• Apple Maps is getting a huge Flyover visual upgrade
• It will use Vision Intelligence and aerial imagery to create detailed 3D models of city landscapes
• It looks like Apple has also adopted Gaussian Splatting to help render its 3D models

Apple’s upcoming iOS 27 upgrade isn't just about fancy new AI upgrades like the new Siri voice assistant — but Apple Maps is also getting quite a noticeable revamp.

During its WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple took a moment to shine a light on the new visual upgrade for the Flyover tool in Apple Maps, which allows you to view over 350 global cities in 3D from a bird's eye perspective. In iOS 27, Flyover will display buildings and natural landscapes alike using a combination of aerial imagery and Apple’s own Vision Intelligence models to produce 3D views that are even more detailed.

Though Apple didn’t go into further detail, the images used in the WWDC presentation suggest that the company has also adopted Gaussian Splatting to create its 3D landscapes, a graphics technique that uses video footage as the foundation to build a 3D framework. The tool could really give Apple a huge leg-up over Google Maps, which still uses photogrammetry to generate its own 3D models.

It’s not a theory that’s completely out of the question; there are users out there who have also pointed this out after seeing the newly rendered imagery in Apple’s keynote (see below).

Flyover’s enhanced imagery is designed to bring out every visual aspect of Apple Map’s 3D aerial views, including the nitty gritty parts that go unnoticed. Speaking at WWDC, Vice President of OS Program Management, Stacey Ford, shared the following: “From beautiful architectural details to the shapes of individual trees, to the way light reflects off the glass of skyscrapers, you’ll see cities around the world like never before”.

The update is quite a big technical shift for Apple Maps, and will join other upgrades from macOS Golden Gate, to custom AirPods EQ adjustments in iOS 27. The only downside is that you’ll have to wait a bit to test out Flyover’s new look, as iOS 27 is expected to roll out publicly in September — but you can register as a developer and download the first iOS 27 beta now.

Although there’s still a few months left to wait, users have spotted signs that Apple is tinkering with Flyover ahead of the wider iOS 27 rollout.

When the announcement was shared to the r/AppleMaps community on Reddit, users flocked to the comments to share more theories. One user believes Apple is conducting a “weird rollout”, who says that switching to iOS 27 reverts previously-supported cities to low-quality satellite images, while newly-supported cities receive the visual upgrade.

From the user’s experience, they recall seeing a handful of US locations including San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix revert to 2D, as well as international cities such as Sydney, Paris, and Stockholm. On the other hand, Vegas, London, Berlin, Barcelona, and others have been upgraded.

At the moment it’s still very much a guessing game, and Apple probably won’t provide further information until we get closer to the wider iOS 27 launch later this year. That said, Apple’s move from photogrammetry to Gaussian Splatting marks a big shift in digital map rendering, and now we’re just waiting for Google Maps to follow suit.

If you're using an older Mac or MacBook with an Intel chip, then we have bad news, as Apple has quietly killed off support for any device sold before 2020 that doesn't have an Arm-based Apple silicon chip (that is, Macs with M1 chips or newer, or the A18 Pro, in the MacBook Neo's case).

Apple announced macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC 2026, and highlighted new features and performance improvements. However, it didn't reveal which Macs would be getting the upcoming operating system, which is due to release 'this Fall', so expect it about October.

Instead, we found confirmation tucked away at the bottom of the macOS news site. This is a bit cheeky, as it's a major change that will impact a lot of people, though it's also not that surprising, as it was only a matter of time before Apple dropped support for older Macs.

This also means there's no Mac Pro or iMac Pro model which can run macOS 27. Will Apple silicon models come out this year for those super-powerful workstations? Let's hope.

Bye bye Intel

Here is the list of Macs and MacBooks that will be able to run macOS 27 Golden Gate:

• MacBook Air M1 or later
• MacBook Pro M1 or later
• MacBook Pro 13-inch M1 2020 or later
• MacBook Pro 14-inch M1 Pro 2021 or later
• MacBook Pro 16-inch M1 Pro 2021 or later
• MacBook Neo
• iMac M1 2020 or later
• Mac mini M1 2020 or later
• Mac Studio 2022 and later

By concentrating on its own chips, which use Arm architecture, Apple also no longer has to worry about Macs running on Intel's x86 chip tech, which will hopefully mean the macOS team has more scope to improve the performance of the software and add features in the future.

If you have an Intel Mac, you can continue to use it with macOS 26, though running an older operating system that might not get security updates in the future isn't recommended. So, it might be time to consider a new Mac — see below for some top deals.

• MacBook Air M1 or later
• MacBook Pro M1 or later
• MacBook Pro 13-inch M1 2020 or later
• MacBook Pro 14-inch M1 Pro 2021 or later
• MacBook Pro 16-inch M1 Pro 2021 or later
• MacBook Neo
• iMac M1 2020 or later
• Mac mini M1 2020 or later
• Mac Studio 2022 and later

WWDC 2026, this year's edition of Apple's software-focused developer conference, has been particularly notable due to it being the last one with Tim Cook as CEO — he'll be handing over the reins to John Ternus later this year. But it's also given us a glimpse of what the future holds for Macs and MacBooks, with the announcement of macOS 27 Golden Gate.

Unlike Microsoft's rival Windows operating system, Apple releases yearly major updates to its macOS operating system which come with a new name (usually taken from a Californian landmark) and number, which now reflects the year of release. While macOS 27 will release at the end of 2026, Apple will count 2027 as its main release year, so it doesn't feel outdated a few months after it lands on people's hard drives.

While WWDC 2026 is noteworthy for being Cook's last event, this year's macOS update is less exciting, and is mainly focused on performance improvements (which are always welcome), and AI integration (less welcome).

Still, it's an update anyone with a Mac or MacBook will want to download, as long as your device is compatible, so read on to find out what's new.

A note about compatibility: perhaps the most noticable change with macOS 27 Golden Gate is that Intel-based Macs and MacBooks are no longer supported. Only Macs that have Apple silicon chips (so, M1 Macs and MacBooks or newer) will be able to install macOS 27.

macOS 27 Golden Gate: at a glance

• What is it? The newest operating system for Macs and MacBooks
• When will it be out? A beta for developers is available to download right now, full version likely in October 2026 ('coming this Fall' according to Cook)
• How much will it cost? As usual, macOS 27 will be a free upgrade for everyone who has a compatible device

macOS 27 Golden Gate: Compatibility

Want to know if your Mac will be compatible with macOS 27 Golden Gate? Here’s the full list of Macs that’ll be able to run the operating system:

• MacBook Air M1 or later
• MacBook Pro M1 or later
• MacBook Pro 13-inch M1 2020 or later
• MacBook Pro 14-inch M1 Pro 2021 or later
• MacBook Pro 16-inch M1 Pro 2021 or later
• MacBook Neo
• iMac M1 2020 or later
• Mac mini M1 2020 or later
• Mac Studio 2022 and later

You'll notice that no Macs made before 2020 are supported. That's because macOS 27 Golden Gate is only compatible with Macs running on Apple's own M-series chips (or the A18 Pro, in the MacBook Neo's case).

