresses an issue that might cause certain apps to stop responding. This occurs when you use the Open File dialog.
It addresses an issue that sometimes affects File Explorer when you open a file. Because of this, there is high CPU usage.
It addresses an issue that affects protocol activation of the Settings app. The app fails to open a page under the Accounts category.
It addresses an issue that affects a computer account. Use of non-standard characters can stop the cleanup of the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) accounts.
It addresses an issue that affects the CopyFile function. It might sometimes return error 317: ERROR_MR_MID_NOT_FOUND.
It addresses an issue that affects the Windows Firewall service. It does not start when you turn on the Override block rules option.
It addresses an issue that affects some games and applications. This issue is related to GPU performance debugging features. This lowers the expected game performance.
It addresses an issue that affects cumulative update installations. They fail, and the error code is 0x800f0806.

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Microsoft’s Windows Dev Kit 2023 (formerly known as ‘Project Volterra’) has been available for a while now, and having spent some time working on the device I can deal with the question: “But what is it really like?”

The answer is “pretty good.” In fact, so long as you’re prepared to live within its limitations, the answer is “pretty darn great.”

To recap, the Windows Dev Kit 2023 consists of a book-sized Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3-based device running Windows 11 Pro (the Arm edition) and is blessed with 32GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a decent 512GB NVMe mass storage device. There are a pair of USB-A and three USB-C sockets as well as a Mini Display Port connector and buttons to boot from USB, drop into the UEFI menu or power up the device.

A single white LED indicates power – there is apparently a fan, but I’ve yet to work the device hard enough to hear it. There is also an external PSU, roughly a third the size of the case (which goes some way to explaining the size when put up against a Mac Mini.)

In use… well… it’s a modern Windows PC. Setting up will be familiar to anyone who has had to do the final installation steps for a Windows 11 rig and, presumably because this is aimed at developers, Windows 11 boots up in dark mode. Personally, I am not a fan of the sombre colour scheme supposedly beloved by code wranglers. As such, a quick tweak of the theme brought some much needed light to proceedings.

Speaking of display, while the unit has a Mini Display Port connector, I only had a USB-C to Display Port cable handy (liberated from a Mac Mini) and used that to drive a 3440 x 1440 screen. I encountered no problems, although Microsoft advises using the Mini Display Port for set-up (essential if you want to access the UEFI screens.)

In fact, all my devices: keyboard, mouse, webcam and printer/scanner connected without issue. Even a Bluetooth headset behaved itself. How very un-Windows on Arm-like (based on my experiences with Windows on Arm laptops from several years previously.)

The business-as-usual theme continued as Windows 11 imported my desktop settings and apps from my older Windows 10 PC. It is an indicator of just how far Windows on Arm has come – my Microsoft productivity tools (Word, Excel and so on) fired up natively along with Visual Studio Code and the full fat Visual Studio (which is also, finally, available as an Arm-native application.)

However, the key word there is ‘Microsoft’. Stick within the Microsoft ecosystem and things mostly work well and run natively. Stray too far away from Nadella’s One True Way and one very quickly runs into the Achilles heel of Windows on Arm: Intel emulation.

To be fair, emulation has come on in leaps and bounds since the dark days of Windows RT (a lovely concept kneecapped by a lack of developer support) but it remains no match for native hardware. I tried a number of Intel apps, all of which worked but several left me switching back to my older desktop following an experience that neither the app nor Project Volterra seemed to enjoy very much.

Even a relatively recent game such as Sea of Thieves managed to run, although with a frame rate so low that dedicated gamers would be reaching for the sick bag.

However, use the device for Arm applications (which is surely its purpose) and it is a delight. As well as the aforementioned productivity and development environments, the Windows Subsystems for Linux and Android both work a treat and .NET 7 and the .NET Framework 4.8.1 are both now native. The device is therefore quite the weapon for developers seeking to build and test native Arm versions of their code.

One could also use it to build and deploy x64 code, although I’d suggest doing so via the various cloud pipeline services out there. This is, after all, an Arm-based device.

And remember Windows Subsystem for Android? While lacking all the bells and whistles of the Google Play APIs it is a pleasure to use on Windows Dev Kit 2023, providing a complete Android environment (although Google’s Android Studio remains resolutely in the x64 world.)

The main competition for the Windows Dev Kit 2023 is Microsoft’s own Surface Pro 9, although I’m not sure I’d want to use the latter for development. The SQ3-based version tops out 16GB of RAM with a 256GB SSD and retails for an eye-watering £1,599 incl. VAT at time of writing, and you’ll need to spend another £129.99 on a keyboard. The Windows Dev Kit 2023 doubles the RAM and storage and retails for £579 incl. VAT (although you’ll need to provide your own screen and input devices.)

And you really wouldn’t want to use the 16GB SQ3-based Surface Pro 9 for development (and definitely not the 8GB version.) The greater headroom of the Windows Dev Kit 2023 simply makes much more sense.

Overall, the Windows Dev Kit 2023 is a nice surprise from Microsoft. Keenly priced and still supremely capable (provided one understands its limitations) it is almost disappointing that Microsoft has pitched this at developers rather than consumers. Then again, developers are more likely to understand the x64 limitations which, while the not the showstopper of yesteryear, should still give one pause for thought if most of one’s day-to-day work is conducted on applications not yet ported to Arm.

Even taking that into account, the Windows Dev Kit 2023 is a worthy recipient of two thumbs up for anyone, like me, seeking something that will happily run Windows 11 and all one’s productivity applications. Just take care if straying too far from Microsoft’s app and development ecosystem.

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Microsoft have new builds for Windows Insiders on the beta channel. The builds are 22621.1020 (no features) and 22623.1020 (with features). This release has support for a new Braille display in Narrator:

We are excited to announce support for new Braille displays and new Braille input and output languages in Narrator. Some of the new braille displays we support include: the APH Chameleon, the APH Mantis Q40, the NLS eReader and many more. Refer to the detailed documentation to learn more about the new displays and languages that we support.

Here are the changes, fixes and known issues with build 22621.1020 and 22623.1020:

Fixes in Build 22623.1020

[General]

The spelling dictionary now uses a language-neutral word list and syncs across all devices that use the same Windows account (Microsoft accounts and AAD) is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel. Users can toggle this feature via Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Remember my preferences > Language preferences.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed a high hitting explorer.exe crash in the previous Beta Channel flight related to the system tray. This crash is also believed to be the cause of some Insiders experiencing a repeated explorer.exe crash when entering safe mode on that flight.
Fixed an issue which was causing certain third-party app icons in the system tray to be unresponsive after the latest system tray changes.
The Windows Update icon in the system tray should no longer look pixelated after changing between light and dark mode.

[Windowing]

If you have two monitors on top of each other, the Desktops list in Task View should no longer appear to be floating in the middle of Task View.

[Task Manager]

Moved the open navigation pane button to be under the title bar when Task Manager is wide enough to expand it inline – in doing so, addressed an issue where you couldn’t drag Task Manager from the area in the title bar above the navigation pane if the navigate pane was expanded.
The Delete key should work in the search box now.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1020 & Build 22623.1020

New! We combined Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page. This made it easier for you to discover and turn on the Windows Spotlight feature.
New! We provided the full amount of storage capacity of all your Microsoft OneDrive subscriptions. We also displayed the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
New! We gave Microsoft OneDrive subscribers storage alerts on the Systems page in the Settings app. The alerts appeared when you were close to your storage limit. You could also manage your storage and purchase additional storage, if needed.
New! We added the organizational messages feature. With it, third-party companies could provide content to their employees. They did not need to use the default behavior of Windows.
We fixed an issue that affected protocol activation of the Settings app. The app failed to open a page under the Accounts category.
We fixed an issue that affected certain applications. They stopped working. This occurred when you used keyboard shortcuts to change the input mode for the Japanese Input Method Editor (IME).
We fixed an issue that affected cluster name objects (CNO) or virtual computer objects (VCO). Password reset failed. The error message was, ” There was an error resetting the AD password… // 0x80070005″.
We fixed an issue that might have caused certain apps to stop responding. This occurred when you opened the Open File dialog.
We fixed an issue that sometimes affected File Explorer when you opened a file. Because of that, there was high CPU usage.
We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Automated investigation blocked live response investigations.
We fixed an issue that affected Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) authentication hardening. We would automatically raise the authentication level for all non-anonymous activation requests from DCOM clients to RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY. This occurred if the authentication level was below Packet Integrity.
We fixed an issue that affected microphone streams that used the Listen To feature to route to the speaker endpoint. The microphone stopped working after you restarted the device.
We fixed an issue that caused File Explorer to stop working. This occurred when you closed context menus and menu items.

Known issues

[General]

We’re looking into reports that audio stopped working for some Insiders in recent Beta Channel builds.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture.
The taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.

[Task Manager]

Filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
Some services may not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
If a new process is starting while a filter is set, then that process may appear for a split second in the filtered list.
Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
There’s an issue we’re investigating where Task Manager isn’t displaying light and dark content correctly, leading to unreadable text. This happens when you have your mode in Settings > Personalization > Colors set to Custom – as a workaround for the time being, please switch it to Light or Dark.
The Startup apps page in Task manager does not list any apps for some Insiders. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Apps > Startup for the time being.

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Microsoft are back with Windows Insider Dev builds! In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25252. There are changes to search and VPN as well as long list of fixes. Also in the video I look at the change known issues with build 25252.

Make sure you check out our YouTube channel for more videos and have a list to our weekly podcast.

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After a week off for US Thanksgiving Microsoft are back with a Windows Insider dev build. The new build is 25252 and has a UI change around the search box and a few fixes.

There is a new VPN indicator:

Microsoft are trying out a fresh look for the search button for a small set of Windows Insiders. The new UI features a larger search box which looks a little like the Windows 10 version:

I don’t particularly like the larger version but there is an option to turn it off.

Here are the fixes and known issues:

Fixes

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Fixed an explorer.exe crash when using Alt+F4 with the show hidden icons flyout in the system tray open.
Fixed multiple explorer.exe crashes impacting system tray performance.
Updated the battery icon’s tooltip to let you know if your device is charging slowly.
Made a small refinement for tablet-optimized taskbar users to make it a bit easier to expand the taskbar without invoking the Start menu.
Fixed an issue which could lead to the taskbar jump lists and preview thumbnails not appearing in the correct position for Insiders with 2 in 1 PCs.

[Start menu]

We fixed an issue causing folders in Start menu to not open on the first try.

[Other]

Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see a bugcheck with the error SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION after upgrading to the previous flight.
Fixed an issue which was causing certain apps (including Media Player) to crash when playing media in the background in recent flights.
Fixed an issue which could lead to your PC going to sleep although it was configured to not sleep.
Fixed an issue where network-to-local copying (for example, when copying a file from a network share) was slower than expected from some users.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

[NEW] Under certain circumstances, Widgets may appear missing for a small subset of Windows Insiders causing explorer.exe to crash in a loop after upgrading to this build. If it is missing, you can install it here. We recommend doing this before you upgrade. If you upgrade and are impacted, please follow these steps for rolling back the build.
[NEW] There is an issue in Build 25247+ causing some Insiders to not able to view certain secondary drives – this may also affect other PCI devices. The device shows as having an error in Device Manager. We are working on a fix, once you upgrade to a build with the fix it should be functional again.
We’re looking into reports that audio stopped working for some Insiders after upgrading to the latest flights.
We’re investigating reports of crashes with a few different apps and games in recent builds.
We’re working on the fix for an issue causing various UI elements in apps appear to disappear and reappear sometimes in recent builds.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

The taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar.
[NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing the Bluetooth section of Quick Settings to crash starting with the previous flight. If you are impacted, please use the Settings > Bluetooth & Devices for the time being instead.

[Search on the Taskbar]

For certain files ending with .cmd, .exe or .bat you will need to press backspace after typing before you will see results.

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar as mentioned above in this blog post:

[NEW] When you change your primary monitor, for example by plugging an external display in, you will see a search box that appears to be floating on the desktop. You can fix this issue by going into Personalization > Taskbar > Search and toggling the setting.
[NEW] When using multiple monitors, the search box is not visible on the non-active monitor when the search flyout is open. This is only present when “Show my taskbar on all displays” is enabled.
[NEW] When you click on the search box on taskbar, the search box will momentarily flash before the Search flyout shows up
[NEW] In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, there are layout issues with the text in the search box on taskbar.
[NEW] Some Japanese IME candidate items are clipped inside the search box on taskbar.

[Task Manager]

Filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
Some services may not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
If a new process is starting while a filter is set, then that process may appear for a split second in the filtered list.
Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
There’s an issue we’re investigating where Task Manager isn’t displaying light and dark content correctly, leading to unreadable text. This happens when you have your mode in Settings > Personalization > Colors set to Custom – as a workaround for the time being, please switch it to Light or Dark.
The Startup apps page in Task manager does not list any apps for some Insiders. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Apps > Startup for the time being.

[Widgets]

In right-to-left display languages like Arabic, content animates out of view before the widgets board resizes when clicking to expanded view of the widgets board.

Via

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The post Windows 11 Build 22000.651 to the Release Preview Channel first appeared on TheDigitalLifestyle.com.

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Microsoft has released an update for Windows Insiders running Windows 11 on the beta and dev channels. KB5014105 takes the build to 22598.200 and is designed to test the servicing pipeline of Windows 11. Last week Microsoft also released KB5014100 taking the build to 22598.100. UPDATE 4/19: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build […]

The post Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 22598.200 (KB5014105) for Windows Insiders on the dev and beta channel first appeared on TheDigitalLifestyle.com.

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In this video I look at the improvements and changes with Windows 11 build 22598. The build is available for Windows Insiders on the dev and beta channel and includes a broad selection of fixes. Also, in the video I look at the known issues with build 22598.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! Garry, Richard and I talk about the new Windows 11 build released last week. We talk about the Windows 11 taskbar going nowhere, Microsoft could be getting into hot water with regulators, Raspberry Pi and memories of the Amiga 500!

Links from this week’s show:

Video: Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22593
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22593
Video: How to roll back to a previous version of Windows 11

Subscribe to our PodcastApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS If you want more information about how to subscribe to podcasts read our Podcast How To page. Follow us on twitter @isdixon @garrywma @Thedigitallife @richard_speed

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Microsoft has released Windows 11 build 22598 for Windows Insiders on the dev and beta channels. The build has plenty of fixes but no major new features. As well as being available via Windows Update this build is also available as an ISO from Microsoft.

Windows Media Player For Windows Insiders on the dev channel the new Media Player app (the renamed and updated Groove Music app) has been updated with the option of a new view on the artist page.

Ther is a also a new Video enhancements dialog window:

Lenovo PCs This time the build is available for Windows Insiders in China on Lenovo PCs:

We are now offering new builds to Windows Insiders in China on Lenovo PCs starting with Build 22598. These users should connect to the internet for a minimum of 15 minutes to allow the Lenovo PC Manager to auto update to the latest version (version 5.0.0.3292 or later) to receive an important fix with the app.

The Getting Started app now auto-launches after installing the new build.

Windows Spotlight Windows Spotlight on the desktop will be on by default for clean installs. Also Microsoft are trying 4K desktop backgrounds in Windows Spotlight for a limited group of Insiders.

Other Changes in build 22598 Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues with build 22598:

[Taskbar]

Updated the tooltip on the volume icon to tell you when you’re using spatial sound.

