Earlier this month we saw Microsoft’s Surface event, the launch of the NVIDIA RTX 4090, and several other major announcements. While not as massive as previous weeks this month, we’ve seen several stories make their way through our news desk over the past seven days. Microsoft rolled out the first wave of new features for Windows 11 2022 Update and changed the default command-line experience for the operating system.
Unfortunately, not all of the news this week was good. Up to 1,000 Microsoft employees are said to have been laid off. Additionally, a Microsoft security breach put 65,000 businesses at risk.
Sexy new features for Windows 11
On the heels of the Windows 11 2022 Update rollout, Microsoft has released a bunch of new features for the operating system. The update brings a tabbed file explorer, suggested actions, a new task manager shortcut, and a few other new features.
Microsoft announced earlier this year that it would deliver features to Windows 11 throughout the year rather than waiting for major OS updates. This week’s update included the first feature removal.
Later this month, Microsoft will also bring a new Photos app to Windows 11.
New Default Command Line Experience on Windows 11
Developers and those using the command line have a new default experience on Windows 11. Microsoft has announced that Windows Terminal is now the default on Windows 11. It is still possible to use other applications for actions command line, of course, but the OS will open automatically. Default Windows terminal.
Microsoft first unveiled Windows Terminal in 2019. The company has since rolled out several features, such as custom tabs and themes. It is now ready for prime time as the default command-line experience.
Layoffs at Microsoft
Microsoft is said to have laid off up to 1,000 employees as part of a restructuring. Since Microsoft is a massive company, 1,000 jobs is less than 1% of its workforce, but that’s still bad news for those affected. Business Insider reported that Microsoft’s strategic missions and technology team, as well as its Xbox division, are affected by the layoffs. The company’s legal department has also seen layoffs, as confirmed by 15-year Microsoft veteran Greg Chapman.
“Like all businesses, we regularly assess our business priorities and make structural adjustments accordingly. We will continue to invest in our business and hire in key growth areas in the coming year,” Microsoft told Business Insider.
Microsoft security breach
Microsoft has confirmed that a misconfigured system may have left customer data exposed. The tech giant did not specify the number of people affected, but security researchers at SOCRadar claimed that 65,000 entities in 111 countries may have had data compromised. Microsoft disagreed with this figure and explained that it quickly secured the device.
“Our extensive investigation and analysis of the dataset shows duplicate information, with multiple references to the same emails, projects, and users,” Microsoft said. “We take this issue very seriously and are disappointed that SOCRadar has exaggerated the numbers involved in this issue even after highlighting their error.”
Windows Phone 7 is 12 years old
There is a general rule when it comes to covering the anniversary of major events. Reporters typically cover each anniversary for the first five years, then milestones in five-year intervals. But some stories are just too big for standard convention. This week we celebrated the 12th anniversary of Windows 7.
The mobile operating system made the most of Zune to provide the flat Metro UI design language that many still lack today. Our editor Daniel Rubino remembered the fan-favorite phone operating system:
“But let’s face it, Microsoft’s Metro UI flat design language, which rejected skeuomorphism, was practically art. Its looks still resonate with people who grabbed the Windows Phone 7 launch devices as Samsung Focus, HTC HD7, Dell Venue Pro, LG Quantum, HTC Surround, and LG Optimus 7 every day.”
Review Summary
As well as covering all the biggest news, our team of experts regularly catch up on the latest games, gadgets and more. This week, we’ve taken a look at new flagship processors from AMD and Intel, played a library of new games, and run a high-end Samsung SSD through its paces.
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