This is a major change, and could see a lot of people unable to upgrade. Apple likely sees dropping older Intel models as a clean break, and means macOS 27 Golden Gate can include a big focus on AI features — the old Intel chips don't have NPUs for on-device AI.

By concentrating on its own chips, which use Arm architecture, Apple also no longer has to worry about Macs running on Intel's x86 chip tech, which will hopefully mean the macOS team has more time to improve the performance of the software and add features in the future.

If you have an Intel Mac, you can continue to use it with macOS 26, though running an not-updated operating system isn't recommended. So, it might be time to consider a new Mac — see below for some top deals.

macOS 27 Golden Gate: release date

The developer beta preview for macOS 27 is available today, but you probably don't want to install that.

For a start, you need to be a developer to download this beta, and that requires signing up and paying for a developer account. The public beta, which will come out in July, will be free, as will the final version when it launches later in the year.

Secondly, developer betas are very early versions of software that are mainly designed for (as the name suggests) software developers to test and make sure their apps are compatible. So, they're often very barebones, with missing features and plenty of bugs.

The public beta will hopefully be more stable, but there could still be problems, so I recommend most people wait until the final version is released, especially if you're installing macOS 27 on a device you rely on every day.

macOS 27 Golden Gate: new features

1. Liquid Glass tweaks

Last year's macOS 26 brought a major design change with its Liquid Glass theme. While macOS 27 doesn't bring another major change to the interface, it does address some of the common complaints about Liquid Glass, especially the issue with transparency effects (which gives the interface its name) making text hard to read.

It will diffuse shadows to make it easier to read, and there's a new slider to adjust the transparency of Liquid Glass.

2. General performance improvements

The major focus of macOS 27 will be making the operating system feel faster and more responsive on Macs and MacBooks, so while the new features might not be that exciting, you should hopefully notice an improvement in the overall performance of your Mac — and for free!

'Responsiveness' is an important word, with animations feeling faster, and Apple promises that Mac apps will load 30% faster thanks to pre-loading.

Photos should appear in your gallery faster, and AirDrop sharing is up to 80% faster.

3. Better Search in macOS

Search has been rebuilt on iOS and macOS for Spotlight, Photos, and Mail (new ranking system for more relevant results), so finding files and folders on your Mac should be a lot easier.

4. Improved parental controls

This is quite a hot topic at the moment, and it's good to see Apple has taken the protection of children seriously. Alongside the existing parental controls, macOS 27 Golden Gate will let parents put a block on apps, and there are now tools that will prevent unsuitable images, including nudity and gore, from being seen.

"We're giving powerful tools to parents," according to Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple.

5. Siri AI

Personally, I've never felt the need to use Siri much on a Mac, unlike on iPhones and iPads where the virtual assistant feels like a more natural fit.

That could change with the new overhauled Siri, which after several delays, will be a key part of macOS 27 Golden Gate. With advanced AI features, courtesy of Google's Gemini, the new and improved Siri will be able to complete tasks with just a voice command (or text prompt), such as write emails for you, and it can also detect what's on your screen.

Siri will also make using the Calendar app in macOS better, as you can ask it to create events for you, and it can even check to see if you're available before you respond to invites.

There will be a new Siri app for macOS, where you can have conversations with the assistant, as well as see previous chats, much like you would see text messages in the Messages app. Conversations are synced with iCloud, so you'll be able to continue them on your iPhone or iPad.

You also get system-wide context menus, and Siri AI is now integrated directly into Spotlight, where you can ask Siri questions without going into an app. A keyboard shortcut will bring up Visual Intelligence, so you can ask Siri about things on your screen.

6. Image Playground improvements

Image Playground, the generative AI tool that turns prompts into images, has a new look that's easier to use, and it's getting an option that allows you to create wallpapers using AI.

A new model allows for photo-realistic images, and you can use it on your own photos, and nothing is uploaded or shared - it's all done on-device.

• Windows 11 search could give you the option to turn off web results
• Microsoft is already giving those results a lesser priority, but might go even further, and also remove results pointing to its store
• All this is based on changes seen in a meet-up with Windows 11 testers, but it remains a rumor for now

In what will hopefully be one of the most refreshing changes yet to be visited upon Windows 11, Microsoft is rumored to be working on letting users ditch web results (and therefore Bing) from the search function in the OS.

Windows Latest reports that it was present at a private meeting of Windows 11 testers where Microsoft revealed that the ability to turn off web results in search was inbound.

The website provides photographic evidence of the feature in an internal build not yet released as a preview, showing a toggle to turn off web searches, and another element of search suggestions can be switched off too, namely search results for the Microsoft Store.

We're told that these new options are going to be rolling out to Windows 11 testers in a matter of weeks, so we shouldn't have long to wait before we get concrete evidence of these changes.

Analysis: spam begone

If you've ever run a search in Windows 11 (or 10), you'll doubtless be familiar with web results popping up and getting in the way of what you actually want to see (namely local files being surfaced, or maybe Windows settings).

Just a few weeks ago, we heard that Microsoft is deprioritizing those web results in Windows search, meaning that as things stand with the current plan, these will still be present, but will appear further down the list than local files and other generally more relevant content.

At the time, I noted that Microsoft should give users the choice to switch off web results entirely, but remarked that this seemed unlikely. So, I'm very pleased to see that Microsoft has (reportedly) defied my expectations and is actually moving forward with this option – and the choice to ditch Microsoft Store recommendations to boot (even if these toggles should have always been in place when it boils down to it).

This is effectively giving users the choice to get rid of a lot of the 'spam' in Windows 11 search, cutting it back to just local results with nothing web-based being returned for any given query. It's a great move, and indeed I'd argue it's a key one in terms of getting rid of unwelcome promotional activity in Windows 11 (either pushing Microsoft Store apps, or web results which, naturally enough, open in Bing inside Edge, driving traffic to those Microsoft properties).

Before I get carried away here, it's worth remembering that for now, this remains a rumor – albeit a solid one given that Windows Latest shared a photo of the meeting and new Settings options. Even if all this is genuine, though, there's always the possibility that Microsoft could reverse course on the idea – but I doubt it, especially given that the company is very much in the mood to make crowd-pleasing changes to Windows 11 these days.

Keep those fingers crossed.