Fixes

[General]

Devices using Windows Information Protection (formerly EDP) policies can now access controlled data via protected apps such as Outlook, Word, Microsoft Edge, etc. as expected.

[Taskbar]

We fixed an issue where if you used keyboard focus on taskbar, hovers like previews would stay up during all taskbar interactions.

Fixed an issue that was causing taskbar badges to come back after explorer.exe crashes even if you had them turned off in Settings.

Made a fix for an issue where some mouse move events weren’t being passed to apps for icons in the system tray.

Fixed an issue where hovering over some app icons in the system tray wasn’t showing previews or tooltips.

App icons in the system tray should now be showing more reliably when opened again in this build.

Fixed an issue that was delaying or preventing the show hidden icons flyout from opening.

Fixed an issue where Chinese characters weren’t displaying in the taskbar calendar when the Lunar calendar was turned on.

Addressed an issue where the visual indicator around an app icon when sharing a window might not go away once you’d stopped sharing.

[Start menu]

We fixed a crash when selecting the More button in Start’s Recommended section.

Addressed an underlying issue which could lead to Start crashing on launch when invoked with a gesture.

Fixed an issue that was causing the buttons and labels in Start to be the wrong colors while using contrast themes.

Addressed an issue where if you swiped to scroll the contents of a folder in the pinned section of Start, it would unexpectedly close Start.

[File Explorer]

Addressed an issue which was causing the context menu to not render completely sometimes and be transparent.

[Input]

Improved the performance of launching the touch keyboard on the login screen.

Fixed an issue where if you had selected text with touch in certain apps like Settings, the backspace key in the touch keyboard would have to be tapped twice for it to delete.

Voice typing should no longer stop responding if you repeatedly press WIN + H.

Fixed an issue for people with a large number of input methods, where the currently selected one might not be in view when you opened the input switcher.

Fixed the link at the bottom of the Chinese (Simplified) IME appearance settings so it points to Settings > Personalization > Text Input.

Addressed an issue where the emoji panel’s background image and color might not be rendered correctly after using options in Settings > Personalization > Text Input.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue where high DPI options in the Compatibility tab of the properties for an executable weren’t working.

Narrator should now read the view options we added in Settings > Apps > Installed apps

[Windowing]

Returned the missing animation when pressing WIN + D or clicking the Show Desktop button.

We addressed an issue when using snap layouts with touch which could result in an acrylic sheet getting stuck on top of the window.

The thumbnails in Task View should no longer be inverted when using Hebrew or Arabic display languages.

Fixed an explorer.exe crash when invoking Task View.

If you have a lot of windows open, they should no longer become superimposed on top of Desktops in Task View.

Fixed an issue when using ALT + Tab with a screen reader, where if you ALT + Tabbed back to certain app windows, focus would be set to a pane within the window rather than the whole window.

Fixed an underlying issue where accented colored title bars (when enabled) for certain apps and File Explorer were only displaying when the windows were maximized.

Mitigated a rare issue that could lead to the system hanging when changing the resolution sometimes in certain games.

Addressed an issue causing white pixels in the corners of some apps when using dark mode.

Did some work to address an issue where certain app windows wouldn’t move to the expected area after selecting them using snap assist.

Fixed a glitch in the animation when using snap layouts at the top of the screen to snap windows.

[Live captions]

Fixed an issue where the very top of maximized apps (e.g., title bar window management buttons) couldn’t be reached with touch while live captions were positioned at the top.

Live captions will now tell you when it’s done downloading and ready to caption.

[Task Manager]

Mitigated an issue causing the Performance page CPU graph to be colored as if Show Kernel Times was enabled even though it wasn’t.

Did some work to further improve Task Manager reliability.

Added access key support for Run New Task (ALT + N), End Task (ALT + E), Efficiency Mode (ALT + V), and other buttons on each page. If you press ALT, the letters will display next to the button.

With a process selected, pressing the Delete key will now end the process like it used to.

CTRL + Tab and CTRL + Shift + Tab will now cycle through the pages in Task Manager.

Fixed an issue where the memory composition graph was blank instead of filed in with the appropriate color.

Mitigated an issue leading to the GPU graph on the performance tab not being displayed in some cases.

The icons in the status column of the Processes page are no longer touching the side of the column.

Fixed an issue where “Efficiency mode” was missing status column of the Users page.

[WSL]

Fixed an issue that would prevent WSL2 from mounting the host file system on ARM64.

[Other]

Fixed an issue from the previous flight where the acrylic might not extend across the entire login screen.

Fixed an issue that was causing the volume and brightness keys that appear when your use your hardware keys to be cut off in the middle.

Running powercfg /query should work now when launched from syswow64 or from a 32-bit process.

Fixed an apostrophe that wasn’t rendering correctly in the text when doing an offline scan from the Windows Security app.

Removed an extra “be” in the text describing Smart Account Control in the Windows Security app.

Fixed an issue for certain language which could lead to question marks being displayed in the place of some of the text when upgrading to a new build.

If you have increased the text size under Settings > Accessibility > Text Size and launch setup from a Windows ISO while booted into your currently installed OS, the text displayed in the setup window will now be increased to match your preferences.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the active development branch may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11 that became generally available on October 5th, 2021.

Known issues

[General]

Windows Insiders running Windows 10 who join the Dev or Beta Channels to get the latest builds may encounter a download error code 0xc8000402 while trying to download the latest build. As a workaround, please join the Release Preview Channel first, install Windows 11 from there (Build 22000.xxxx), and then switch to the Dev or Beta Channel to receive the latest Insider Preview build. This issue is understood and will be fixed in an upcoming build.

We’re investigating reports that a few Insiders have been experiencing an issue where explorer.exe is crashing repeatedly in a loop in the latest builds and unable to successfully load. This build includes another fix that may help some Insiders who were experiencing this.

When opening Group Policy editor, an Administrative Template error will pop up. Click “Ok” to dismiss and continue using Group Policy editor normally.

[Taskbar]

The taskbar doesn’t always automatically collapse after launching an app or tapping outside of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices.

Some areas of the OS are not yet tracking the height of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices so you may see overlapping components.

[File Explorer]

Using context menu options in File Explorer or on the desktop for rename, copy, paste, and delete may cause explorer.exe to crash when the context menu dismisses. As a workaround if you are impacted you will need to use other methods for the desired action, for example, pressing F2 to rename a selected file or folder.

The option to “Add to Favorites” does not show when right-clicking on a file on Home. As a workaround, this option can be accessed by choosing “Show more options”.

[Widgets]

The widgets board may not open successfully when using the gesture from the side of the screen. If you are impacted, please tap the Widgets icon in the taskbar for now instead.

[Network]

We’re investigating reports from Insiders about internet connectivity issues when certain VPNs are connected.

[Live captions]

Certain apps in full screen (e.g., video players) prevent live captions from being visible.

Certain apps positioned near the top of the screen and closed before live captions is run will re-launch behind the live captions window positioned at top. Use the system menu (ALT + Spacebar) while the app has focus to move the app’s window further down.

Via

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Microsoft has released the April update for the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2. For the Surface Duo the April 12th update includes the April 2022 Android Security update and a fix for pixelated external display when screen sharing via Miracast.

For the Surface Duo 2 the April 12th update just has the Android Security updates.

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Microsoft have released 22000.613 for Windows 11. The update is delivered via Windows Update as KB5012592 and includes the updates from March 22th (KB5011563) and security updates:

Improvements

This security update includes improvements that were a part of update KB5011563 (released March 22, 2022) and also addresses the following issues:

This update contains miscellaneous security improvements to internal OS functionality. No additional issues were documented for this release.

There is just the one known issue with this update:

After installing the Windows updates released January 11, 2022 or later Windows versions on an affected version of Windows, recovery discs (CD or DVD) created by using the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) app in Control Panel might be unable to start.

Recovery discs that were created by using the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) app on devices which have installed Windows updates released before January 11, 2022 are not affected by this issue and should start as expected.

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If you experience problems with Windows 11 after installing an updated version of the OS Microsoft have handy tool built into the Windows to enable you to go back to your previous version of the Operating system. It could be the new version of Windows doesn’t work with your hardware or you are testing a new Windows Insider build and it’s causing you issues. With the rollback option you can go back to the previous version.

In this video I show you how to roll back to the previous version of Windows 11 and get back to a stable system.

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 build 22593. The build is available for Windows Insiders on the beta and dev channels and includes some File Explorer improvements and Start menu folder tweaks. I explain why the watermark is showing, I look at the fixes and known issues with build 22593.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard and look back at Microsoft’s Hybrid work event and what that means for Windows 11. We talk about the rebranding of Your Phone to Phone Link and Microsoft’s reorg of its Android division. We also take space launches, Windows Insider news and lots more.

Links from this week’s show:

Microsoft renames Your Phone as Phone Link
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22581.200 (KB5013296)
Windows powers the future of hybrid work | Windows Experience Blog
Tabs and new layout home screen coming to File Explorer in Windows 11
Video: A quick look at the updated Microsoft Phone Link app

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft have released releases a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insider on the beta and dev channels. Build 22593 doesn’t have the tabbed File Explorer that was shown off yesterday but it does have an updated home page in Explorer.

The home page in File Explorer was called Quick Access and is now called Home and it has pinned and frequent folders.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

With this build recent and pinned files are now searchable using the search box in File Explorer even if they are not on the local PC.

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues with build 22593:

[Input]

Microsoft Journal is now pinned by default on the Pen menu. If you don’t have the app installed, it will be installed from the Microsoft Store if chosen on the Pen menu.

Journal, a Microsoft Garage Project, is now pinned by default on the Pen menu.

[Windowing]

If you press WIN + Z to open snap layouts, all the layouts will now show associated numbers, so you can quickly use the number keys to select the desired layout.

[Focus]

Added 5-minute increments for everything under a half hour to focus session length options.

[Windows Security]

Memory integrity is a feature in Windows 11 designed to prevent attacks from inserting malicious code into high-security processes. This feature can be found in Windows Security under Device Security > Core isolation. In the most recent Insider Preview builds, we will notify the user that this feature is currently turned off so that action can be taken for the user to turn it back on so that their device is as secure as possible against malicious attacks.

Memory integrity in Windows Security.

[Input]

Updated the ADLaM keyboard layout to add access to brackets and ADLaM Hamza. To access these:

Right Alt + \ will now input »

Right Alt + | will now input «

Right Alt + Shift + [ will now input {

Right Alt + Shift + ] will now input }

Ctrl + Shift + ; will now input the Hamza character

Updated the Pashto keyboard layout so that ې and ئ are now directly accessible on the keyboard. Accessing ظ and ط is now done by holding Shift and pressing the aforementioned letters, respectively.

Fixes

[General]

Fixed a few more issues impacting explorer.exe reliability in recent flights.

[Taskbar]

Fixed an issue where app icons were unexpectedly animating in from the upper left when launching a new app.

Improved the performance of rearranging taskbar icons.

Addressed an issue in the previous flight leading to duplicate app icons after closing and re-opening an app.

If you have a lot of apps open, the icons shouldn’t overlap the date and time on your secondary monitors anymore.

Taskbar will no longer disappear when you enter search over a full screen window.

Fixed an issue that was causing icon spacing to invert so that it was large when it should be small and vice versa when switching in and out of the tablet-optimized taskbar.

Tablet-optimized taskbar will now stay visible over full screen apps when expanded and only hide when you collapse it.

If you have multiple keyboards for your current language, the input indicator will now only show one row of text when the tablet-optimized taskbar is in a collapsed state, so that it doesn’t get clipped.

Fixed a crash that was causing taskbar to get stuck in the tablet-optimized taskbar view.

Settings will now remember your taskbar’s auto-hide setting more consistently.

Mitigated an issue where some app icons in the system tray which were expected to flash weren’t doing that.

Fixed an issue causing system tray icons to get stuck there even after you closed the application.

Made a fix for an issue where some mouse move events weren’t being passed to apps for icons in the system tray.

Addressed an issue leading to a decrease in Notification Center launch reliability in recent flights.

Mitigated an issue causing the Notification Center and its context to sometimes show the wrong color text for the system’s theme, making it unreadable.

Updated the names of some of the months in the Simplified and Traditional Chinese lunar calendar to be more accurate.

[Start menu]

Updated the design of the folders in Start so that they’re a little bigger, making it easier to see the app icons highlighted within the folder without having to open it.

Fixed an issue where if you created a folder in Start in the same position as a deleted folder, it would show the old name.

If you tab into naming a folder in Start with your keyboard, you can now tab back out instead of having to hit Esc.

Fixed an issue where when using the keyboard to select options following WIN + X didn’t work. And dismissing WIN + X should be more consistent now.

Fixed an issue where the prompt wasn’t coming to the front when launching Windows Terminal as an admin from Start’s right-click context menu (WIN + X).

The search icon in the taskbar should no longer unexpectedly flash when closing the Start menu.

[Search]

Made some improvements to help with search indexer thread and memory usage for users with a very high number of indexed items.

Fixed an issue impacting search reliability (where you would type into the search window or Start and nothing would happen) in recent flights.

Made another fix to help address an issue where the search searches flyout could get stuck on the screen in a transparent area.

[File Explorer]

Improved performance of loading Home in File Explorer.

Fixed a scaling issue where the context menu could be an unexpected size when invoking it on systems with mixed DPI monitors.

Addressed an issue where the Show More Options entry in the context menu wasn’t working for items in File Explorer’s navigation pane (for example, if you were to right click on This PC).

Did some work to help reduce the chance you will see “Loading” for app entries in the context menu.

Fixed an issue which was causing the “Open in Windows Terminal” context menu option to be unexpectedly missing for secondary users in some cases.

Opening suggested results shown while entering search terms in File Explorer’s search box should now work as expected.

Mitigated an underlying issue leading to the address bar being inaccessible in certain cases.

Mitigated an issue leading to increased launch time for certain file types in the previous flight.

[Widgets]

We fixed the issue where sometimes when pinning from the Feed, the pinned widget is placed at the top instead of below other pinned widgets.

We fixed the issue where after rearranging widgets in the widgets board, some users experience problems with widgets in the pinned section rendering incorrectly.

[Input]

Fixed an issue preventing several input UI surfaces from displaying following explorer.exe crashes in recent flights – this included the emoji panel, candidate windows, clipboard history, and the touch keyboard.

Mitigated an issue where Narrator was silent when launching the emoji panel in certain cases, for example if the search box wasn’t displayed.

Fixed an issue that was causing custom theme changes in Settings > Personalization > Text input to not save properly sometimes.

Addressed a few more color issues with the touch keyboard, including where after changing from dark to light mode, the touch keyboard might end up with a mix of dark and light.

Updated the touch keyboard button so that pressing it always shows the touch keyboard, rather than hiding it if it’s visible.

Returned the Backspace key to the touch keyboard’s small layout when using Chinese (Traditional).

Improved reliability of launching the touch keyboard on the login screen.

You should be able to use the Japanese IME’s context menu on the login screen to change conversion mode now.

Fixed an issue where the Chinese (Traditional) IMEs were only showing 5 suggested associated phrases when they should have been showing 9.

Fixed an issue where if you’d set a custom background image under Settings > Personalization > Text Input, the preview wouldn’t show how it looked in the candidate window for Chinese (Simplified).

Addressed a rendering issue with the corners of the IME toolbar.

Fixed an issue where the IME toolbar wasn’t hiding and showing correctly when using the previous version of the Japanese IME.

