It is possible that Microsoft’s next system update might not be named Windows 12 after all, but rather a major overhaul of Windows 11 with extensive AI integration.
According to Windows Central, Microsoft is expected to ship a “version 24H2” system later this year, which will succeed the version 23H2 of Windows 11 that was released last year. Many rumors have assumed the next Windows version would be a number upgrade due to the expected heavy AI influence. However, at this point, it seems more likely the current Windows 11 system sequence will continue, especially since chief product officer Panos Panay left the company, the publication added.
The system update has been referred to by many codenames, including Hudson Valley and Germanium, for the platform release that will go to OEMs earlier for hardware development before the general release. Microsoft is expected to make the Germanium platform release available to manufacturers in April. While the full system won’t be ready for current Windows 11 users to update PCs until at least September, AI PCs with version 24H2 installed are set to be announced around June.
Certain reports have suggested that Microsoft might have strict RAM and NPU standards for AI PCs running the next Windows system, but it is unclear how it would affect upgrades. However, Windows Central noted that Microsoft will use the “OS swap” method for installing version 24H2, which fully replaces an old system version with a new OS. The update style can only be executed when the platform sequence remains the same, the publication added. In comparison, the prior 23H2 was updated with edits to the already installed system.
Once available, version 24H2 is set to bring a host of new features to the Windows ecosystem beyond the AI. Many other updates include performance, security, UX, and quality-of-life, which Microsoft has been testing in its Insider Canary Channel for some time. While not all of these features will make it to the final release of the system, this is just a taste of what Microsoft has been working on for its next release.
Microsoft also seems to have a lot of general housekeeping it plans to do in version 24H2, including clearing out various legacy applications, such as Cortana, Mail, Calendar, Maps, People, and Movies & TV. The rich text application WordPad will notably be removed in a future update.
Many other features and tweaks are coming to version 24H2, regardless of its naming sequence, and more information is likely to come out as we get closer.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.