• Code to power facial recognition has been found in the Meta AI app
• This would allow Meta's smart glasses to identify people's faces
• The feature isn't live yet, and Meta claims it may never be, but reactions to it are largely negative

Meta’s smart glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta and the Oakley Meta Vanguard have always been concerning from a privacy perspective, given their ability to photograph and film whoever the wearer happens to be looking at. But they just got even more troubling, as there’s evidence that they might soon get facial recognition.

Wired (via Mashable) has found that the company has quietly been adding code related to facial recognition to the Meta AI app over multiple updates this year.

Its investigation found references to three AI models, one which would detect faces, another that would crop them, and one that'd encode them into biometric data. And while the feature isn’t live, two security researchers who reviewed Wired’s findings claimed that it’s almost ready to launch, if and when Meta chooses to.

In a response, a Meta spokesperson told Wired that "nothing has shipped to consumers and no final decision has been made on what to do here, if anything. If we do decide to roll something out, we will take a thoughtful approach and do so with full transparency. One decision we can be clear about — we are not building a central face database."

A privacy nightmare in the making?

Still, the fact that Meta is already adding relevant code to its app certainly suggests a feature along these lines may well launch. At which point, not only do you need to worry about being photographed or filmed by people’s glasses, but that they could identify you just by looking at you.

Responses to the news on Reddit are largely negative, but also largely unsurprised, given that this is Meta we’re talking about — a company that hasn’t got the best track record for respecting people’s privacy.

One Reddit user commented “is anyone surprised by this, really?”, with others saying “well, that tracks”, “I miss privacy”, and “should be illegal”, among other negative comments.

And while Meta does at least provide some measure of privacy with its smart glasses — such as displaying a light when they’re recording or taking photos — modders can already disable that light, so it’s easy to imagine that any precautions put in place for facial recognition could also be disabled or got around.

• UK government says cheating in exams using smart devices poses a great threat
• Students could soon resort to using smart glasses and invisible earpieces
• It's not just a concern in the UK, and cases are rising in China and the US

The UK government has warned that the rise of smart tech could give students more reason to cheat in their GCSE, AS, and A-level exams, and the threat should not be overlooked.

Chief Regulator of Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation), Sir Ian Bauckham, warns that devices such as hidden earpieces and smart glasses advertised to students via social media could overtake phones as a means of cheating. Speaking with BBC Radio 4, he shared the following:

"We're hearing stories — and I hear this directly from schools as I go up and down the country — of devices like supposedly hidden earpieces, smart glasses that play text covertly on the inside of the glasses that only the wearer can see, and even biros [pens] that have got apparently invisible mini video screens built into them”. "In the worst cases, they could lose all their A-level grades. That's future-altering," he added

Additionally, Bauckham appeared on Ofqual’s Can I Just Qualify That? podcast show, where he revealed that the government has had to “move really fast, because technology is moving fast”. He also said that exam invigilators are now being trained to spot these kinds of smart tech.

Since 2018, the rise of smartphone malpractice in exams has grown substantially, and last summer alone, 2,225 cases where smartphones and other devices were used to cheat were flagged, resulting in 545 cases where students were disqualified.

Having access to mobile phones in schools, Bauckham argues, has opened the doors for a new wave of technology to enable cheating in exams, and from his recent warnings, it’s only going to get more difficult to control. That said, this threat isn’t just limited to UK schools.

Global education systems need to take action

This isn’t the first time smart devices have made their way into the examination hall.

In regions such as China, smart glasses are becoming a popular way to cheat in university exams, allowing students to scan questions, which the device will then display the answers on the lens, Rest of World reported a few weeks back.

Students are even going the distance to rent out their smart glasses to other students to use during exams for between $6-$12 a day, the outlet says, and second-hand online marketplaces like Xianyu are becoming an increasingly popular place for students to source their devices.

Using smart glasses to cheat in exams is one thing, but AI is another growing issue in educational spaces. Not only is AI becoming increasingly difficult to detect in written coursework in the UK, but it’s prevalent in universities across the pond.

In May, Ars Technica reported that 30% of Princeton students are cheating in exams by using AI, but this can be attributed to the institution’s outdated examination codes. The outlet shared that because lecturers don’t monitor exams (the university still adheres to a 19th-century regulation), it makes it easier for students to get away with cheating, and the number of cases is only rising.

According to a survey of Princeton seniors conducted in 2025, almost 30% of students admitted to cheating during an exam. However, in spite of this number, almost 45% of students said they had witnessed fellow classmates cheating, but decided not to report it, even though students must vow to report malpractice.

However, the university is clamping down on this soon. A few weeks ago, Princeton faculty members cast votes in a referendum to write mandatory proctoring for in-person exams into Princeton's laws, and it was a landslide win with only one member opposing. The regulation will come into effect on July 1.

• Windows 11 is getting changes for the right-click menu
• A Microsoft exec says the context menu will be more streamlined by default
• It'll also load faster and be "configurable to what you use most", we're told

Windows 11 is getting another major change for the interface — and apparently we're going to be able to customize the right-click menu to our liking.

Windows Latest noticed that Microsoft's Marcus Ash, who is VP of Design and Research for Windows + Devices, responded to a complaint on X pointing out that the right-click menu — which offers context-sensitive options relevant to the file you're clicking — is way too long and unwieldy in general.

Ash said that Microsoft is "working on making context menus faster, simpler by default, configurable to what you use most. More will be shared on our approach soon."

These would be very welcome changes, streamlining and cutting back on the number of entries on the menu by default, and making it appear more swiftly, but it's the comment about configuration that's attracted the most attention.

Analysis: taming the context menu

The reference to 'configurable' is presumably about giving the user control over what's present in the context menu, although Ash doesn't go into any explanation of how that might work.

Indeed, my slight concern here is that Ash doesn't explicitly say the user will have actual control, leaving a little room for doubt that maybe the menu might configure itself somehow to the apps or functions you use the most. I don't think that's the case in all honesty, but it's a slight grey area I'd like clarified.

Also, how much control will the user have, exactly? Presumably there would still be default choices that would stay firmly planted in the context menu regardless of any customization.

At any rate, as the Microsoft exec indicates, more clarification will be coming "soon" and I look forward to that.

Microsoft continues to surprise me — no, 'shock' might be a better word — with just how far it's going with the changes to improve Windows 11 this year. This latest move effectively comes out of the blue, and it's been a request that's high on the wish list of many Windows 11 users when it comes to the central pieces of the operating system's interface.

Notably the campaign to fix Windows 11 also involves revamping the Start menu to allow for a much greater level of customization — way beyond what I expected — and removing some of the rusty old legacy elements of the OS.