Improved voice typing reliability.

Updated voice typing error message “Voice typing is limited on this app” to be “Some voice typing features might not work in this app”, so it’s a little clearer that basic voice typing will still work.

Fixed an issue causing some voice typing commands not to work, for example “scratch that” (刮除它) in Chinese (Simplified).

Addressed an issue where the setting “Disable Touch while using Pen” under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Pen & Windows Ink would arbitrarily not take effect sometimes on first boot in recent flights.

Fixed an issue causing the Get-InstalledLanguage and Install-Language PowerShell commands to unexpectedly fail with error 0x8007023E for some languages.

[Settings]

If keyboard focus is on the chevron for a collapsible region on a Settings page, for example, the Snap windows section under System > Multitasking, you can now use the left and right arrows to expand and collapse the area.

Fixed an issue impacting reliability of System > Power & Battery.

When using the custom color picker on Personalization > Colors now, it should appear centered in the window frame and not randomly off to the side.

Setting your background image fit to “fit” under Personalization > Background should no longer cause the background image preview to become a solid color.

Addressed another issue that could cause Windows Spotlight to unexpectedly stop updating for a prolonged period of time.

Fixed an issue that was causing the Settings app to crash when going to focus settings.

Fixed an issue that was letting keyboard focus go to elements in the contrast theme previews in Accessibility > Contrast Themes that you couldn’t interact with.

Fixed an issue where leaving the contrast themes editor in Settings by selecting the breadcrumbs would clear the dropdown selection, but the buttons were still acting as if you had a theme selected.

Updated the text description for voice typing under Accessibility > Speech to make more sense when using the Japanese display language.

Addressed an issue that was preventing Quick Settings from launching with its new touch gesture.

Quick Settings will now show the correct icon to represent your audio output device again.

[Windowing]

Mitigated an issue which could lead to explorer.exe crashes when using ALT + Tab.

Fixed an issue where the keyboard focus outline in ALT + Tab sometimes was smaller than the displayed thumbnail.

Addressed an underlying DWM issue which was leading to crashes when using touch gestures from the sides of the screen.

Fixed a DWM crash when rotating the screen.

Mitigated an issue leading to some lag when resizing two apps snapped side by side in certain cases.

Fixed an issue where snap assist could unexpectedly dismiss if the initial window wouldn’t fit into the selected zone size. Now we resize the snap assist regions accordingly when minimum window size of the initial snapped window is larger than the selected zone.

If you invoke Task View with touch, the close buttons should no longer overlap with the window titles.

Hovering your mouse over the tooltip with the Desktop’s name will no longer unexpectedly make the Desktops flyout dismiss.

Using drag and drop to reorder your Desktops via the Desktop flyout should no longer leave a thumbnail of the Desktop you moved stuck on the screen.

[Voice access]

Fixed a crash that was impacting voice access reliability.

Addressed an issue that was preventing voice access’s speech models from downloading correctly.

[Live captions]

Addressed an underlying issue leading to live captions showing a download error, even though the download had actually completed successfully.

Live captions will now remember your chosen settings for position across sessions.

Mitigated an issue where the live captions position changed to floating when entering full screen, but the settings incorrectly showed the last position still.

Removed the live captions notification about audio playing from multiple apps as it was popping up repeatedly during usage.

The border of the live captions window will now match the style of all other borders in contrast themes.

[Narrator]

We fixed the issue that was causing natural voices to break up sporadically in recent builds.

Narrator will now read out the word minutes with the duration times listed in Settings for focus options.

Fixed an issue that was causing Narrator to read dialog buttons incorrectly in scan mode.

[Task Manager]

Removed backplate (colored square) from UWP app icons were displayed in Task Manager.

Mitigated an issue where the one side of the View button did not appear to do anything.

Fixed an issue which was causing the real time update speed to get set to Paused on its own. Please note, if you were impacted by this, you will need to make a one-time change to set the setting back to your preferred update speed after upgrading to this build.

[Other]

Mitigated an issue which was leading to a black (albeit interactable) screen when playing certain full screen games with Auto HDR enabled.

Fixed a memory leak in Connected Devices Platform User Service.

The volume and brightness flyouts you get when using your hardware keys will no longer show a focus window outline on top of them.

If WIN + Alt + K is pressed when a supported app isn’t running, the pop-up text displayed will now say “No supported apps in use for mic mute”, instead of “Mic mute unavailable”, so it’s clearer.

Addressed an issue which was leading to unexpected errors being displayed in Event Viewer when conhost.exe was activated.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the active development branch may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11 that became generally available on October 5th, 2021.

Known issues

[General]

We will not be offering new builds to Windows Insiders in China on Lenovo PCs.

Windows Insiders running Windows 10 who join the Dev or Beta Channels to get the latest builds may encounter a download error code 0xc8000402 while trying to download the latest build. As a workaround, please join the Release Preview Channel first, install Windows 11 from there (Build 22000.xxxx), and then switch to the Dev or Beta Channel to receive the latest Insider Preview build. This issue is understood and will be fixed in an upcoming build.

We’re investigating reports that a few Insiders have been experiencing an issue where explorer.exe is crashing repeatedly in a loop in the latest builds and unable to successfully load. This build includes a mitigation that may help some Insiders who were experiencing this.

When opening Group Policy editor, an Administrative Template error will pop up. Click “Ok” to dismiss and continue using Group Policy editor normally.

Devices using Windows Information Protection (formerly EDP) policies will not be able to access controlled data via protected apps such as Outlook, Word, Microsoft Edge, etc. on this build. It is recommended that users temporarily pause updates under Settings > Windows Update until a new Insider Preview build is released with a fix. If you have installed Build 22593 already, you can roll back to the prior build to restore expected data access.

[Taskbar]

The taskbar doesn’t always automatically collapse after launching an app or tapping outside of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices.

Some areas of the OS are not yet tracking the height of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices so you may see overlapping components.

We’re working on fixing an issue where hovering over some app icons in the system tray isn’t showing previews or tooltips.

[File Explorer]

We’re working on fixing issues regarding icon sizing, visual bugs, and text clipping in the flyout showing OneDrive storage.

Using the right-click option to rename a file in File Explorer will cause explorer.exe to crash. As a workaround, please single-click to highlight the file and use the rename button in the File Explorer command bar to complete the rename process.

[Widgets]

The widgets board may not open successfully when using the gesture from the side of the screen. If you are impacted, please tap the Widgets icon in the taskbar for now instead.

[Network]

We’re investigating reports from the previous flight of internet connectivity issues when certain VPNs are connected.

[Live captions]

Certain apps in full screen (e.g., video players) prevent live captions from being visible.

Certain apps positioned near the top of the screen and closed before live captions is run will re-launch behind the live captions window positioned at top. Use the system menu (ALT + Spacebar) while the app has focus to move the app’s window further down.

The very top of maximized apps (e.g., title bar window management buttons) can’t be reached with touch while live captions is positioned at the top.

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Microsoft have finally announced that tabs are coming to File Explorer in Windows 11. At today’s Hybrid Work event Microsoft’s Panos Panay announce new features coming to Windows 11 and the one that most consumers are looking forward to is a tabbed File Explorer and redesigned home page.

A couple of years ago Microsoft briefly tested Sets in Windows 10 which enable any application to be a tab in Explorer, in this case its just new File Explorer windows that can be tabbed but it’s a welcome new feature to the OS.

Also announced and has been in test with Windows Explorer for the last few weeks are a new home page in Explorer. This features favourites and recent files across the local file system, OneDrive and Sharepoint.

Windows Insiders should be able to test out the new tabbed File Explorer soon.

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Microsoft have just rebranded it’s Android phone companion app from Your Phone to Phone Link and are about to release an update version with a new UI. In this video I look at the new user interface which is based on the Windows 11 style UI. I also show some of the great features in Phone Link like running Android apps on Windows 11, notification syncing and media control.

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Microsoft have announced a renaming of its Your Phone application. The app is going to be known as Phone Link and along with the Android part of the system being renamed Link to Windows. With the app you can run Android apps on Windows 11 (if you have recent Samsung phone or Surface Duo), access your phone’s photos, messages and notifications.

Over the last few months Microsoft have been testing an updated Windows 11 style version of the app with Windows Insiders and this will be rolling out along with the rebrand. There is a new tabbed interface with notifications down the left-hand side and Windows 11 style curved corners.

Go to aka.ms/phonelink for more info.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard, Garry and I talk Brokenwire EV charging, Windows 11 22H2 coming to the Windows Insider beta channel, Okta hacks, Raspberry Pi projects and the Microsoft Graveyard.

Links from this week’s show:

Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22581 to Beta and dev channels
Video: Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22581
How to change Windows Insider Channels in Windows 11
Microsoft releases cumulative update 22581.100 (KB5013283) to Windows 11 on dev and beta channels.
Microsoft releases option update KB5011563 for Windows 11
Microsoft Graveyard – Killed by Microsoft
https://aschmelyun.com/blog/i-built-a-receipt-printer-for-github-issues/
This is my subtitle t-shirt! #Shorts – YouTube

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft have released another servicing pipeline test for Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev and beta channels. KB5013296 takes the build 22581.200 and doesn’t contain any new features.

UPDATE 3/29: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22581.200 (KB5013296). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev and Beta Channels.

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Microsoft has released an optional update (“C” Update) for Windows 11. KB5011563 takes the buld to 22000.593 and was released to the Windows Insiders on the beta channel a couple of weeks ago. The update is optional now and will released as part of patch Tuesday next month.

New! Displays up to three high-priority toast notifications simultaneously. This feature is for apps that send notifications for calls, reminders, or alarms using Windows notifications in the OS. As a result, up to four toast notifications might appear simultaneously–three high-priority notifications and one normal priority notification.

Addresses an issue that turns off auto-startup for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps after you upgrade the OS.

Addresses an issue that causes SystemSettings.exe to stop working.

Addresses an issue that affects searchindexer.exe and prevents Microsoft Outlook’s offline search from returning recent emails.

Addresses an issue that increases the startup time for Windows. This issue occurs because a UI thread in a networking API stops responding when a 5G wireless wide area network (WWAN) device is slow to wake up.

Addresses a memory leak in the wmipicmp.dll module that causes a lot of false alarms in the System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) datacenter monitoring system.

Addresses an issue that incorrectly returns the Execution Policy settings from the registry.

Addresses an issue in which modern browsers fail to correctly render HTML that is generated by gpresult/h.

Addresses an issue that causes an “Access denied” exception for a file during a PowerShell test for AppLocker.

Addresses an issue that causes the Remote Desktop Service (RDS)server to become unstable when the number of signed in users exceeds 100. This prevents you from accessing published applications using RDS on Windows Server 2019.

Addresses an issue that returns an error message when you browse for a domain or organizational unit (OU). This issue occurs because of improper zeroing out of memory.

Addresses an issue that causes the Group Policy Management Console to stop working after you close it. The system logs Application Error Event ID 1000 and the error, 0xc0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION); the failing module is GPOAdmin.dll.

Addresses an issue that might cause the Group Policy Service to stop processing telemetry information for Group Policy Registry Preferences.

Addresses a stop error (0xD1, DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL) in the DirectX kernel component.

Addresses an issue that might cause Kerberos.dll to stop working within the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). This occurs when LSASS processes simultaneous Service for User (S4U) user-to-user (U2U) requests for the same client user.

Addresses an issue that affects the Key Distribution Center (KDC) Proxy. The KDC Proxy cannot properly obtain Kerberos tickets for signing in to Key Trust Windows Hello for Business.

Adds support for Microsoft Account (MSA) Pass-through scenarios in Azure Active Directory(AAD) Web Account Manager (WAM).

Addresses an issue that logs Event ID 37 during certain password change scenarios, including failover cluster name object (CNO) or virtual computer object (VCO) password changes.

Addresses an issue that prevents the User Account Control (UAC) dialog from correctly showing the application that is requesting elevated privileges.

Addresses an issue that might cause a Microsoft OneDrive file to lose focus after you rename it and press the Enter key.

Returns the corresponding Settings page when you search for the word widgets.

Addresses an issue that prevents Event 4739 from displaying the new values of certain attributes after a policy change.

Addresses an issue that causes the Move-ADObject command to fail when you move computer accounts across domains. The error message is, “Multiple values were specified for an attribute that can have only one value”.

Addresses an issue that prevents you from accessing Server Message Block (SMB) shares using an IP Address when SMB hardening is enabled.

Addresses an issue that causes stop error 0x1E in the SMB Server (srv2.sys).

Addresses an issue that causes a mismatch between NetBIOS and DNS Active Directory domain names when you create a cluster.

Via

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Microsoft have released a small update to Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev and beta channels. Both channels are currently running build 22581 and the update (KB5013283) takes the build to 22581.100.

Microsoft say this is for testing the servicing pipeline and doesn’t contain anything new:

UPDATE 3/25: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22581.100 (KB5013283). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev and Beta Channels.

View Details

Microsoft have just released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev and beta channel meaning bother channels are now in sync. This won’t stay like that for long so now is a good time to check your Windows Insider channel settings and make sure your devices are on the right channel for you.

Normally the dev channel gets builds from a more recent branch of Windows development meaning you must wipe your device to switch from dev to beta, but you now have the opportunity to switch between dev and beta.

In this video I show you how to switch Windows Insider channels on Windows 11.

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Welcome to my latest Windows 11 Insider Preview build video. In this video I look at the changes to build 22581 of Window 11 which is the first build from the 22H2 schedule to hit the beta channel. So, at the moment dev and beta are on the same releases so now is a good time to consider which channel you want your devices on.

I also look at the know issues and fixes in build 22581 of Windows 11.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard joins me to talk about the latest Windows 11 build and the new system watermark. We talk about the new Surface webcam, smart home obsolescence tablet modes in Windows and look back at 25 years of Visual Studio.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 March Update released
Video: How to change network locations from public to private in Windows 11
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22579 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel
Video: Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22579
Video: How to free up disk space in Windows 11

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft has released build 22581 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel and also the beta channel. This synchronisation of dev and beta means that Windows Insiders will be able to switch channels from Dev to beta.

With this build the tablet optimised taskbar that rolled out a few weeks ago is now available for insiders on the dev and beta channel (see my video)

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

The other changes are:

Several fixes to taskbar such as the top border line now extending across the entire taskbar will be seen for everyone regardless of device type.

Keyboard focus and mouse hover for Win32 system tray icons and the “Show hidden icons” flyout have been updated to match the rest of the visual style of the taskbar. You may also notice that drag-and-drop is no longer supported to pin/unpin these items — you can show/hide these icons using by right clicking on the taskbar and choosing “Taskbar settings”. We also introduced an optional setting to hide the “show hidden icons” button completely, supporting users who want a simpler taskbar.

Here are the fixes and known issues in build 22581:

Fixes

[Taskbar]

Made a fix for another issue causing taskbar previews to use the wrong fonts for the window title in languages other than English.

Drag and drop to taskbar should now work with auto-hidden taskbars.

When dragging something to pin to the taskbar, the message on the dragged item (for example, displaying an X if it’s not supported) will now have rounded corners.

Mitigated an issue where swiping to collapse the tablet-optimized taskbar might unexpectedly invoke the widgets board.

[Start menu]

Fixed an issue that was sometimes causing the search box in the top of Start to flicker.

Mitigated an underlying issue where if you swiped to open the All apps list, sometimes it would think that you’d tapped one of the letter headers in the All apps list.

Updated the context menu when right clicking a pinned app to say “Move to front” rather than “Move to top”, so it’s clearer what will happen.

[Focus]

A Clock app update (version 11.2202.24.0 and higher) has rolled out that fixes the issue where the Clock app was unable to update the Windows Focus state when configuring focus sessions in the Clock app.

[File Explorer]

Fixed a few cases where icons were missing next to entries in the context menu and command bar (for example, for the Next Desktop Background entry in the context menu if you right click the desktop while using a background slideshow).

Made some small adjustments to some of the icons used in the context menu and command bar, including the copy icon.

Folders whose only content is other folders will now show an icon with a slip of paper to indicate there is content inside the folder instead of an empty folder icon.

Addressed an underlying issue that could cause File Explorer to crash when using the Group By option.

[Input]

Fixed an issue where the conversion option in the Korean IME context menu wasn’t working.

Addressed an issue where the IME toolbar wasn’t showing/hiding correctly if you’d chosen to use the previous version of the Japanese IME.

Improved reliability of showing the touch keyboard on the login screen after tapping the PIN or password field after rebooting or upgrade.

Fixed an issue where some of the text in the touch keyboard was difficult to read when using the “Black and White” text input theme.

Made another fix for the “size and theme” link under Settings > Time & Language > Typing > Touch Keyboard not working.

Mitigated an issue where the touch keyboard was still showing the previous text candidates when you switched to voice typing.

The “Press Enter” and “Press Tab” commands should be working when using voice typing for Chinese (Traditional) now.

Fixed an issue where the 3 or 4 finger touchpad gesture for adjusting your audio volume level wasn’t working with certain paired Bluetooth audio devices.

[Settings]

Changes in Sounds to Program Events (for example, turning certain system sounds off) should persist on upgrade going forward.

Improved visibility of the battery icon in the Bluetooth section of Quick Settings when a contrast mode was enabled.

[Windowing]

If you set keyboard focus to Desktops in Task View, the border shown around the thumbnails will now have rounded corners.

Fixed an issue where hovering over the Task View icon on secondary monitors wouldn’t bring up the Desktops flyout when using the Arabic or Hebrew display language.

Fixed an issue where if you selected one of the Microsoft Edge tabs displayed in snap assist, the window would animate in from the wrong place.

Snap layouts should now minimize properly if you drag a window through the corner of snap layouts.

Fixed an issue where snap layouts would unexpectedly immediately display while dragging a window instead of just showing a hint for Insiders with an Arabic or Hebrew display language.

Addressed an issue where rotating your tablet before the previous screen rotation animation had finished would cause the rotation animation to abruptly cut out.

Mitigated an issue where using the 3-finger touch gesture to minimize all apps quickly could result in windows getting stuck in a shrunken state.

Reduced the size of the area above a notification where clicks weren’t being passed through to the underlying window so it’s the same sized area as the side of the notification.

Mitigated an issue leading to issues dragging the title bar of a maximized window with touch.

Fixed an issue where if the Open or Save dialog was open in an app, and you used ALT + Tab to switch away from the app and then back, keyboard focus might get lost.

[Voice access]

Fixed an issue that was causing voice access to crash when using commands to capitalize text in Office apps.

[Narrator]

Narrator will now correctly tell you if there is an image in table cells in Office apps.

When Narrator is reading with scan mode in Microsoft Edge, it will no longer stop reading when getting to some embedded links and buttons in the middle of text, like on nytimes.com.

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue where tooltips did not accurately display the preferred visual setting when Task Manager is configured for dark mode.

Fixed an issue where Task Manager wasn’t populating the details of the Status column in the Startup Apps page.

[Other]

Fixed an issue that was causing the volume flyout that appears from using your hardware keys to be stuck on screen.

Mitigated an issue that could result in explorer.exe getting stuck and not fully initializing during first login.

Fixed a few more issues impacting explorer.exe reliability.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the active development branch may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11 that became generally available on October 5th, 2021.

Known issues

[General]

[BETA CHANNEL] We will not be offering new builds to Windows Insiders in China on Lenovo PCs in the Beta Channel for the time being.

Windows Insiders running Windows 10 who join the Dev or Beta Channels to get the latest builds may encounter a download error code 0xc8000402 while trying to download the latest build. As a workaround, please join the Release Preview Channel first, install Windows 11 from there (Build 22000.xxxx), and then switch to the Dev or Beta Channel to receive the latest Insider Preview build. This issue is understood and will be fixed in an upcoming build.

[Taskbar]

The taskbar doesn’t always automatically collapse after launching an app or tapping outside of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices.

Some areas of the OS are not yet tracking the height of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices so you may see overlapping components, such as Widgets overlapping with the taskbar.

[File Explorer]

Opening suggested results shown while entering search terms in File Explorer’s search box may not work.

We’re working fixing issues regarding icon sizing, visual bugs, and text clipping in the flyout showing OneDrive storage.

[Widgets]

Sometimes when pinning from the Feed, the pinned widget is placed at the top instead of below other pinned widgets. If this happens this will autocorrect within 30 minutes, moving the recently pinned widget to the expected default location. Or you can sign out of your Widgets board and immediately signing back in should correct the problem.

After rearranging widgets in the widgets board, some users experience problems with widgets in the pinned section rendering incorrectly. If this happens, signing out of your widgets board and immediately signing back in should correct the problem.

The Widgets panel may not load as expected when using the swipe from left edge of screen touch motion. You may launch by clicking the Widgets icon or using the Win + W key combination.

[Narrator]

Natural voices are breaking up sporadically in the latest build. Restart Narrator to resolve the issue.

[Live captions]

Certain apps in full screen (e.g., video players) prevent live captions from being visible.

Certain apps positioned near the top of the screen and closed before live captions is run will re-launch behind the live captions window positioned at top. Use the system menu (ALT + Spacebar) while the app has focus to move the app’s window further down.

The very top of maximized apps (e.g., title bar window management buttons) can’t be reached with touch while live captions is positioned at the top.

Via

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Microsoft have released a small update to Windows 11 build 22579 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. KB5013192 takes the build to 22579.100 and Microsoft say its designed to test the serving pipeline of Windows 11.

UPDATE 3/22: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22579.100 (KB5013192). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev Channel.

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Microsoft has released the March 2022 Update for the original Surface Duo. This time there are no new features in the update but there are device stability improvements and it includes the March 2022 Android security update. The Surface Duo 2 received the same update last week so both Duo and Duo 2 are at the same release levels.

| 2022.113.26 | This update: * Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin—March 2022. * Improves device stability. |

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No matter how big a drive I get on a new PC I tend to always end up filling it. Fortunately, Windows 11 has some great built-in tools to enable you to free up space taken by things like updates and temporary files. In this video I look at the Windows 11 Storage Sense tool and how it can help you recover gigabytes of space and how you can turn on automatic optimisations of the disk clean up tools to save you running out of space in the future.

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In this video I look at some of the changes included in Windows 11 build 22579. This build has new options on the start menu, new touch gestures and lots of fixes. I also look at the fixes and known issues with build 22579 of Windows 11.

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Microsoft have released Windows 11 build 22579 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. This build has the option to exclude USB removable drives from encryption, the ability to name folders on the start menu, new touch input gestures and plenty of fixes.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

My highlights in this build are the new start menu options and new touch gestures:

You can now name folders on the start menu so you can create folders and name them on the start menu. Like you could in Windows 10.

For touch users where is a three finger gesture to switch between recent users windows.

Here is the full list of changes, fixes and known issues in build 22579:

Changes and Improvements

[General]

As some Insiders noticed, along with our updated Print Queue experience, we have also made an update so that win32 apps which use CPrintDialog to display the print dialog will now show our modern print dialog. In addition, the modern print dialog discovers local network printers automatically. If you choose a new printer, it will be installed without you needing to go into Settings. Please file feedback about your printing experiences under Devices and Drivers > Print in the Feedback Hub.
We are reverting the Open With dialog box redesign that began rolling out with Build 22567 to the previous design. We plan to bring this back in the future after addressing some performance issues identified by Windows Insiders. Thank you for your feedback!
To ensure users are still able to quickly access the console if Windows Terminal has been uninstalled, we are updating the WIN + X menu to point to Windows PowerShell. If you have Windows Terminal installed and would like Windows PowerShell to open in Windows Terminal, we recommend going to Settings > Privacy & Security > For Developers, and setting Windows Terminal as your default terminal app.
Magnifier and the on-screen keyboard now have new Fluent-style icons.

[Start menu]

You can now name your folders of apps in Start. To name a folder, simply create a folder (which will have the default name of “Folder”), open it, click on “Edit name”, and type your folder name. Alternatively, use keyboard focus to open the folder then select the text box and start typing.

Folders on Start.

[Get Started app]

We have added pinned site suggestions to the Get Started app so you can conveniently pin websites to your taskbar. To find this new feature, launch the Get Started app and navigate to the “Apps and sites we think you’ll love” page. Click on any of the sites suggested on the page to pin it to your taskbar so you can access the sites you care about in one-click. Please file feedback in the Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Get Started.

Site suggestions in the Get Started app that you can pin to your taskbar.

Note: This experience recommends popular sites and is currently only available to EN-US devices. Personalized site recommendations and other locales will be supported soon.

[Windowing]

Continuing our effort to update multi-finger touch gestures to include responsive and delightful animations that follow your finger, try out using three fingers to swipe left and right and switch between recently used windows.

Swipe with 3 fingers left and right to switch between recently used windows.

[Task Manager]

Based on feedback, the Run New Task button is now available on all pages of Task Manager.
Updated the icon for Run New Task.

[Input]

To help improve discoverability, emoji that can be personalized (such as the family emoji) now display a small accent colored dot in the bottom corner of their entries in the emoji panel.
Removed the Keyboard Layout section from Quick Settings.

Fixes

[General]

Addressed an issue which was causing Gaming Services to not work in the previous flight, leading to issues launching and installing some games.
Fixed a few high hitting explorer.exe crashes impacting recent flights during general usage of Windows.
Fixed a bug for Windows Insiders trying to upgrade directly from Windows 10 to recent Windows 11 Dev Channel builds.

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar is enabled on your device, which is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

It’s no longer necessary to swipe twice from the tablet-optimized taskbar to show Start or Quick Settings – once the taskbar is fully expanded, these will display with a continued swipe upwards.
Addressed an issue where using the swipe gesture to invoke the Start menu might bring it up on the wrong screen if an external monitor was connected.
Notifications will no longer overlap with the tablet-optimized taskbar.
Fixed an issue where if you invoked Task View the Desktops area might not render completely.
Middle clicking an app icon to launch a new instance of that app should work again now.

[Start menu]

Fixed an issue where Start’s folders were still showing animations even if you had animation effects disabled.
Mitigated an issue that was causing Start’s pinned and folders layouts to get reset to default after explorer.exe restarts.
Addressed an underlying issue leading to a transparent line along the side of the Start menu when changing your display’s scale.

[Focus]

You’ll now see the same breaks in focus sessions over 30 minutes started from the Notification Center as you would in sessions started from the Clock app.
If Do not disturb is turned on prior to starting a focus session, stopping the focus session will no longer turn off Do not disturb.
If you turn on a focus session, it will not be reset if you have to log out or reboot now.
Fixed an issue causing your keyboard focus to unexpectedly move to the top of Notification Center when ending a focus session below the calendar.
Fixed an issue that was preventing you from adding apps to the Settings > System > Notifications > Set priority notifications

[Input]

Fixed an issue where the enraged face emoji wasn’t searchable in Turkish using the word angry (kızgın). Please continue giving feedback about the emoji search results under Input and Language > Emoji Panel in the Feedback Hub!
Addressed an issue where the Japanese IME was unexpectedly switching to Katakana mode when focus was set to the UAC dialog.
Mitigated an issue recently where if you removed a third party IME from that language in Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region and didn’t uninstall it, it might still show in the input switcher.
Fixed an issue which was causing the mouse to be invisible in fields of certain apps, as well as some unexpected cursor related app crashes in recent flights.
Addressed an issue where the gesture for bringing in the Notification Center from the side of the screen wasn’t working for the Arabic or Hebrew display languages.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue for the header at the top of Network & Internet, where the chevron was backwards for Arabic and Hebrew display languages.

[Windowing]

If transparency is off under Settings > Personalization > Colors, the background of ALT + Tab will no longer be transparent.
If you drag a window to the top of the screen and then drag it back down, the dismiss animation for snap layouts will display more consistently now.
Made a small adjustment to fix an animation glitch when invoking snap layouts at the top of the screen.
Fixed an explorer.exe crash which was happening when dragging certain windows across snap layouts at the top of the screen.
Mitigated an issue which was causing Task View to appear unresponsive if you invoked Task View while snap assist was showing on screen.
Did some work to address an issue where ALT + Tab might get stuck open if you invoked it via a very quick gesture on your touchpad.
Fixed an explorer.exe crash that could happen when an app goes in and out of full screen mode.

[Network]

Mitigated an issue leading to cellular connections not working on certain devices in the last few builds.
Addressed an issue leading to Wi-Fi speed degradation in the previous flight.

[Voice access]

Fixed an issue that was causing the voice access banner to block the top row of desktop icons or the top of full-screen applications.

[Live captions]

Live captions will now show across your Desktops.
The “floating on screen” window position will now correctly show as selected in the settings flyout if the live captions window was forced to float (for example when using a full screen app).
The maximum height of the live captions window is now capped at 40% of monitor height.
Live captions will no longer crash upon shrinking a max height live captions window.
Toggling mono audio will no longer crash live captions.

[Narrator]

Fixed an issue with how Narrator read out collapsed sections in Settings > Accessibility > Narrator when navigating using Shift + Tab.

[Task Manager]

Fixed a few high hitting Task Manager crashes.
Fixed an issue where if focus was inside the Details page and you started typing, focus would stop moving through the processes list after the first letter.
If you’re using the Performance page in Summary view, the title bar of Task Manager will now be hidden.

[Other]

The percentage on the volume flyout that shows when using your hardware keys will now be centered in the design consistently.
Improved how keyboard focus and navigation works when moving through and closing the accessibility options on the Lock screen.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the active development branch may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11 that became generally available on October 5th, 2021.

Known issues

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

The taskbar doesn’t always automatically collapse after launching an app or tapping outside of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices.
Some areas of the OS are not yet tracking the height of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices so you may see overlapping components, such as Widgets overlapping with the taskbar.

[File Explorer]

Opening suggested results shown while entering search terms in File Explorer’s search box may not work.
We’re working fixing issues regarding icon sizing, visual bugs, and text clipping in the flyout showing OneDrive storage.

[Widgets]

Sometimes when pinning from the Feed, the pinned widget is placed at the top instead of below other pinned widgets. If this happens this will autocorrect within 30 minutes, moving the recently pinned widget to the expected default location. Or you can sign out of your Widgets board and immediately signing back in should correct the problem.
After rearranging widgets in the widgets board, some users experience problems with widgets in the pinned section rendering incorrectly. If this happens, signing out of your widgets board and immediately signing back in should correct the problem.

[Focus]

The Clock app does not yet update Windows Focus state when configuring focus sessions within the app. This will be addressed in a future app update.

[Narrator]

Natural voices are breaking up sporadically in the latest build. Restart Narrator to resolve the issue.