Yes, granted, all this should have been in the works a long time ago in my opinion (and in the view of others), but I'm still glad Microsoft appears to be serious about making Windows 11 better. All this even gives me hope that the company could even tackle some of the biggest long-standing grievances I have with the OS.

• Windows 11 search is getting two useful additions
• Microsoft is fixing search so that it works better to locate files with long compound names
• The search function will also start to pop up possible results after just two two characters have been typed

Windows 11 Search is getting more improvements designed to make finding the files you need easier — and one of those upgrades is arriving this month.

Windows Latest reports that there are two changes that Microsoft is working on for the search function in Windows 11, and one is actually already available in the current preview (optional) update for the OS. This means it'll start rolling out in the June update, arriving in a week, but you may have to wait a while for the rollout to hit your PC thereafter.

The first change is the ability for Windows 11 to start showing you possible search results when you've typed in as few as two characters.

A bigger change, called 'search by substring', is coming later and is now in testing in Windows 11's preview builds. It's quite simple to understand: when there are files with long single names that consist of multiple words run together – such as "CookingRecipesJune2026" – if you simply type "Recipes" in the search box, Windows 11 will flag up the correct file.

Currently – and rather annoyingly – typing "Recipes" or "June" by itself is unlikely to locate the correct file. You'll probably need to also include the start of the file name, ("CookingRecipes"), in order for Windows 11 to successfully locate it.

Analysis: search gets stronger

That compound naming pitfall is one of my biggest bugbears with Windows 11 search, so it's great to see that Microsoft is resolving it, if only in testing for now. That said, it's one of those fixes that should have been in place a long time ago, but this is true for quite a number of the updates Microsoft is applying across Windows 11 in the campaign to improve the desktop OS for 2026. Better late than never, as they say…

My other major pain point with Windows 11 (and Windows 10) search is that it pulls in web results alongside local files or settings, and Microsoft has made a move on that front, too. A couple of weeks back, again in testing, we heard the news that these web results would be less prioritized in searches, which is a laudable positive step forward – though frankly I'd like the option to banish them entirely, which probably won't happen.

The tweak to start presenting search results with as few as two characters typed could be a useful timesaver, too. Of course, with only a couple of characters for Windows 11 to go off, the odds of hitting the correct result first time are slimmer.

Nonetheless, I'm happy that Microsoft is working on improving Windows 11 search, and the change with compound file names is especially welcome.

• Microsoft's new Windows 11 Start menu design is now in testing
• It allows for a surprising level of customization, including making the menu more compact
• On top of this, Microsoft has revealed it's working to modernize some legacy parts of the interface that are jarring when they appear

Windows 11's revamped Start menu that offers a full range of customization options is now officially in testing – and there's another change to improve the interface of the OS in terms of eradicating old bits of legacy UI.

Windows Latest flagged the blog post from Microsoft about freshly released preview builds in the Beta and Experimental channels, and the latter packs the Start menu redesign for 2026.

A big change here is that you can now turn off any section you want, not just the Recommended panel (which has been renamed to Recent, incidentally). So, if you want to ditch that Recent panel, or the Pinned section, or the list of All apps, you can do as you wish. You can hide your name and profile picture in the Start menu, too.

The other major change is that you can now choose between the standard (larger) Start menu and a more compact version. Previously, the small layout was applied automatically for certain devices with smaller screen sizes, but you couldn't actively select it — and some folks wanted to do that.

Now they can, and with the ability to switch off any section of the Start menu that you find superfluous, for the first time in Windows 11's history you have full control over the customization of this key piece of the desktop interface.

Analysis: Microsoft's gone surprisingly far here

Arguably this should have been done a long time ago, but nonetheless, it's great to see Microsoft finally implementing a complete range of customization options for Windows 11's Start menu. This means you can now turn off everything you don't want and make the menu highly compact and streamlined (addressing some of the bad feeling directed towards the last Start menu overhaul before this one, in terms of the menu being too hefty).

Indeed, you can turn off everything now and be left with a blank Start menu — which isn't very useful, of course, but this is how far Microsoft has gone here, as Windows Latest makes clear.

It's also worth noting that the new Recent panel isn't just a renaming of the Recommended section, and it appears to drop Microsoft's recommendations (promotional nonsense in some cases), highlighting recently used files rather than pushing ad-like suggestions. That's great to see, although this is based on limited testing thus far – and remember, all this work is still in preview. Things could change by the time the revamped Start menu reaches all Windows 11 PCs.

All this is part of the promised work in the fix Windows 11 campaign, of course, and Windows Latest spotted a bonus extra here. Namely that Microsoft's March Rogers, who is Partner Director of Design, confirmed on X that some rusty old parts of the Windows 11 interface are getting the operating system's new modern design.

These are legacy dialog boxes such as file copying (which has already been done), and the common file dialog (for when you're browsing folders in Windows 11, say when you're opening a file within an app) is apparently in line for a visual refresh.

I recently wrote about legacy parts of the interface badly needing to be addressed by Microsoft as part of my wish-list of vital things to fix in Windows 11, so I'm pleased to see this work going ahead (and the tweak to the Recommended panel in the Start menu, too). Now if only Microsoft would address my other key points, namely adverts more broadly, and also Windows 11's telemetry and installation with a local account — we could really be in business.

• More hardware is reportedly on the way from Meta
• We could get an always-on AI pendant and new smart glasses
• The smart specs may involve new hardware partners

As well as exploring premium subscriptions for its social media platforms, Meta is also reportedly developing new hardware too: an AI pendant, and smart glasses that are apparently going to be different to the models we've seen before.

This is according to The Information, which says testing for the AI pendant will begin in the coming year. Presumably it works along similar lines to the Limitless AI Pendant which launched in 2024, as Meta acquired Limitless at the end of last year: the device records and processes audio, and can answer queries with its built-in chatbot.

Details are thin on the ground at the moment, but we've seen quite a few of these AI wearables in recent years. From transcribing meetings to telling you what time you need to be at the station to catch the next train home, the idea is they act as constant companions ready to lend a hand at any moment.

We know that ChatGPT developer OpenAI is working on something similar, though again there's not much in the way of solid information about what the something is, or what it'll do. We could be getting gadget launches from two of the biggest names in AI across the course of the next 12 months.

More smart glasses

As for the smart glasses, as per the report in The Information, there are apparently several new models coming. The rumored plan is to bring more partners on board, in addition to Ray Ban, which Meta already works with. As you would expect, Meta's own AI models are going to be providing the intelligence.

The same report mentions a new 'Wearables for Work' project at Meta, intended to drive subscriptions for Meta's AI apps — including an as-yet-unreleased AI agent called Hatch. Meta is apparently aiming to sell 10 million smart glasses in the second half of 2026, in part by expanding sales to more countries.