[Live captions]

Certain apps in full screen (e.g., video players) prevent live captions from being visible.
Certain apps positioned near the top of the screen and closed before live captions is run will re-launch behind the live captions window positioned at top. Use the system menu (ALT + Spacebar) while the app has focus to move the app’s window further down.
The very top of maximized apps (e.g., title bar window management buttons) can’t be reached with touch while live captions is positioned at the top.

[Task Manager]

Some tooltips do not accurately display the preferred visual setting when Task Manager is configured for dark mode.

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Windows 11 has two set of security configurations for networks: public and private. What is the difference and how do you change it? In this post and video, I explain the differences and how you can switch between them on a wired or wireless connection in Windows 11.

Windows 11 Private Network

A private network is for when your PC is on network that is your home or a private office where you know what devices are on the network and who is using them. So that would be your PC, your phones and maybe Xbox and your family devices.

When Windows on a private network it enables things like printer sharing, the ability to browse the network for other PCs, media servers wireless speakers.

Windows 11 Public Network

Public networks are places like cafe Wi-Fi and airport Wi-Fi. You don’t know what devices are on the network or who is using them. So, you don’t want your PC open for anyone to scan and try and access. In the background Windows 10 turns on the Windows firewall and stops other machines access your device.

Switch from Public to Private

Go to Settings and then Network & internet

Click on the Properties link and then select Public or Private

In this video I show you how to switch between Public and Private in Windows 11 for wired and wireless networks:

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Microsoft have released the March 2022 Update for the Surface Duo 2. This month there are no new features and the 219MB update just has the March 2022 Android Security Bulletin.

| 2022.106.38 | This update:* Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin—March 2022. |

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Garry, Richard and I talk updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11. We talk about the potential of adverts in Windows Explorer, look back at Windows Live Mesh, I brick a Surface Duo and lots more!

Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 22000.588 to Beta and Release Preview Channels
Video: My first few weeks with the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Microsoft releases KB5012886 (22572.101) for Windows Insiders on the dev channel
Windows 10 Build 19044.1618 hits the Release Preview Channel
How to stream music from an Android phone to Windows 11
Microsoft releases KB5012817 (22572.100) for Windows Insiders on the dev channel
Fancy Windows 11 on a Surface Duo? Well now you can
How enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 and start using virtual machines
Video: Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22572
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22572

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft have released an update to Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the beta and release preview channels. Currently both channels are getting the same builds and KB5011563 takes the build to 22000.588. The update has a few minor changes and a lot of fixes to the OS.

Here are the changes and fixes with build 22000.588

New! We displayed up to three high priority toast notifications simultaneously. This feature is for apps that send notifications for calls, reminders, or alarms using Windows notifications in the OS. As a result, up to four toast notifications might appear simultaneously–three high priority notifications and one normal priority notification.

We fixed an issue that turns off auto-startup for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps after you upgrade the OS.

We fixed an issue that causes SystemSettings.exe to stop working.

We fixed an issue that affects searchindexer.exe and prevents Microsoft Outlook’s offline search from returning recent emails.

We fixed an issue that increases the startup time for Windows. This issue occurs because a UI thread in a networking API stops responding when a 5G wireless wide area network (WWAN) device is slow to wake up.

We fixed a memory leak in the wmipicmp.dll module that causes a lot of false alarms in the System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) datacenter monitoring system.

We fixed an issue that incorrectly returns the Execution Policy settings from the registry.

We fixed an issue in which modern browsers fail to correctly render HTML that is generated by gpresult/h.

We fixed an issue that causes an “Access denied” exception for a file during a PowerShell test for AppLocker.

We fixed an issue that causes the Remote Desktop Service (RDS)server to become unstable when the number of signed in users exceeds 100. This prevents you from accessing published applications using RDS on Windows Server 2019.

We fixed an issue that returns an error message when you browse for a domain or organizational unit (OU). This issue occurs because of improper zeroing out of memory.

We fixed an issue that causes the Group Policy Management Console to stop working after you close it. The system logs Application Error Event ID 1000 and the error, 0xc0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION); the failing module is GPOAdmin.dll.

We fixed an issue that might cause the Group Policy Service to stop processing telemetry information for Group Policy Registry Preferences.

We fixed a stop error (0xD1, DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL) in the DirectX kernel component.

We fixed an issue that might cause Kerberos.dll to stop working within the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). This occurs when LSASS processes simultaneous Service for User (S4U) user-to-user (U2U) requests for the same client user.

We fixed an issue that affects the Key Distribution Center (KDC) Proxy. The KDC Proxy cannot properly obtain Kerberos tickets for signing in to Key Trust Windows Hello for Business.

We added support for Microsoft Account (MSA) Pass-through scenarios in Azure Active Directory(AAD) Web Account Manager (WAM).

We fixed an issue that logs Event ID 37 during certain password change scenarios, including failover cluster name object (CNO) or virtual computer object (VCO) password changes.

We fixed an issue that prevents the User Account Control (UAC) dialog from correctly showing the application that is requesting elevated privileges.

We fixed an issue that might cause a Microsoft OneDrive file to lose focus after you rename it and press the Enter key.

We returned the corresponding Settings page when you search for the word widgets.

We fixed an issue that prevents Event 4739 from displaying the new values of certain attributes after a policy change.

We fixed an issue that causes the Move-ADObject command to fail when you move computer accounts across domains. The error message is, “Multiple values were specified for an attribute that can have only one value”.

We fixed an issue that prevents you from accessing Server Message Block (SMB) shares using an IP Address when SMB hardening is enabled.

We fixed an issue that causes stop error 0x1E in the SMB Server (srv2.sys).

We fixed an issue that causes a mismatch between NetBIOS and DNS Active Directory domain names when you create a cluster.

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A few weeks ago I finally received my Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and I record an unboxing video. Having used the device for a few weeks I thought I would record a new video documenting how I am getting on with the Surface Laptop Studio.

In the video I am going to look at the design, screen, keyboard, trackpad and using the device over the last few weeks.

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Microsoft have released another cumulative update for build 22572 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. The update follows last week 22572.100 release and once again for Microsoft to test the servicing pipeline.

UPDATE 3/14: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22572.201 (KB5012886). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev Channel.

Here is my hands on video:

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It’s been a while since we talk Windows 10 but today we have a new build of Windows 10 for Windows Insiders on the release preview channel. KB5011543 takes the build to 19044.1618 and includes a number of fixes and a couple of new features.

Microsoft are introducing a new search screen for Windows 10 which includes trending searches and other content. Microsoft are slowly rolling out the new features to Window 10 and Windows 11.

The other changes are colour opiotns and a new group policy.

Here are the changes and fixes with build 19044.1618:

Improvements and Fixes

This update includes the following improvements:

New! We provided the ability to change the color of toast buttons to identify success and critical scenarios more easily for apps that send notifications using Windows notifications in the OS. This feature also makes notifications more visually compact.

New! We added a new policy that expands an app’s top three notifications by default in the Action Center for apps that send notifications using Windows notifications in the OS. This feature displays multiple notifications that you can interact with simultaneously.

We fixed an issue that causes searchindexer.exe to stop responding during a dismount operation in the Remote Desktop setup environment.

We fixed an issue that affects searchindexer.exe and prevents Microsoft Outlook’s offline search from returning recent emails.

We fixed an issue that might deactivate Windows when you change the National Language Support (NLS) version from 6.3 to 6.2.

We fixed an issue in which modern browsers fail to correctly render HTML that is generated by gpresult/h.

We fixed an issue that causes an “Access denied” exception for a file during a PowerShell test for AppLocker.

We fixed an issue that might cause the Group Policy Service to stop processing telemetry information for Group Policy Registry Preferences.

We fixed an issue that might prevent a DNS Server query resolution policy from working as expected when you specify a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and subnet conditions.

We fixed a heap leak in PacRequestorEnforcement that degrades the performance of a domain controller.

We fixed an issue that affects the Key Distribution Center (KDC) Proxy. The KDC Proxy cannot properly obtain Kerberos tickets for signing in to Key Trust Windows Hello for Business.

We added support for Microsoft Account (MSA) Pass-through scenarios in Azure Active Directory (AAD) Web Account Manager (WAM).

We fixed an issue that logs Event ID 37 during certain password change scenarios, including failover cluster name object (CNO) or virtual computer object (VCO) password changes.

We fixed an issue that might unintentionally add a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) protector when you use the Silent BitLocker enablement policy.

We fixed an issue that prevents the User Account Control (UAC) dialog from correctly showing the application that is requesting elevated privileges.

We fixed an issue that causes the Move-ADObject command to fail when you move computer accounts across domains. The error message is, “Multiple values were specified for an attribute that can have only one value”.

We fixed an issue that prevents Event 4739 from displaying the new values of certain attributes after a policy change.

We fixed an issue that prevents Android device users from signing in to some Microsoft applications, such as Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Teams. This issue occurs after rolling over token signing and decrypting certificates, resetting a user’s password, or when an administrator has revoked refresh tokens.

We fixed an issue that might cause domain joining to fail in environments that use disjoint DNS hostnames.

We fixed an issue that prevents the Back button of the credentials window, where you sign in, from being visible in high contrast black mode.

We fixed an issue that prevents you from accessing Server Message Block (SMB) shares using an IP Address when SMB hardening is enabled.

We fixed an issue that occurs when the Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) values for SMB have not been updated for more recent platforms.

We fixed an issue that causes stop error 0x1E in the SMB Server (srv2.sys).

We fixed an issue that causes a mismatch between NetBIOS and DNS Active Directory domain names when you create a cluster.

We fixed an issue that causes the Network File System (NFS) redirector to stop working (error 0x50) when you convert a text file to a PDF.

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With Windows 11 you can stream audio from a Bluetooth device like an Android phone to your PC. You could stream music or podcasts directly from your phone to your PC and play it back via your PC’s speaker or headphone. It simple to get working and in this video I show you step by step.

To get started you will need a Bluetooth audio receiver app which you can get for free from the Microsoft Store.

The next step is to pair your phone to your PC via Bluetooth. Go to Settings / Devices and add a Bluetooth device. From your phone add your PC via Bluetooth.

Once you have paired up your phone and PC you can open the Bluetooth Audio Receiver app and you should see your phone. Click on it to open the connection.

You will then be able to stream from your phone to your PC. You can click on Close to disconnect your phone from your PC.

Here is my step-by-step guide on how to stream music from an Android phone to Windows 11

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Microsoft have released a cumulative update for build 22572 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. KB5012817 takes the build to 22572.100 and is for Microsoft to test their servicing pipeline, so that means there isn’t anything new in the update.

UPDATE 3/11: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22572.100 (KB5012817). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev Channel.

Build22572 was released to Windows Insiders last week and contains many fixes. Here is my hands on video:

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I love my Surface Duo but how about running Windows 11 on it? The developer behind one of the tools I used to get Windows 11 onto a Lumia 950XL has come up with a tool and guide to enable you to install Windows 11 on a Surface Dou.

The guide enables you to dual boot the Surface Duo between Windows 11 and Android so you get the best of both worlds. It wipes your device completely and you have to get your own ARM64 Windows build but they all the drivers and boot images you need. It’s an early preview but fun to try.

There are lot of steps and its not for the faint hearted but if you have spare Surface Duo its worth giving it a try. I just happen to have a spare Duo so guess what I am going to be doing with it!

Head over to github for the full details.

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In this video I am going to show you how to set up Hyper-V on Windows 11. Hyper-V is a great tool for trying out operating systems, and with Windows 11 Pro you can run virtual machines and get started with Hyper-V.

Hyper-V is a component of Windows 11 Pro but not enabled by default.

Enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 To enable the Hyper-V go to Settings, Apps, Optional features.

Click on More Windows features which will bring up the Turn Windows Features on off Off dialog

Tick the Hyper-V option and make sure Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform options are checked.

Click OK and Windows 11 will start to install the components.

After a reboot Hyper-V will be installed on your Windows 11 machine. You can then go to search and type Hyper-V and you should see the Hyper-V management tool.

Now you can start creating your virtual machines. If you want to try something old school how about running Windows NT 3.51 on Windows 11? Checkout my guide to running old versions of Windows on Hyper-V.

Here is my video guide to enabling Hyper-V in Windows 11

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In this video I look at the changes to Windows 11 in build 22572. Released yesterday for Window Insiders on the dev channel the build sees some changes in the inbox apps, UI changes and a lot of fixes. I also examine the known issues with build 22572.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! Garry comes live from a charging station in Peterborough where he talks EV charging. We talk Windows Insider builds, new Macs and iPhones. We talk Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Dial, Powertoys and lots more.

Video: Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22567
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22567
How to fix Surface Dial customisation problems in Windows 11
Microsoft PowerToys 0.56.1 released with more FancyZones and new ways to find your mouse
Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 updated for Windows Insiders

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft have released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 22572 has new inbox apps, bug fixes and a new search feature.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

Included as an inbox application is Microsoft Family and Clipchamp. Microsoft Family will be included in the Home edition and is for managing parental controls within Windows, Xbox and Edge. Clipchamp Microsoft’s video clip creating app.

Rolling out next week is a update to Search that highlights moments in time:

Starting early next week, we will begin rolling out an update for Search in Windows 11 that highlights interesting moments in time. Search is right there on your taskbar—your window to discover what’s trending online, in the world, and in your organization. Of course, you can still type to start searching for your apps, files, settings, and quick answers on the web.

The search box in Start and Search will periodically update with content, including fun illustrations, that help you discover more, be connected, and stay productive. These hints in the search box give you a sneak peek into what to expect in search home.

Search highlights will present notable and interesting moments—like holidays, anniversaries, and other educational moments in time both globally and in your region. You’ll find rich, bold content in search home that highlights what’s special about today.

The new feature will start rolling out next week.

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues with build 22572:

Changes and Improvements

[General]

The new Print Queue has an updated design to align with Windows 11 design principles, allow you to easily identify your desired print job, see the status, and manage it. The feature is designed with simplicity in mind, and to allow you better access to your print jobs. To get started, just click print and watch the Print Queue pop up.

A print job showing in the new Print Queue in dark theme.

Quick Assist now has a new Fluent-style icon.

The new Fluent-style Quick Assist icon.

[Focus]

Building off the Focus changes announced in Build 22557, we have updated the icon for Notification Center when do not disturb is set to on.

Updated icon for Notification Center when do not disturb is on.

[File Explorer]

Shift + Right-clicking in File Explorer and the Desktop will now open the “Show more options” context menu.

[Narrator]

Narrator natural voices are now available for all English languages.

[Terminal]

Windows Terminal is now called Terminal under Start.

[Settings]

WMIC is now available as an optional feature that can be uninstalled or reinstalled via Settings > Apps > Optional Features.
Switched the touch keyboard icon option under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar from being a toggle to now being a dropdown where you can select Never, Always, or When no keyboard attached.

[Windows Sandbox]

Windows Sandbox now has a new Fluent-style icon.

New Fluent-style icon for Windows Sandbox.

[Other]

The legacy version of Windows Media Player available in Windows Tools has been renamed to Windows Media Player Legacy.

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an issue for Enterprise edition devices going through the setup experience (OOBE) where the network add screen was skipped on the first attempt.
Addressed an issue which was causing some Insiders to see a bugcheck with a CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED error in the previous build while attempting to do various things including logging in, opening Outlook, and accessing network shares in File Explorer.
Mitigated an underlying issue that was leading to audio stutters and touchpad issues in the previous flight.
Addressed an explorer.exe crash Insiders were seeing in recent builds when attempting to use Windows Mixed Reality.
Fixed an issue with scroll bars not rendering appropriately on some Win32 applications.
Fixed another issue where users weren’t hearing the startup sound.
Images should no longer be backwards when using a lock screen slideshow with an Arabic or Hebrew display language.

[Taskbar]

We fixed the issue that was causing explorer.exe to crash if you right clicked on the Start button or used WIN + X.
Mitigated an explorer.exe hang that could happen in the last few flights related to the visual indicator in the taskbar when sharing a window in Microsoft Teams.
Adjusted the sensitivity so quickly sliding your mouse across the widgets icon on the path to an open flyout or menu will no longer make it dismiss.
Made a change to help address a memory leak in Shell Experience Host when repeatedly opening and closing the Notification Center.
Addressed a scenario where the Notification Center might not light dismiss if it was opened on top of certain apps.
Fixed an underlying issue when the display scaling was greater than 100% which was causing drag and drop in the taskbar to unexpectedly show that it wasn’t available.

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar is enabled on your device, which is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

Touch gestures are restored on all device types, as we resolved the issue that broke several of the new touch gestures announced as part of Build 22557 on non-tablet devices.
Improved reliability of taskbar auto-collapsing after launching an app.
Fixed several bugs related to the taskbar state change when disconnecting or reconnecting your keyboard.
Addressed positioning issues with the hidden icons button and flyout when using the Arabic or Hebrew display language.

[Start menu]

Improved how the “Pinned” header name is rendered in the Arabic display language.

[File Explorer]

Made some more improvements to help with context menu invocation performance.
Using the Filter option in Quick Access should work for images now.
Fixed an underlying issue causing the title bar in File Explorer when colored to not visually occupy the full area it was supposed if you maximized the File Explorer window.
Fixed an issue where if you had a folder selected in the navigation pane and right clicked another folder, options like Open in Windows Terminal would unexpectedly open the first folder.
“Pin to Quick Access” is now available in the command bar when a file in Recent Files in Quick Access is selected.

[Input]

Mitigated an issue where clicking hyperlinks in RichTextBlocks wasn’t working when performed with touch or pen.
Addressed an issue where custom mouse pointers might revert to the default Windows one after rebooting.
Fixed an issue where voice typing might display “there is a connection issue” when that wasn’t the cause of the error.
Addressed an issue where voice typing might not launch after unlocking your PC.
Fixed a touch keyboard crash that could happen on the login screen when there were multiple accounts on the PC.
Mitigated an issue impacting pen sensitivity in recent flights.
Fixed a rendering issue causing the screen to have small freezes in recent flights when trying to ink in certain apps.
Made some refinements to help improve detection of the pinch to zoom gesture on touchpads.
Addressed an issue leading to IME toolbar options being unresponsive in some cases for the Chinese (Simplified) IMEs.

[Search]

Did some work to address a high hitting search crash.

[Settings]

Fixed an issue causing a hang when trying to access Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors.
Addressed an issue where font previews under Personalization > Fonts might not be visible when a contrast mode was enabled.
Improved performance when switching between the different available views on Apps > Installed apps.
Uninstalling an update via Windows Update > Update History > Uninstall Updates should show a confirmation now before it proceeds.

[Windowing]

An acrylic area should no longer get stuck on the screen if you press WIN + D while interacting with snap layouts at the top of the screen.
Fixed an issue where if you used snap assist to snap a window that had been minimized, it might not fill the entire available space.
Fixed a few animation stutters when using 3-finger on screen gestures.
Addressed an explorer.exe crash that could happen if you attempted to use 3-finger on screen gestures while no windows were visible on screen.
Addressed an underlying issue which could impact the animations and performance when invoking Task View.
Mitigated an underlying issue which was causing you to unexpectedly see an X when attempting to rearrange Desktops in Task View in certain scenarios.
Tweaked the logic to help further reduce the number of sounds heard when connecting and disconnecting monitors and docks.
Mitigated a recent issue where windows for minimized apps weren’t launching on the expected monitor upon undocking and redocking.
The title bar should no longer peek out onto secondary monitors when maximizing certain apps.
Fixed an issue which was causing certain windows to show an unexpected white rectangle poking out from underneath, spanning the top of the window.
Updated the new full screen gripper for edge gestures to use acrylic.

[Narrator]

Fixed an issue preventing Narrator from reading in the Run dialog correctly in scan mode.
Narrator in scan mode will now read error messages in the Error List correctly in Visual Studio.
Errors while setting up a PIN in device setup (OOBE) will now be read out by Narrator.
Pitch range for Narrator natural voices has been adjusted to provide more levels of control.
Addressed an underlying issue which was leading to the pitch not changing when adjust Narrator’s speed in the 0 to 5 and 15 to 20 ranges in Narrator settings.

[Task Manager]

Improved visibility of content when a contrast mode is enabled.
Fixed an issue where critical system processes were unexpectedly displaying as background processes.
Addressed an issue that was causing random rows in the processes list to be unexpectedly written in black text when using dark mode.
Right clicking the Task Manager icon in the system tray should now actually show the context menu rather than a blank box.
Pressing Esc should no longer unexpectedly close Task Manager.

Known issues

[General]

Users running Windows 10 who try to upgrade directly to build 22563 or higher in the Dev Channel may encounter an install failure with error code 0x8007007f. To bypass, please join the Beta Channel, install the offered Windows 11 build there, and then switch to the Dev Channel to receive the current Dev Channel update. This issue is understood and will be fixed in an upcoming build.

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

The taskbar doesn’t always automatically collapse after launching an app or tapping outside of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices.
Some areas of the OS are not yet tracking the height of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices so you may see overlapping components, such as Widgets overlapping with the taskbar.

[File Explorer]

Opening suggested results shown while entering search terms in File Explorer’s search box may not work.
We’re working fixing issues regarding icon sizing, visual bugs, and text clipping in the flyout showing OneDrive storage.

[Widgets]

Sometimes when pinning from the Feed, the pinned widget is placed at the top instead of below other pinned widgets. If this happens this will autocorrect within 30 minutes, moving the recently pinned widget to the expected default location. Or you can sign out of your Widgets board and immediately signing back in should correct the problem.
After rearranging widgets in the widgets board, some users experience problems with widgets in the pinned section rendering incorrectly. If this happens, signing out of your widgets board and immediately signing back in should correct the problem.

[Focus]

The Clock app does not yet update Windows Focus state when configuring focus sessions within the app. This will be addressed in a future app update.

[Narrator]

Narrator natural voices sounds garbled and will not read out text accurately. This happens when doing quick navigation, typing or pitch changes. As a workaround, you can switch back to the older voices such as Microsoft David, Mark or Zira.

[Live captions]

Certain apps in full screen (e.g., video players) prevent live captions from being visible.
Certain apps positioned near the top of the screen and closed before live captions is run will re-launch behind the live captions window positioned at top. Use the system menu (ALT + Spacebar) while the app has focus to move the app’s window further down.
The very top of maximized apps (e.g., title bar window management buttons) can’t be reached with touch while live captions is positioned at the top.

[Task Manager]

Some tooltips do not accurately display the preferred visual setting when Task Manager is configured for dark mode.

Via

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Microsoft have updated the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11. The update is available for Windows Insiders on the dev, beta and release preview channels. With this update improves video playback, network integration and Windows Integration.

The update adds H.264 hardware decoding for the Android subsystem so video playback should be improved.

Here are the main changes:

What’s New

H.264 Video Hardware Decoding

This update allows Windows Subsystem for Android to take advantage of hardware accelerated H.264 decoding. This should enable a better experience on several apps in the current app catalog that take advantage of high-definition video playback.

Networking Changes

With this update comes networking changes in the platform to enable future improvements. To help us improve networking features in Windows Subsystem for Android, we encourage Insiders to file feedback for any network issues encountered in supported apps.

Mail Integration

We’ve made improvements to Windows integration with Windows Subsystem for Android! In this update, the integration between Windows email clients and mobile apps has been improved. Apps that take advantage of launching a mail client or message should benefit from this change immediately.

MSAA (Multisample anti-aliasing) Changes

While MSAA is a useful feature for several game apps, users were reporting that 4X MSAA could not be disabled. We were previously force-enabling anti-aliasing, which has now been fixed.

Improvements to Input

We’ve made improvements to general input in Windows Subsystem for Android, including improved scrolling in the Amazon Appstore and Kindle apps.

There are some known issues with the Android subsystem.

Video playback in some apps may be choppy on certain systems.

Coming out of connected standby, apps may be restarted.

Via

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Over the last few weeks Microsoft have been testing tablet and touch improvements to Windows 11 via the Windows Insider Program. On a device like the Surface Go the change are a significant improvement, there is a change in the taskbar and start menu as well as new gestures.

In this video I demonstrate the changes that will be rolling out to Window 11 for tablet users later this year.

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The Raspberry Pi is a fantastic low-cost computer that can be used on a massive range of projects from home automation, robot control up to firewalls or just for learning computing. It comes with a version of Linux designed for the Raspberry Pi but did you know you can run Windows 11 on it?

While the Pi is designed for Linux you can run Windows on it. There are a few things you need to get Windows 11 running on a Raspberry Pi and it is not supported in any way by Microsoft or licenced but it’s a fun project to try. The Raspberry Pi has an ARM processor so you will need a version of Windows 11 for ARM. (Jump to the bottom of the post for the video guide).

For my project I am using a Raspberry Pi 400 (which based on Pi 4) with a 256GB m.2 SSD drive to store the system on.

Step 1 – Get an ISO of Windows 11 for ARM You can’t directly download an ISO of Windows 11 for ARM from Microsoft but there is a great site that enables you to build an ISO from publicly available files from Microsoft.

Head to uupdump.net and click on the arm64 version of the latest beta channel build

Click on the Windows 11 Insider Preview build

Click on Next and then pick on the version. I use the home version

Click on Next and then choose the Download and convert to ISO and include updates

That will download a small script to you machine. Extract the zip file and run the cmd file, that will download and create the ISO of Windows 11.

You may have to click More info on the Microsoft Defender Smartscreen protection.

After the script has downloaded all the components it creates an ISO of Windows 11.

Double click on the ISO and then it will mount the file in Windows, in the sources folder is the ESD file you need later in the process.

Step 2 – Deploy to an SSD drive The next step is to deploy the image to an SSD drive. I have a 256gb m.2 SSD drive which I am using for the Raspberry Pi you will need something similar. Minimum of 32GB for Windows 11. Plug the drive into your Windows 11.

Download an app called Deployer from the Microsoft Store.

Run the app and click on your model of Raspberry Pi (the Pi 400 is the same as a Pi 4).

Chose the standard type of deployment and then browse for the install.wim which is on the ISO you downloaded in step 1. When you double click on the ISO file it mounts the image as a drive on your system so look for that drive and go to the sources folder.

Next pick your USB drive to install Windows 11 to (make sure you do not pick your system drive as you would wipe your PC!).

Click Deploy and it will start the process. Once complete you can remove the USB drive from your PC.

Step 3 – Start up Windows 11 on the Raspberry Pi

Put your USB drive with Windows 11 into your Raspberry Pi and then start up your Pi.

Windows 11 will then complete the installation of the OS and eventually you will get the standard Windows 11 out of box experiences. Complete this and Windows 11 will be running on your Raspberry Pi.

Windows 11 is not particularly fast, part of that is down to my device only having 3GB of RAM and a basic VGA driver. You don’t get many of the curved edges on windows like you would on the standard Windows device, its not licenced and not supported so you can’t use it in productions but its fun to try. Edge works well and you can even get Office working on it.

Step by step video guide to installing Windows 11 on a Raspberry Pi Here is my step by step video guide on how to install Windows 11 on a Raspberry Pi

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In this video I look at the changes, improvements, and fixes to build 22567 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. This build has new touch inputs for tablet users, power efficient Windows Updates and a new Open With UI. I also look at the known issues and fixes with the new build.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! Garry talks about his new EV which has finally arrived, and I talk about my first impressions of the Surface Laptop Studio. We look at the new tablet features in Windows 11 dev channel, Surface Duo news and lots more.

How to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 February Update released
Microsoft release the February update for the Surface Duo
Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22563 including new tablet UI
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22563
Video: Unboxing and first impressions of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Windows Insiders on the dev channel have a new build of Windows 11 to try out today. Build 22567 has new dialogs, smart app control and improved Microsoft 365 subscription management.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

With build 22567 Microsoft say they are leveraging more renewable energy by scheduling Windows 11 updates when clean energy sources are available.

This feature will only be enabled when your PC is plugged-in and regional carbon intensity data is available from our partners electricityMap or WattTime. If enabled, users will see the text shown below on the Windows Update settings page.

In this build Microsoft 365 subscription management has been moved to Settings – Accounts and added payment details within the accounts page.

Smart App Control Smart App Control is a new feature that blocks untrusted or potentially dangerous applications. This works with clean installs and Microsoft say it learns how it can help you. Microsoft say they will share more information in the future.

Open With

The Open With dialog box has been given a Windows 11 look and a single click to set the default app.

Here are the other changes, fixes and known issues with Windows 11 build 22567:

[Start menu]

When you hover one pinned app icon over another, there will now be a small animation to hint that this will create a folder.

[Windowing]

We’re updating multi-finger touch gestures to include responsive and delightful animations that follow your finger.

Use three fingers to swipe down and minimize all windows. Swipe up with three fingers to bring your windows back.

[Voice typing]

The ability for voice typing to download Speech Packs from the Microsoft Store for device-based speech recognition to provide a better performance of transcription is now available for all Insiders in the Dev Channel. This began rolling out with Build 22538.

The ability for you to choose which microphone to use in voice typing if you have multiple microphones connected to your PC is now available for all Insiders in the Dev Channel. This began rolling out with Build 22557.

The following new commands in voice typing are now available for all Insiders in the Dev Channel. This began rolling out with Build 22557.

Say this

| To insert this | | Enter | “Press Enter” | Backspace | “Pres Backspace”, “Backspace” | Space | “Press space”, “Insert Space” | Tab | “Press Tab”, “Tab” |

[Settings]

We have made updates to pages across the Settings app to adopt WinUI controls for consistent look and feel across the app.

To make it easier to find settings within the app, we have made improvements to how searching for settings works behind the scenes. These improvements will provide users with a more accurate set of search results as well as bring more relevant search results up to the top of the list.

You can now mute and unmute your audio by clicking the volume icon in the hardware indicator for volume.

[Task Manager]

The redesigned Task Manager that began rolling out with Build 22557 is now available for all Insiders in the Dev Channel.

[Windows Sandbox]

Windows Sandbox mapped folders now support relative paths. For example, ..\relative\folder..

Fixes

[General]

Fixed an issue where users weren’t hearing the startup sound.

[Taskbar]

Using the taskbar to bring an already running app to the foreground should work more reliably now.

Fixed an issue where if you changed time zone the calendar flyout wouldn’t update to reflect a date change.

Using Narrator key plus Enter or Narrator touch gestures should now work to activate items in the taskbar now.

Mitigated an issue that was causing windows to be able to draw on top of the taskbar after dismissing one of the taskbar flyouts.

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar is enabled on your device, which is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

The taskbar setting has been changed to “Optimize taskbar for touch interactions when this device is used as a tablet”.

We have improved mouse click reliability of system tray icons.

[Start menu]

Fixed an issue affecting the reliability of the Start menu opening.