There's more evidence for the incoming smart glasses via Android Authority: Meta has registered several new pairs of smart specs with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, a necessary regulatory step for new gadgets. These documents have been filed under the Meta name, which hasn't often been the case with previous wearables.

That might suggest Meta is teaming up with another hardware partner, which lines up with what The Information is saying, but we'll have to wait for confirmation. Many other companies are expected to launch smart glasses soon too, including — perhaps — Apple.

• Xreal just unveiled the xbx a01 smart glasses
• These XR specs are super budget-friendly...
• ...but packed with some impressive features

With its One Pro glasses Xreal seriously hit it out of the park — making arguably the best XR glasses you can buy right now for the private home theatre experience, and easily my favorites. The only issue? They’re pretty darn pricey, as are many of Xreal’s previous specs. That’s about to change however, with the new xbx range.

Standing for 'X by Xreal', and not some Xbox tie-in as I initially thought it was, this sub-brand will champion new glasses lines, starting with the budget-friendly a01 line. Instead of costing $649 like the Xreal One Pro, it’ll cost just $299.

Initially coming to China, with a US launch scheduled for July this new budget option looks set to give my favorite cheap XR specs — the RayNeo Air 4 Pros — a serious run for their money.

A budget XR champion?

First up, Xreal's xbx a01 boasts a 1600-nit HDR10 display. RayNeo’s budget specs debuted the first HDR10 XR specs earlier this year with the Air 4 Pros, and it seriously helps improve the vibrancy of its colors with compatible content. However it only came with 1,200 nits; the extra brightness from Xreal should help further enhance the clarity and beauty of its images.

Secondly, there’s a new anti-shake algorithm built for using during commutes, flights, and bumpy subway rides. Think of it like a reverse version of the stability controls cameras come with — the glasses will try to keep the in-display image from shaking around, while trying to preserve as much of the image clarity as possible.

Thirdly, these glasses are meant to look great. With a range of interchangeable front frames to suit different styles, they also cater to different needs — such as the ability to swap to dimmer lenses in brighter conditions.

Plus they should be pretty comfy too. At only 62g which should make them feel fairly light on your face.

Of course we’ll need to test Xreal’s glasses out to be able to judge them fully, but I’m a major fan of its other specs so I’m optimistic that Xreal’s foray in budget glasses will be a slam dunk.

If I was RayNeo I’d even be a little worried Xreal is coming to eat my lunch — though I’m sure it has some tricks up its sleeves to counter down the line.

This also gives us a fun look at how Xreal’s Android XR efforts might develop. As smart glasses become something we wear all the time, design aspects like interchangeable frame covers could allow us to make fashion conscious decisions (having multiple designs to wear for various scenarios) without breaking the bank on several expensive pairs of smart specs.

We’ll have to wait and see what next, but yet again smart glasses are proving why they’re one of the most exciting sectors in tech right now.

• Microsoft has added new docking options to Copilot on Windows, reverting to the original sidebar design
• This comes amid promises that Microsoft would scale back AI visibility and bloatware to improve Windows
• The new Copilot docking options are still in a rollout phase for Windows users

Windows 11 users have berated Microsoft over its excessive use of AI and bloatware, which it has promised to scale back on as part of the project Windows K2, but a new move suggests the company might not be as commited to removing AI features as some hoped.

As reported by Windows Latest, Copilot has returned to its original sidebar design, which forces applications aside when docking the AI assistant. This essentially works almost exactly like Windows 11's snap layouts, which allow users to have applications side by side, but with Copilot's new docking options on the left or right sides of the desktop.

Applications are also automatically resized to make space for the Copilot window, effectively prioritizing the AI assistant.

Copilot has undergone several design changes, originally working as a sidebar (very similar to the current design), then as a standalone application, but now, it works as an Edge-based wrapper using more RAM, according to Windows Latest.

Fortunately, this new version of Copilot is still in its rollout phase for Windows users, so the 'quick view' option that acts as a floating window will be the main way to use the AI assistant for now.

These docking options are also arguably better than just quick view alone, as it gives users more options to customize Copilot's placement. However, the return to an old design seems counterintuitive to Microsoft's attempt to wind down AI visibility and bloat on the operating system.

Copilot isn't exactly simple to remove either: while the Copilot app can be uninstalled, it's still integrated within Windows on a wider level, and requires full removal via blocking in Group Policy or Windows Registry editing.

Not all PC users are tech-savvy, and rather than making it much easier for those users to completely remove Copilot, Microsoft is adding more features instead. Hopefully, these docking options serve as a nothingburger in the long term, but it's hard to trust Microsoft to push for AI reduction on Windows.

• Windows 11 has suffered some odd interface problems of late
• They include the taskbar freezing, issues with File Explorer or Task View, or even the whole desktop being blank
• The fix for this interface flakiness is rolling out now to those who've installed the latest May update for Windows 11

If you've been experiencing weird sluggishness with some parts of the interface on the Windows 11 desktop of late — or elements seemingly MIA — the good news is that a fix is inbound.

Windows Latest reports that Microsoft is on the case when it comes to fixing the problems that can affect the taskbar, Task View, File Explorer, and the desktop itself.

Seemingly some users are finding that the taskbar freezes or takes ages to appear (and the right-click menu can take a long time to pop up, too). Windows Latest further notes that the Task View can also become unresponsive, and that unpinning items from Quick Access in File Explorer fails to work in some cases.

In the worst scenario described, these interface problems can mean you face a completely blank desktop after booting into Windows 11 (which is always worrying).

All of these are known issues, and Microsoft has labelled them as 'general reliability' problems with Windows 11.

The good news is that according to Windows Latest, Microsoft has confirmed that the May update for Windows 11 (which arrived last week) fixes these problems – but the cure isn't going to show up immediately.

That's because it's on a gradual rollout, so you may have to be a little patient here before these glitches are remedied (well, hopefully).

Microsoft notes: "This [May] update brings underlying changes to help improve explorer.exe reliability, including at sign‑in, when interacting with taskbar menus and Task View, when unpinning items from File Explorer's Quick Access, and more."

Analysis: stamping out sluggishness

It's good to see this fix rolling out for Windows 11 25H2 PCs, and note that it's also in testing — the Release Preview channel, the final stage of preview builds — for version 26H1 (for Arm-based Snapdragon machines).

What's also worth noting is that Windows Latest observed "visibly better performance" overall with the May update applied to Windows 11, and it's not alone — I've seen a fair few comments to this effect on Reddit. (I haven't taken the plunge with the May update on my Windows 11 laptop yet, but I'm about to.)

Of course, what Microsoft needs to work on with its initiative to right all the wrongs with Windows 11 is to ensure that this kind of flakiness doesn't creep in to begin with. This is the reason why some people can be nervous about installing a new monthly update for Windows 11 — just in case they find something weird occurs afterwards, like the desktop being blank when they reboot. (And much worse than that can happen, like the dreaded boot failure — we witnessed one of those bugs pop up back at the start of the year.)

Microsoft needs to rebuild the reputation of Windows 11 in terms of its reliability and overall stability, and that work has started — but eliminating random and weird interface behavior such as this will be a necessary step to take toward that end.

• Microsoft is applying an important fix to Windows 11 search
• The taskbar search box will no longer surface web results as a priority in some cases
• This was baffling behavior at times — and part of promoting Bing and Edge — so it's good to see the practice ending

If you've ever muttered under your breath with annoyance at Windows 11's baffling search results, here's some good news — Microsoft is fixing it so the operating system doesn't surface web results as a priority.

It's a frustration that anyone who uses Windows 11 and has ever used the search box on the taskbar is surely familiar with. You want to find a file on your drive, or a system setting for something, so you type that query in — and the first result you see is for something on the web that's totally irrelevant.

However, as Windows Latest points out, Microsoft has realized that this behavior — and often pushing Bing, or its other services, through these web results — isn't acceptable, and gets in the way of the usability of Windows 11's search functionality.

In a recently released Windows 11 preview build in the Experimental channel for testers, Microsoft said it is changing the taskbar search box to ensure results are more relevant, and that: "Files and apps more reliably appear ahead of web suggestions when your content is a stronger match."

Microsoft further notes that we can "expect to see additional relevance improvements" for search in the future.

That doesn't mean web results are going to be completely ditched from Windows 11 search, mind you, and that's a prospect which seems unlikely.

Analysis: why has this taken so long?

So, files and apps (or settings) now take priority when you're hunting for something via the Windows 11 search box, over anything that Microsoft might flag up on the web.

Windows Latest highlights how a search for a Windows 11 app used to turn up a movie from the web as the first result, and notes that now, even when deliberately searching for terms which also apply to famous film titles, this is no longer happening.

Of course, there's a theme here that runs through many of the changes Microsoft is applying to Windows 11, namely that these should have been in place from the very start with the OS.

Who on earth wants to be searching for files only to have meaningless web results clutter up the place? Microsoft, that's who, for the clicks the firm is hoping to get as an excuse to pop up Bing (and Edge). For me, this is the equivalent of 'spam' infiltrating search results.

At any rate, better late than never as they say, and I'm still very glad to see this happening — although all these kinds of adjustments remind us why this is a campaign about Microsoft fixing Windows 11 rather than improving the operating system. And that it was Microsoft's fault that it was broken in the first place, of course, and has remained that way for so long until an AI rebellion finally made the company sit up and take notice.

Google has been synonymous with search for more than 25 years, and so how it reimagines search matters to billions of people who rely on its powerful knowledge graph. In recent years, we've seen the steady encroachment of AI Overviews and AI mode on our search experience. Now, though the transition to inserting AI into your search results seems complete, I worry that this might alter Google Search in ways that no one wants or can reverse. Google, however, tells me that's not the case.

First, Google is now on record saying that in this next chapter of search, the change it unveiled during its Google I/O 2026 keynote is, according to Google Search lead Liz Reid, "truly the biggest upgrade to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago."

That's heady, terrifying, and maybe a bit of hyperbole. What's promised is a new search box that not only effortlessly expands to support your most long-winded queries but also carries intelligence that lets it decide on the fly what kind of AI smarts might help answer your, well, let's call it what it is: a prompt.

If that sounds like AI Mode is now inside the classic Google Search box, I think you're right. In the demo video I saw, I didn't even see the current "AI Mode" iconography. And instead of basic autocomplete, the new search box has AI-powered query suggestions and multi-modal capabilities (throw in some images and ask a question).

Google vs. OpenAI

If Google's long-term effort was to make AI, specifically, various Gemini models, inescapable in Search, I think the work is nearly complete. I don't blame Google for doing this. After all, OpenAI's ChatGPT has been surging in recent years, with some people saying they "Chatted" instead of "Googled".

Verb status aside, ChatGPT, though rising, remains by one measure at less than 25% of the search market, while Google hovers around 80%. But ChatGPT's trajectory is unmistakable in Google's eyes. It has no choice but to deeply infuse traditional search with AI.

How much AI, though, is too much?

There remains a large contingent who want nothing to do with AI from Google or ChatGPT. I wondered if they could opt out, and during a Google I/O 2026 pre-brief, I posed the question to Google. Later, I got an email reply from a Google representative.

"The AI dimension of the Search box is giving you quick access to AI tools, and an updated query suggestion system that helps you formulate long questions, where an AI response is likely the most helpful. Using this new search box does not mean that you will only get AI responses - you'll continue to get a range of results on Search."

What's notable is that there is no "No, I'd rather not" option here. You can't opt out of the Intelligent Search Box. But that doesn't mean your search results won't still include some of the classic link and summary results you've known and loved since 1998. As a Google spokesperson promised, "No matter what you ask, you’ll continue to get a range of results from Search, just like you do today."

Those results, though, will likely be below the AI Overviews that already sit atop those classic results. If anything, Overviews may be even richer and more accurate thanks to the intelligent query guidance you received in the search box. Scrolling down below them might be pointless.

It doesn't take much imagination to envision a future in which the AI Overviews are your Google Search results, and there is nothing below because it's not as useful, or at least it doesn't "speak" to you in the same way the overviews do. They seem to get you because they're designed to respond to your intention in a way that traditional search results could never do.

For some, this is progress. For me? The jury's still out.

What about you? Share your thoughts on Google's new Intelligent Search Box in the comments below.

• YouTube is rolling out its likeness detection tool to all channel owners over age 18
• It's designed to detect if your identity is being used in AI-generated content
• You have to submit a government-issued ID for verification, which hasn't gone down well with creators

YouTube’s commitment to safeguarding its users against harmful AI-generated content is ongoing, and the company has shared that it’s rolling out its likeness detection tool to all channel users over the age of 18.

The platform debuted likeness detection in October 2025, allowing content creators to flag AI-generated video clones, but this was only available to well-known influencers in the YouTube Partner Program. The tool was then expanded to include celebrities, and it’s now coming to all channel owners through a gradual rollout over the coming weeks.

In short, YouTube’s likeness detection tool is designed to help you manage how AI is used to depict you, examining videos across the platform to identify if your face is being used without your permission. This includes everything from videos featuring slightly altered, modified versions of your facial likeness to fully AI-generated deepfakes.