Fixed an issue where dragging a pinned app icon between pages of pinned apps wasn’t working.

Addressed an alignment issue with the More button.

[File Explorer]

Clicking the buttons in the new OneDrive flyout should now bring those objects into foreground focus.

Star rating supported files (for example mp4 files) should work again now.

Fixed an issue that could cause explorer.exe to crash when opening the context menu sometimes.

Improved the performance of displaying the content in the Recycle Bin in cases where there were many files.

Addressed an underlying crash that was happening when trying to start a search from File Explorer, impacting the ability to search.

Fixed a rare issue for people with small screens where the context menu in File Explorer would animate in downwards, disappear, then immediately reappear animating upwards.

[Input]

Improved input switching responsiveness when using WIN + Space.

Fixed an issue which was leading to some Insiders seeing black text on a dark background in the input switcher.

Addressed an issue where the Japanese IME toolbar could become transparent, and the IME candidate window clipped or not displayed at all.

If you’re using the Japanese IME with a vertical candidate list, the text should now appear written in the correct direction.

Updated the icon used for hiding key press visuals in the touch keyboard when focus is set to a password field to help make it easier to understand.

Fixed an issue where the new “Press Backspace” command when voice typing wasn’t working in Japanese.

Mitigated an issue that was causing Narrator focus to get stuck in the wrong place after inserting an emoji and dismissing the emoji panel.

[Settings]

Items in the app list under Apps > Installed apps should no longer overlap each other.

Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to select the restart now button in Settings > Windows Update using touch.

[Windowing]

Explorer.exe shouldn’t crash anymore when dragging a window between monitors.

If you’re hovering over a Desktop thumbnail in Task View, the tooltip should now actually match the one you’re hovering over.

Fixed an issue where snap assist might unexpectedly trigger when you already had a window snapped in that area.

Improved reliability of invoking snap layouts at the top of the screen.

Task View should now successfully launch if you invoke it while the search flyout from the taskbar is open, rather than invoking and immediately dismissing.

[Voice access]

Fixed an issue that was causing Outlook to scroll to the beginning of your emails if you enabled voice access and started talking.

Button text in voice access will no longer be cut off when you’ve changed your text size.

Fixed an issue that was preventing voice access from launching on ARM64 devices.

Voice access will no longer turn on after you log in unless the voice access setting is also turned on.

[Live captions]

Live captions will now handle you switching audio devices more smoothly.

Changing the size of live captions will no longer cause white flashes in dark mode.

You can now search for live captions to find their page in Settings.

Accessibility home page in Settings now lists “live captions” under Captions.

Settings flyout can now be light-dismissed in the live captions window.

[Narrator]

Fixed an issue causing high CPU usage while using Narrator.

Narrator will now read out the theme as well as the selection state in Settings > Personalization > Text input > Theme.

When a dialog pops up, Narrator will now consistently announce that it’s reading from a dialog when reading its message.

When using Microsoft Edge’s History page, Narrator will now announce the name of the page and the focused element correctly.

Fixed an underlying issue which was impacting Narrator keyboard navigation in webview2 in certain apps.

Updated Braille display input and output table type dropdowns in Settings to have a default value now.

Fixed an issue that was causing Narrator to hang when using Norton Power Eraser.

If you Review > Check Accessibility in Excel, Narrator will now read the errors, warnings, tips & intelligent services section correctly.

[Task Manager]

The suspended and efficiency mode icons should no longer be clipped in Task Manager at high DPIs.

Fixed an issue where column preferences weren’t being preserved.

The default start page and always on top settings should work now.

When there’s nothing to show under the “…” menu, it won’t display now.

Mitigated a crash that was happening sometimes when trying to launch Task Manager.

Fixed an issue where Efficiency mode icons were missing on some child processes.

Fixed an issue where some settings options were not preserved.

Fixed an issue where Suspended and Efficiency mode icons were clipped when displayed on monitors with high DPI settings.

[Lock screen and logging in]

Fixed an issue causing the accessibility flyout on the Lock screen to flicker.

The accessibility flyout on the Lock screen’s location and spacing should now be centered and consistent with the design of other options on this screen.

Fixed the border of the accessibility flyout on the Lock screen to show correctly in high contrast mode.

Addressed an encoding issue in the message text when using a security key to login.

Mitigated an explorer.exe crash some Insiders were seeing when logging into their PC.

[Other]

Notification Center will now close when you start a focus session, and the focus timer opens instead of you having to dismiss it.

Fixed an issue which was impacting the ability of opening Quick Settings and Notification Center when animations were disabled.

Quick Settings and Notification Center should dismiss more reliably now if you had used a gesture to invoke them before trying to dismiss them.

Fixed an issue relating to the UiaDisconnectProvider API which was causing certain apps to crash.

Mitigated a bug check which was happening in the last few flights for Insiders with more than 8 monitors connected.

If you have pinned an app to the taskbar within Windows Sandbox, clicking the app to launch it will now actually work.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the active development branch may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11 that became generally available on October 5th, 2021.

Known issues

[General]

Users running Windows 10 who try to upgrade directly to build 22563 or higher in the Dev Channel may encounter an install failure with error code 0x8007007f. To bypass, please join the Beta Channel, install the offered Windows 11 build there, and then switch to the Dev Channel to receive the current Dev Channel update. This issue is understood and will be fixed in an upcoming build.

When going through the device setup experience (OOBE) on the Enterprise edition, the network add screen will be skipped on the first attempt. As a workaround, when users see the “name your computer” option, please reboot and re-start OOBE. The network add screen will now appear as expected.

We’re investigating reports from Insiders that Windows Mixed Reality is not working starting with the previous flight, due to repeated explorer.exe crashes.

Scroll bars are not rendering appropriately on some Win32 applications. This bug is visual only as users are still able to click/drag the scroll bar as expected.

[Taskbar]

If you right click on the Start icon in this build or press WIN + X, explorer.exe will likely crash. Please use CTRL + Shift + Esc for the time being if you use this menu to launch Task Manager.

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

The taskbar doesn’t always automatically collapse after launching an app or tapping outside of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices.

Some areas of the OS are not yet tracking the height of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices so you may see overlapping components, such as Widgets overlapping with the taskbar.

[File Explorer]

Opening suggested results shown while entering search terms in File Explorer’s search box may not work.

We’re working fixing issues regarding icon sizing, visual bugs, and text clipping in the flyout showing OneDrive storage.

[Widgets]

Sometimes when pinning from the Feed, the pinned widget is placed at the top instead of below other pinned widgets. If this happens this will autocorrect within 30 minutes, moving the recently pinned widget to the expected default location. Or you can sign out of your Widgets board and immediately signing back in should correct the problem.

After rearranging widgets in the widgets board, some users experience problems with widgets in the pinned section rendering incorrectly. If this happens, signing out of your widgets board and immediately signing back in should correct the problem.

[Focus]

The taskbar icon and tooltip may not match the focus state.

The Clock app does not yet update Windows Focus state when configuring focus sessions within the app. This will be addressed in a future app update.

[Live captions]

Certain apps in full screen (e.g., video players) prevent live captions from being visible.

Certain apps positioned near the top of the screen and closed before live captions is opened will re-launch behind the live captions window positioned at top. Use the system menu (ALT + Spacebar) while the app has focus to move the app’s window further down.

The very top of maximized apps (e.g., title bar window management buttons) can’t be reached with touch while live captions is positioned at the top.

[Task Manager]

Some tooltips do not accurately display the preferred visual setting when Task Manager is configured for dark mode.

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I find the Surface Dial handy when editing videos or whizzing through paragraphs in Microsoft Word. After upgrading to Windows 11 I found I could no longer customize my Surface Dial, Settings would crash when I selected the customize option for the wheel.

Microsoft have fixed the issue in Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel but here is a quick workaround for anyone that wants to customise their Surface Dial now.

The first step is to go to Settings, Network & Internet, Advanced network settings, Data usage.

Next go to the search box in settings and type Wheel.

Click on the wheel settings option and Settings will open the wheel settings and not crash when you try and customize your Surface Dial settings.

You will have to do the same procedure each time you want to customise your settings but once you have your dial working you probably don’t need to go back to settings version options.

Here is my quick video guide on how to fix your Surface Dial Windows 11 issues:

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A couple of weeks ago we had Microsoft PowerToys Program Manager on the podcast where he mentioned some interesting changes were coming to PowerToys. With yesterday’s update we can see some of the changes.

Version 0.56.1 now has 128 FancyZones increased from 40 so if you have large or multiple monitors you can really customise your setups. Also added is a new setting for Find my mouse, you can shake your mouse to active the tool, which is great when you have multiple monitors.

Here are the changes with 0.56.1 and make sure you checkout the podcast!

Upgrade notes! A big feedback items for new versions was upgrade notes. We have the release notes on GitHub as well.

FancyZones zone limit has been increased to 128 zones. Before the limit was 40.

Timezone conversion plugin for PowerToys Run! Thanks @TobiasSekan

Child and Popup window support for FancyZones. To enable, go to Settings→FancyZones→Windows. These were bugs we fixed that without realizing it was a useful feature to most.

Find my mouse will now activate via shaking the mouse with a settings change!

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Welcome to this week’s show! This week Garry, Richard and I talk about the report that the Microsoft’s HoloLens 3 has been cancelled and the trouble at the Windows Mixed Reality team. We talk about the changes coming the Windows Insider Program, Facebook, Flutter, Nvidia / ARM and lots more!

Links from this week’s show:

Microsoft HoloLens 3 Plans Scrapped Amid Confusion in Metaverse Unit (businessinsider.com)
Microsoft releases the new Windows 11 Media Player app to Windows Insiders on the beta channel
Microsoft details changes coming to the Windows Insider Program
How to cast Windows 11 another PC, Smart TV or Xbox using Miracast

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft have released KB5010386 for Windows 11. The update takes the build to 22000.493 and includes the following fix:

Addresses an issue that causes a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) modify operation to fail if the operation contains the SamAccountName and UserAccountControl attributes. The error message is, “Error: 0x20EF. The directory service encountered an unknown failure”.

Also included is an updated servicing stack:

Windows 11 servicing stack update – 22000.460

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates.

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In Windows 11 you can project (or cast) your display to another Windows PC, Xbox or Smart TV. The technology is called Micracast and with it you can project your PC to a wireless display or another PC and it’s a fantastic way of getting your PC onto a big screen

All the components are part of Windows and there are just a few steps you need to enable it. In my video I go through the steps, show you how easy it is to project your PC to a wireless display, and how easy it is to set your PC up as a wireless display host.

Enabling Wireless Receiver

On the PC you want to receive the wireless display you will need to have the Wireless Display component installed. This is an optional component in Windows 11 so go to Settings, Apps, Optional features.

Click on Add Optional Feature and search for Wireless Display and then tick the box and click Next and then Install.

Once installed you will have a Connect app which you can open and then your PC is ready to act as a wireless display.

Projecting your display to a wireless display

On the PC you want to project press Windows and K, this will display Cast screen. If both machines are on the same network, you should see list of available hosts. That could be another PC, Xbox, projector or smart TV. Click on the device you want to project to and then Windows will start the projection.

You will then have the option to allow remote control of the PC from the host PC. You can use this so you can remote control your PC from the host PC.

That’s it, it’s simple to use and works well. There are a couple of options, you can set the streaming mode to Gaming, Watching videos or Working.

Here is my step by step video how to cast your Windows 11 PC to wireless display:

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At the end of last year Microsoft previewed its new Media Player app to Windows Insiders. The new app replaces the old Groove Music app, the app that was once Zune Music, then Xbox Music became Groove Music. The app has just started rolling out to Windows Insiders on the beta channel.

The new app has the Windows 11 look and feel along with most of the features Groove Music. The app is for playing back locally stored music and video content and can also be used for managing media meta data.

You can add music and video libraries to the app and play individual files and files from a folder. It has a full screen playback mode which animates the album art and there is also a mini player.

For video playback it also supports downloading codec files from the Microsoft Store. I opened a VOB files from a ripped DVD and it downloaded the relevant codec from Microsoft.

You can also use the app for managing metadata. You can manually enter the data or have the app download the metadata from the Internet.

At the moment it doesn’t support playing from the network or media steamers, hopefully Microsoft can add the features in the future.

Here is my hands on video looking at the new media player in Windows 11:

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Microsoft has announced changes coming to the Windows Insider Program over the next few weeks. In the post on the Windows Insider blog, head of the Windows Insider team Amanda Langowski detailed a change of scope in the beta and dev channels.

The dev channel will be used by Microsoft to test out new ideas, experimental features and controlling states of individual features. Microsoft say some concepts may never ship and some will show up in future versions of Windows. The idea being that the dev channel can be used for developing and testing future features.

As part of this ongoing evolution, Insiders will see us lean more heavily on the Dev Channel as a place to incubate new ideas, work on long lead items, and control the states of individual features. This allows us to experiment in a few ways by rolling features in stages to monitor quality and your feedback (which we’ve been doing a lot of already) and testing variations of features (often referred to as “A/B testing”). Features and experiences from these builds could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready. In some cases, these concepts will never ship, but by experimenting more, we can better refine experiences, and deliver solutions in Windows that truly empower our customers to achieve more.

The beta channel will see development that will more closely match the next update of Windows and in some cases the features will show up on the beta channel first, and the release preview channel will be testing what is coming soon.

The Beta Channel will be previewing experiences that are closer to what we will ship to our general customers. Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.

For a long time, the dev channel has been stable with minor changes to the OS so it will be great to see experimental features with Windows Insiders being able to give feedback on developments. It may mean the dev channel has more issues than previous builds so Windows Insiders will have to think about which channel they want their devices on.

Speaking of channels Microsoft say in the coming weeks there will be an opportunity to switch from the dev and beta channels, something that isn’t possible at the moment without resetting the device.

The final change is the new Windows Insider icon replacing the old cat icon.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast. This week Garry, Richard and I talk about what’s coming for Windows 11, Panos Panay’s blog post about Windows and how the PC is back. We talk about new Surface devices, the latest Windows Insider news, and the 15th anniversary of Windows Vista.

Plus Garry has another brilliant EV interview.

Links from this week’s show:

The first Windows 11 feature update is coming next month
Public preview of Android apps on Windows 11 coming next month
Video: A quick look at the new Android and Windows Surface apps
Video: What’s new in Windows 11 Insider Preview build 22543
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22543
Android apps for Windows 11 comes to Release Preview but still US only
Video: What’s new in the Surface Duo 2 January 2022 Update
Surface Duo 2 January 2022 Update released with new Pen options

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft have made available the Surface Laptop Studio for pre-order in the UK. The device was released to the US last year and finally is available in the UK. The release date is February 22nd and for a limited time comes with a Surface Slim Pen 2.

The base model starts at £1449 for the i5 16GB/256GB version and goes up to £2879 for the top end i7 32GB/2TB RTX model.

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When Microsoft released the Surface Headphones, they also released iOS, Android and Windows apps for managing settings and firmware of the audio device. The Surface Audio app was a little basic and now Microsoft have replaced the app with a combined Surface app. The Surface app has the management features of the Surface Audio app as well as information about your connect Surface devices. If you run the app on Surface device you get warranty information, pen pressure controls and other management controls.

In the video I look at the updated app on Windows and Android.

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If you look back to around a generation ago, the security of a business was a pretty straightforward concept. All you had to do was lock away your sensitive information and lock up your business behind it. Now, things get a lot more complicated.