“As AI-generated content continues to evolve, we’re committed to creating an environment where you can upload content to YouTube while staying in control of your likeness,” the platform shared in its announcement, adding, “Our goal is to provide you with more peace of mind by giving you easy access to request the removal of unauthorized content that violates our Privacy Guidelines”.

There are many sides to YouTube’s flagship protection function. While its main aim is to safeguard your identity from AI and other unauthorized use, it’s designed to give you more control over your digital identity while also ensuring that your viewers aren’t misled by videos that may impersonate you.

If likeness detection identifies a possible match, it will flag the content it believes contains your identity in the YouTube Studio hub, where creators can view it and decide what action they wish to take. From there, you can submit a likeness removal request if you believe the content breaches YouTube’s privacy policy. You can also submit a legal copyright removal request if your original copyrighted content was used elsewhere without your permission.

That said, before you can enable likeness detection for your YouTube channel, there’s one trade-off you’ll have to be willing to make in order to continue the verification process — and that’s submitting a government-issued ID to YouTube.

That’s wherein the catch lies, and it sounds a bit counterintuitive for a feature that’s designed to protect your identity. If this were an age verification matter to protect younger viewers from accessing age-proofed content, it seems pretty fair enough, as government-issued IDs confirm your age in black and white.

However, for creators who regularly upload content to YouTube, the platform already has access to your videos where your facial identity is on full display, so why would YouTube need your ID when it already uses images of your face from your content to detect videos where your identity may be used in deepfakes?

When YouTube first announced likeness detection, many creators felt the same way about having to verify their identity this way. One user on Reddit shared that despite having access to it, they decided not to use it, writing, “[YouTube’s] got enough of my face and I don’t trust them with any more than I need to”.

Other creators have taken to it more lightly, but are still skeptical about its legitimacy; “This will just be one more tool they'll use to punish anybody that they don't like, typical for YouTube with their constant manipulations behind the scenes,” a fellow Reddit user and YouTube creator added.

• Microsoft has been working on improving Windows 11 drivers a good deal this month
• The latest move is to block poor-quality drivers that have a negative impact on laptop battery life
• That comes on top of other work including ensuring that graphics drivers aren't overwritten with older versions by Windows Update

Microsoft is busy fixing Windows 11, as I'm sure you're aware by now, and we've just heard about another move to bolster the quality of drivers for the OS – one that'll help prolong laptop battery life.

Windows Latest reports that Microsoft has revealed it has a new 'Driver Quality Initiative' (DQI) in a blog post which details what this is all about. In a nutshell, Microsoft is engaged in a "comprehensive, ecosystem-wide effort designed to fundamentally raise the bar on driver quality, reliability and security across Windows".

That includes "deprecating outdated or low-quality drivers" and ensuring that verification of third-party drivers and quality standards are generally higher.

Microsoft states: "We are expanding how driver quality is measured beyond crashes to include stability, functionality, performance, and power and thermal impact, giving partners clearer signals to improve the real customer experience."

In other words, driver testing will go beyond merely ensuring that they don't crash the system, to encompass them running smoothly and performing well – and then there's the bit about "power and thermal impact" which is the good news for laptop owners.

This means making sure that drivers don't go awry in terms of power drain, which is obviously a key element to help with the battery life of any given Windows 11 laptop.

As Windows Latest observes, there has historically been a problem with notebooks running out of juice, and being overheated, by bad drivers. This can occur when a laptop is idling on the desk, or in standby tucked away in a bag, but the result is the same – you come to use the notebook and find the battery is almost run out.

Analysis: driving forward

So, Microsoft is now putting Windows 11 drivers under more scrutiny, not just making sure that they don't cause stability issues (crashes). Any driver that provokes undue battery drain (or the other issues touched on above) will no longer make the cut for the OS.

Of course, as with a lot of the changes which are now being applied to Windows 11, you may be left wondering: why wasn't this the case in the first place? Clearly, it should have been, but at least Microsoft is making amends now.

This isn't the only way in which the software giant is improving drivers in Windows 11. Last week, as flagged by Windows Latest, we heard about Microsoft admitting that Windows 11 can overwrite your GPU driver with an older version (in some circumstances), so Windows Update is being changed to ensure this can no longer happen.

Another driver-related move revealed earlier this month was Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery (CIDR), a feature that allows Microsoft to roll back a bad driver to a previously working version on a Windows 11 PC via the cloud (should a dodgy driver get through).

All in all, it's clear that device drivers are something Microsoft has been rethinking a good deal lately, and, pushing aside the fact that this work should have been done before now, that's great to see. With any luck, come the end of the year, dodgy drivers will be a much rarer event for Windows 11 users – and recovery from any incidents will be more easily facilitated, too.

Another useful feature that Microsoft is working on for Windows Update is the ability to stamp out those dreaded update installation failures, too. They've been around and making themselves felt as a recurring annoyance ever since Windows 10 arrived.

• Microsoft is bringing in more options for remapping the Copilot key
• You'll be able to redefine it to invoke the context menu, or use it as Right Ctrl
• This used to be the Right Ctrl key before Microsoft jettisoned it to make room for the dedicated AI key on Windows 11 laptops

Microsoft is going to provide more options for remapping the Copilot key, the dedicated key introduced to summon Windows 11's AI assistant on laptops (and some standalone keyboards, too).

Windows Central noticed that Microsoft has confirmed this move in a support document, which states: "Customers who rely on the Right Ctrl key or Context menu key for keyboard shortcuts or assistive technologies (such as screen readers) experienced some challenges to their workflows when using these devices.

"A Windows 11 update will ship later this year that will add a setting option to let you remap the Copilot key to act as the Context menu key or Right Ctrl key."

So, you'll be able to use the Copilot key as a Control key on the right side of the keyboard, which is what that key would have been before Copilot was around. Either that, or you can switch it to bring up the context menu (the right-click menu that facilitates context-sensitive actions).

Microsoft previously introduced the ability to redefine the Copilot key to invoke Windows search or open certain apps (although no third-party applications support this, making it of limited use thus far).

Analysis: a necessary fix

It's good to get some better options, then, including that context menu key (which was actually rumored to be a change in the works over a year ago). Returning the key to the Right Ctrl is an important move because, as Microsoft observes, not having it can be an accessibility issue.

It's instrumental for certain workflows, such as being able to use shortcuts with one hand, pressing Ctrl plus the arrow keys, for example, or other combos using Ctrl with other keys on the right side of the keyboard. Without a Ctrl key on the right, those actions become a two-handed operation using the left and right sides of the keyboard.

It'd be nice if Microsoft gave us a wider range of options to remap the key to anything we wanted, though that can be achieved by installing PowerToys and using the Keyboard Manager. We've got the full details on how to do that here, though I'd still rather have some of the key parts of PowerToys – including this one – incorporated into Windows 11 as options, as I recently discussed.