There is no doubt that technology has resulted in a massive improvement in the way that businesses run and how they operate. That being said, as businesses move much more online, they also need to be wary of threats present in the digital space. Of course, where these threats are the result of further advancing technology, so too is technology the best way to stay on top of such threats.

Antivirus Software

It is not enough to simply rely on web filters at the moment due to the fact malware that can be downloaded onto your computer is constantly changing. There are even websites out there that have a good reputation that can be the home to much more malicious code. Emails are also used as a means by which to send damaging viruses as a lot of people will attach malware to what look like legitimate pieces of correspondence. In order to try and prevent all of this malware from infiltrating your business, you should ensure you download antivirus software that can seek out this kind of code and quarantine it.

Encrypted Communication

A lot of sensitive information for businesses is discussed over the phone or over email, and as such, businesses are usually quite keen to ensure these conversations remain secure. One of the most efficient ways that you can do this is by encrypting your communication. This will mean that any potentially prying eyes you would not want to see your communications will not be able to. It sounds very high-tech, but there are organizations out there like Encrochat, Ghostchat who specialize in encrypting communication who would be able to help out with this.

Web App Scanning

You tend to find that the majority of businesses will use some kind of web application to a certain extent. These apps can be incredibly useful when it comes to running a business, but that does not mean they are faultless. The fact of the matter is that these apps usually come with a number of vulnerabilities within them, and these could potentially have a negative impact on your business. As such, it is a good idea to implement some web app scanning software that is able to look at the apps your business is using then identify the potential weaknesses that come with using them. A lot of these vulnerabilities have the potential to let a website get hacked, and as such, it is important to identify them.

Conclusion

There are a lot of threats that face businesses due to technology; however, it is also technology that can stop these threats from becoming too serious. If your business implements the above, you should stay on top of them.

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It wouldn’t be an unpopular opinion to say that the Covid-19 pandemic had some negative effects on the planet. Lives were lost, businesses failed, and much more. There were a lot of hardships to overcome due to the virus that the planet had to deal with. Although there are still problems relevant to the pandemic, vaccines and better methods of dealing with the virus have helped massively. There could be many more years to come until Covid-19 no longer affects the world that people live in. However, there is still a bright future.

But were there any positives when it came to coronavirus? Of course, there were considerably more bad factors than there were good ones. But there are a few benefits people can take from the pandemic. The main one is probably the success of remote working opportunities. Of course, in an attempt to subside the virus, people were instructed to work from home. This was to reduce the number of face-to-face interactions, slowing the spread of Covid-19. Although this raised a lot of eyebrows in the beginning, it did turn out to be quite effective, at least for some businesses. There were plenty of companies that did not suit the remote working agenda. However, some worked so well that they will continue to employ their staff remotely for the foreseeable future. But is a remote job something that you should consider? There are a lot of reasons why it could be of benefit to many. If you want to know why you should strive for a remote job, here are just some of the reasons.

It’s Comfortable

First of all, being able to work remotely is a very comfortable situation to be in. After all, how many places do you find more comfortable than your own home? Of course, you will be working at a desk or table when you are working from home. Although this might not be as ideal as your bed, it is likely better than a crowded office. There is also a lot of customisation that can be done with your home workspace. This way, you can make it as comfortable and professional as you like. You can also wear your own clothes, meaning you don’t have to spend hours dressed formally. As well as this, smaller factors such as room temperature and fresh air are yours to be adjusted.

You Can Work from Anywhere

If you are someone who loves to travel, then you should definitely consider getting a remote job. This way, you can travel year-round without having to miss out on the chance to make a living. Remote working, for the most part, doesn’t require you to be in one specific location or area. This means you can spend one week working in Spain and the next in France. Even if you wanted to visit your family on the other side of the country for the week, it is reassuring that you don’t have to take the time off work. If you are someone who is going to be working around the world, you should be aware of the dangers of public Wi-Fi. However, these can be fully dealt with by using the likes of a VPN. By reading a VPN review, you will be able to figure out if a certain provider is a good match for your remote working opportunities. A VPN will also allow you to access your favourite shows and media provided by your home country when travelling abroad.

Opportunity for Your Own Hours

Not every single remote job is going to be able to offer you your own working hours. However, there are many that can. If this is something you can have in your job, it is a massive bonus in a role. Being able to work your own hours gives you massive amounts of freedom in terms of your lifestyle. You can plan work around other essential responsibilities throughout the day. Not to mention that being able to work your own hours is great for parents. This way, you can care for your children in daylight hours and focus on your work when you get some spare time. Working your own hours can also give you the chance to improve the quality of your work. Knowing that you don’t necessarily have to work within a certain time period is very freeing and will only benefit your work.

It Saves Time

Having a remote employment opportunity is also going to save you a lot of time. Of course, for some people, the commute to work only takes 10 minutes. However, for others, it can take a couple of hours in extreme cases. Either way, cutting out this travel time is also going to benefit you massively. You get to wake up that little bit later, as well as clock out that bit earlier. Even if it is just 10 minutes, it’s still a benefit. You also get the chance to make lunch at home this way, which also saves time. You don’t have to head to a local restaurant or shop to get food. Again, this may seem like a small factor, but it is one of the many benefits of being able to work from the comfort of your own home. These extra 20 minutes that you are cutting out without travel could be used to exercise, read or meditate.

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Welcome to a brand-new Windows 11 build video! In this video I look at the new features and changes to build 22543 of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. I look at the UI changes, changes, fixes and known issues with build 22543.

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Microsoft have just released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the dev channel. Build 22543 has new Narrator features and UI improvements. For natator there are new “more natural voices” available for US English languages. The voices are “Jenny” and “Aria” and a pop up shows you when the new voices are available to install.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

Also added are new Narrator keyboard commands:

Narrator + Alt + the Minus key – Move to the previous voice in Narrator’s voice settings combo box.

Narrator + Alt + the Plus key – Move to the next voice in Narrator’s voice settings combo box.

Plus Updated keyboard commands:

Narrator + Alt + the Left Bracket key – Move to the previous punctuation reading mode.

Narrator + Alt + the Right Bracket key – Move to the next punctuation reading mode.

Microsoft have also updated the media controls on the lock screen to match the media controls in quick settings:

Another interesting change is an updated visual style when your resize your windows using snap assist:

Other changes:

Using the WIN + ALT + K keyboard shortcut to mute your call will now show a confirmation flyout.
The input switcher improvements announced with Build 22518, including updated design with an acrylic background, is now available to all Insiders in the Dev Channel.
When doing a full build upgrade, the progress ring animation has been updated, aligning with the updated boot screen animation.
Updated the design of System > Storage > Disks & Volume and Storage Spaces in Settings to align with the overall design of Settings in Windows 11. Certain options for the drive, volume, and space, like properties, are also now directly available inline on these pages as buttons without having to click that entry first.

Here are the fixes and known issues with build 22518:

Fixes

[General]

Task Manager shouldn’t crash when switching to the Performance tab.
The updated flyout for the hardware indicators for volume will now show the level.
Fixed an issue where certain characters (like characters with umlauts) weren’t allowed when naming your PC in OOBE, even though it was allowed in Settings after finishing OOBE.
Addressed an issue which was leading to OneNote crashing in recent builds when trying to open pages with inserted PDFs.
Mitigated an issue that was leading to unresponsive UI after enabling HDR.

[File Explorer]

Fixed an issue that could lead to explorer.exe crashing when dragging and dropping a file out of a zipped folder in File Explorer.
The context menu in File Explorer now shows a CTRL + Shift + C keyboard shortcut next to Copy as Path.

[Input]

Fixed an issue which was leading to the cursor unexpectedly disappearing in certain apps.
Fixed a crash in Quick Settings when opening the input switcher from there.
Addressed an issue which was leading to the candidate window customization being unexpectedly missing from Personalization > Text Input for Chinese Simplified IME users sometimes.

[Taskbar]

We fixed the issue causing two arrows to appear for the hidden icon flyout and the Quick Settings icons, and the date and time were misaligned.

[Settings]

Mitigated an issue leading to Settings getting stuck in a suspended state and couldn’t be launched.
If you’ve opted to turn off the startup sound, that setting should persist upgrades going forward.
Fixed the icon in the notification that shows if you have chosen to postpone finishing setting up your device.
Tabbing through Quick Settings should no longer set focus to an invisible element.
Fixed an issue that was sometimes causing the media controls above Quick Settings to be off-screen.

[Windowing]

The underline indicating the active desktop in Task View will now follow your chosen accent color instead of being blue.
Mitigated a WER issue which was leading to DWM crashes in recent flights.

Known issues

[Taskbar]

The taskbar will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.

[Search]

After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. If this occurs, restart the “Windows Explorer” process, and open the search panel again.

[Input]

On a UAC prompt, the IME candidate window doesn’t show up.

[Widgets]

With the taskbar left-aligned, information such as temperature is not shown. This will be fixed in a future update.

[Narrator]

Restart Narrator if the voice is not automatically switched after downloading Microsoft Aria (Natural) from voice selection combo box.

via

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Microsoft have announced that the Android subsystem for Windows 11 has hit the release preview channel for Windows Insiders. Unfortunate its still only for US users and there is a limited set of apps available on the Amazon app store.

The feature enables you to run Android apps on Windows 11 via the Amazon app store and while the store selection is small sideloading apps is possible but not supported by Microsoft. Microsoft have said they plan to have a public preview of the Android subsystem next month.

Let’s hope its more than a US only release next month.

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Yesterday Microsoft released the January 2022 update for the Surface Duo 2. The updates includes new features for Surface Pen 2 and many other improvements. My favourite new feature is being able to run Android apps in Windows via the Your Phone app. In this video I look at how to run Android apps on Windows via Your Phone and the other improvements in the January 2022 update for the Surface Duo 2.

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Welcome to this week’s podcast! This week Richard, Garry and I talk about Microsoft updating Task Manager in Windows 11, the latest Windows Insider build and learning Hyper-V. We also talk Samsung projectors, Android 11 hits the Surface Duo, EV news and we ponder what if Microsoft had not launched Windows 95?

Get your Microsoft PowerToys questions answers by PowerToys PM Clint Rutkas!

Links from this week’s show:

Video: What’s new in Android 11 for the original Surface Duo
What’s new in Android 11 for the original Surface Duo
How to customise Start and Taskbar in Windows 11
Get your Microsoft PowerToys questions answers by PowerToys PM Clint Rutkas
Video: Hands on with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22538
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22538

Listen Here (download mp3)

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Microsoft have just released the January 2022 Surface Duo 2 update. As well as containing the January Android Security Update it also contains pen shortcut options if you have a Surface Slim Pen 2. Also added is the Your Phone apps feature so you can run Android apps on your PC from the Surface Duo 2.

Other changes are camera improvements and touch improvements:

New Surface Duo features:

Enabled pen shortcut preferences in settings for Surface Slim Pen 2. It requires Surface Slim Pen 2 to be paired with Surface Duo 2.

With the Your Phone app, you can use Android apps on your PC. For more information on using Surface Duo with your PC see Link Surface Duo to your PC.

Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin—January 2022.

Improves camera usability of night mode, 4k video recording, and auto focus.

Improves charging reliability with 3rd party chargers.

Improves system reliability and stability.

Improves touch responsiveness.

UPDATE: Here is my hands on video

Via

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As well as announcing a public preview of the Android sub-system for Windows Panos Pany also said that many of the improvements currently being test Windows Insiders will be coming to Windows 11 soon.

Next month the taskbar improvements, call muting, windows sharing and the new weather icon will be coming to the OS along with the re-designed Notepad app and Media Player. The new features are currently being tested by Windows Insiders on the dev channel.

The taskbar has the new weather icon and new Teams sharing options.

Updated Media Player

The update media player replaces the old Groove Music app. The app that was once Zune Music, then Xbox Music became Groove Music and now is just Media Player. It has features like codecs on the demand and a new look and feel. See my video.

Notepad

Notepad app has several visual changes, it has rounded corners and the Windows 11 look and feel. As well as the visual changes there are multi-level undo, support for dark mode and a updated find and replace experience. See my video.

Whether all the changes in the current dev channel will be made available or just a subset mentioned we will have to wait to find out.

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In October Microsoft launched a preview of the Android sub-system for Windows 11 to Windows Insiders on the dev channel. This gives you the ability to run Android apps on Windows 11 via the Amazon app store and the Microsoft store.

In a post on the Windows Blog Panos Panay announced that a public preview of the Android subsystem for Windows 11 will be launching next month, along with some of the other improvements that have been tested by Windows Insiders including the new Notepad and Media Player apps.

Next month we’re bringing new experiences to Windows that include a public preview of how you can use AndroidTM apps on Windows 11 through the Microsoft Store and our partnerships with Amazon and Intel, taskbar improvements with call mute and unmute, easier window sharing and bringing weather to the taskbar, plus the introduction of two new redesigned apps, Notepad and Media Player.

Many users (including myself) have been sideloading Android APK files on Windows 11 and found the Android subsystem works well on Windows 11. Whether the US only restrictions are lifted remains to be seen.

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In this video I look at what’s new in the Android 11 update for the Surface Duo. It may have taken some time but it’s finally here with many features. In the video I look at the new multitasking features, Android 11 UI changes and new settings.

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Microsoft have finally shipped Android 11 for the original Surface Duo. This brings many changes to the Surface Duo and apart from the hardware differences make it comparable with the Surface Duo 2.

Checkout my video guide to the Android 11 update of the Surface Duo

The update includes the Android January 2022 Security bulletin (which has not hit the Duo 2 yet) and lots of new features:

Auto spanning apps You can now enable apps to automatically span both screens when opening. I pick apps like Outlook and OneDrive to automatically span.

Fold back to answer

You can enable the Duo to automatically answer calls when you open the phone

New Photos app

The photos app spans both screens and show your photo collection so you can see your photos as you take them. The app is also quicker than the old version.

OneDrive Photo editor

You can now edit and view photos in the new OneDrive photo editor.

Android 11

As the OS Android 11 there are improvements to notification, task switching and a screenshot button in task switcher. Holding down the power button brings up the Android 11 quick access screen where you can control your smart home

Other changes in Android 11 for the Surface Duo * Enabling OneNote when clicking the top button on Surface Slim Pen 2 * Adjust volume from quick settings * Thumb mode in Microsoft SwiftKey * Improved app draw with drag and drop * Refreshed Microsoft Feed * Xbox Game pass

Overall, the update fixes bugs glitches and seems to improve the performance. While it can’t improve the camera quality or add missing features like NFC it does bring the device to feature parity with the Surface Duo 2.

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Windows 11 introduced a fresh look Start Menu and taskbar bringing in many changes from Windows 10. In this video I look at the customisation options with Windows 11 so you can get the Start menu and taskbar setup exactly how you want it. I look at cleaning up the taskbar items and adding handy shortcuts to the start menu.

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Back in the 90’s PowerToys was a selection of tools for power users of Windows 95, and last year Microsoft rebooted PowerToys as project on GitHub. The 21st century version has some fantastic tools for Windows 10 and Windows 11 power users including FancyZones, PowerToys Run, PowerRename and keyboard Shortcut guides.

Joining us on the podcast in a few weeks is the PowerToys Program Manager Clint Rutkas. So now is your chance to get your PowerToys questions answered.

Leave your questions in the comments or you can email the show podcast [at] thedigitallifestyle.com and we will put them together for Clint.

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