Overall, this move is a welcome one, and another part of Microsoft's big plan to fix Windows 11 – although some folks are still pretty jaded about the company having implemented the Copilot key in the first place.

As this Redditor observed: "Oh, yes: steal the Right Ctrl and now return it as an improvement."

And someone else on Reddit noted: "Looks like their telemetry told them people avoided pressing that key like a plague."

• High-priority new functionality to allow the repositioning of Windows 11's taskbar is now in testing
• Changes to resize and customize the Start menu are coming to testing soon
• These look to be well-thought-out and nicely implemented features, but the top item on my wishlist for Windows 11 probably won't ever be addressed

Windows 11 is finally getting some of the most-wanted features for its interface, namely the ability to move the position of the taskbar (and make it smaller), along with the option to resize and further adjust the Start menu.

Microsoft's blog post on 'Making Taskbar and Start more personal' explains that the taskbar changes are rolling out now in the Experimental channel for Windows 11 preview builds, with the Start menu overhaul arriving soon, over the "coming weeks".

Users will be able to move the taskbar to the top, or either side, of the desktop, which has been one of the most-wanted features for Windows 11 since it arrived. (Windows 10 has this functionality, and people were dismayed to see it get left by the wayside in the successor OS).

Microsoft is also letting folks choose the icon alignment (centered, or not) for any taskbar position. The likes of coders, or those with ultra-widescreen monitors who would prefer to have the taskbar located at the side of the screen, will be very pleased to see this feature is now inbound.

A further addition is the ability to manually choose a small taskbar (with smaller buttons), which has previously been a mode that's selected automatically (for small displays).

Another major moan of late has been the fact that the Start menu has gotten too large – in some cases, spanning much of the desktop and effectively becoming a Start screen (as seen in Windows 8, if you recall).

To avoid this, Microsoft is going to give users control of the size of the Start menu in Windows 11, with small and large settings. Another change is clear and simple toggles to turn off any section you don't want to see – whether that's Pinned, Recommended or All (the full list of apps).

You can turn off the Recommended panel now, but that also switches off jump lists and recent files in File Explorer, so Microsoft is decoupling that, meaning you can keep those latter bits in place while ditching recommendations.

All of this is useful, and the upshot is that if you want a compact Start menu which only displays your pinned apps and nothing else — a bare launcher for all your favorite applications — then you can have just that (as was previously rumored).

As noted, the Start menu changes haven't arrived in testing yet, but they'll be rolling out soon enough.

Analysis: a challenge to prove me wrong, Microsoft

It's good to see this happening, as Microsoft has promised, previously stating that the taskbar change was a top priority. I'm also pleased to see a thoughtful implementation of the Start menu changes, too, giving folks plenty of options to streamline this part of the interface considerably.

Yes, this should have been the case from the get-go, but I can't keep banging that particular drum — at least Microsoft has realized its previous mistake in burying its head in the sand regarding complaints about the Windows 11 interface.

With Microsoft now listening more intently to feedback from the Windows 11 userbase, and directly enlisting the help of testers to fix various facets of the desktop OS, I'm feeling more hope for the future of the operating system than I have since, well — since it was first launched.

So, what do I personally hope Microsoft fixes next? I'd love to see Microsoft bring back the option to install the desktop OS with a local account, and not force a Microsoft account to be used when setting up Windows 11 (or make people fudge their way around this). The good news is that we've seen a hint that this change may be in the works, but it hasn't been officially announced yet.

That would be a crowd-pleasing move for many, and even though I use a Microsoft account myself – and I'm not looking to change that — I want to see this implemented as a broader sign that Microsoft is going to stop forcing people into certain behaviors in Windows 11.

If this move were to happen, my real hope is that it could lead to Windows 11 being freer of the various promotional bits and pieces that you see for Microsoft's services (whether that's OneDrive, Edge, Bing, or indeed games like Avowed). Again, that's something Microsoft has hinted at already, but what would please me no end would be the introduction of a system-wide switch to kill all such promos and veiled adverts in Windows 11. (Or a bank of options where you can leave certain recommendations on, if you wish, but where it's possible to turn everything off, and I mean the lot).

Despite all the good work that Microsoft is doing at the moment, and my renewed faith in Windows 11, to a point, I can't for a moment believe that such a thing would ever happen.

If it did, though, it would truly be a sign that this is a completely different Microsoft behind the wheel of the OS.

So, come on, Microsoft – prove me wrong. You're listening to feedback – and surely you must have noticed the complaints that you shouldn't get any ads or promos in an operating system that you paid for? Act on this front, and you'll win my faith back completely, and likely the trust of a whole lot of people out there.

• Microsoft has started a new research panel
• It's aiming to get feedback on the Windows 11 interface from testers
• The program will consist of a number of studies going forward, focusing on different areas of the user experience

Microsoft is making further efforts to get feedback from Windows 11 users on how to improve the operating system, with a new program aimed at Windows testers.

Yes, this is part of the campaign to fix Windows 11 (pretty much everything Microsoft does these days is). As Windows Latest reports, invitations are being sent out for a new 'Windows Insider Panel' whereby testers are being asked to put themselves forward to offer feedback on the Windows 11 interface.

Those invited (via email) need to fill in a survey which gives Microsoft a good idea of the way in which they use Windows 11 (productivity, creative apps, gaming and so forth).

The Windows and Devices UX (user experience) research panel is going to run various studies going forward, and if you're a good fit for whatever Microsoft is looking at in the way of changing Windows 11 in any particular study, they might bring you in to provide your opinions.

In the email sent out, Microsoft observes that this is a chance to: "Join and help shape the future of Windows."

Analysis: a new hope

As if we hadn't received enough in the way of signals that Microsoft really is taking its revamping of Windows 11 very seriously, this is another clear sign. Indeed, the company has already run a meeting with Windows Insiders (testers) in Seattle, noting back at the time that it is "really directly influenced" by what it's hearing from Windows 11 users.

This new research panel is set to be an ongoing project and series of studies to improve the user interface of Windows 11, which is an exciting development. I suppose you could argue that it smacks of Microsoft getting a bit desperate and clutching at straws for ideas on how to make things better, but I'm inclined to give the software giant the benefit of the doubt here.

Indeed, I'm genuinely impressed at the lengths Microsoft is going to with this whole 'fix Windows 11' initiative, and while I was initially skeptical about all the big promises the company has made, it has, so far, followed through with them in a commendably thorough fashion.

Of course, there's still a long way to go on the path of improving Windows 11 in terms of not just its interface, but performance levels. However, if Microsoft can keep up this level of commitment, I'll remain optimistic – and that's been a very difficult feeling to muster with Windows 11 in the past.