Computerworld.com [Hacking News]

The RAM price crisis is pushing hardware manufacturers to pursue deals with Chinese companies, against the wishes of the US government. Apple is one of those reportedly exploring such deals.

“Apple is in negotiations to purchase chips from Chinese semiconductor makers ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc. (CMTI) and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) to help reduce the impact of a global memory shortage,” Bloomberg reported. “The companies are on a Pentagon blacklist of Chinese entities believed to support Beijing’s military, and Apple’s effort to buy chips from them has included appeals to Trump administration officials to help soften the political fallout,” it said.

Rumors surrounding Apple talking with CMTI and YMTC have been going on for months, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo pointing to Apple CEO Tim Cook being “one of the few tech leaders who can still navigate both Washington and Beijing, so this is better handled before he steps down as CEO.”

Beyond the potential political ramifications, any deal would have immediate implications for enterprise IT buyers.

“CIOs should focus on the risk that this strategy could introduce. Will Apple be able to thoroughly assess those chips to completely rule out the possibility of trojan horses, backdoors, and hidden functionality such as dead man switches?” asked Flavio Villanustre, CISO for the LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group. “If Apple says that they will do, to what degree of certainty? There have been rumors about hidden backdoors in chips before, such as Supermicro in 2018, ESP32 microcontroller hidden functionality in 2025, and Microsemi backdoor in 2012, to name a few.”

On the naughty list?

This issue gets complicated based on what the US government ultimately does. The two Chinese manufacturers figure on the Pentagon’s so-called 1260H list of “entities identified as Chinese Military Companies,” which also includes Chinese internet giants Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent; router maker TP-Link Technologies; and drone maker DJI. Being on that list has no real consequences for the companies concerned, but the government could move them to the Department of Commerce’s Entity List, subjecting them to export licensing requirements, or make them the subject of a Section 889 clause, barring them from government procurement deals. That could sharply change the dynamics for Apple and other technology vendors seeking cheaper RAM supplies — and for their customers.

Noah Kenney, principal consultant for Digital 520, said, “Currently, CXMT is only on the Pentagon’s 1260H list, which doesn’t legally bar transactions. Inclusion in the Commerce Department Entity List placement would, which is what Apple is seeking to prevent here.”

He suggested Apple might try to limit blowback by only using the Chinese chips in Apple devices sold in China.

If the government does intensify restrictions and if components from YMTC or CXMT “show up in a customer contract you already signed, a standard-issue device becomes a procurement compliance question. Fleet inventory in MDM will need to track memory sourcing, not just device model. That is a capability most enterprises do not have today,” Kenney said. “The real question for a CIO is not whether Washington pushes back on Apple, but whether their customers will push back for shipping Apple.”

Other vendors use Chinese RAM already

“Lenovo has sourced from Chinese memory makers for years,” as have other manufacturers, Kenney said. “The difference is that they are not lobbying the Treasury Secretary about it.”

Geopolitical analyst Irina Tsukerman said Apple could clear the way for more vendors to use cheaper RAM.

“If Apple absorbs the political criticism and keeps enterprise buyers comfortable, competitors would gain room to consider Chinese memory for selected markets or less sensitive product channels,” Tsukerman said. “If Washington turns Apple into an example, other manufacturers would become more careful around government-facing sales and reserve this kind of sourcing for places where US procurement pressure has less impact.”

Tsukerman agreed with Kenney that IT departments will need to improve component visibility.

“Enterprise CIOs should take this seriously because Apple’s reported sourcing discussions turn a normally invisible component decision into something that can affect procurement credibility, especially for buyers whose technology choices are reviewed through government or regulated-sector requirements,” Tsukerman said.

The lack of a clear product quality issue is what will make this a delicate IT dance, Tsukerman said.

“Engineers could see limited practical danger from memory sourcing alone, and procurement reviewers could still see a serious issue because the supplier has already been placed in a national-security category,” she said.

This article first appeared on Network World.

Jamf this week unveiled Beacon, a threat-hunting service that aims to provide dedicated, proactive detection and analysis of Mac threats. The new security tool relies on Jamf’s Mac telemetry, which equips Jamf Threat Labs with the kind of deep visibility it needs to hunt for Apple-specific attacks, anomalous activity and suspicious behaviors. 

Security is always a major issue, but the threat environment is only becoming more complex, with AI adding a whole new set of dangers to fear. The unique nature of the Mac creates a paradox: while more employees want to use Macs, organizations sometimes lack the relevant internal expertise to support and secure them. Even with the correct endpoint security tools and policies in place, blue teaming can be under-resourced. As a result, organizations struggle to start, scale, repeat, and measure effective Mac threat-hunting programs.

Even the smallest business needs security protection at quite a high level — but who can afford a whole threat detection and remediation team?

With that in mind, Jaron Bradley, director of Jamf Threat Labs, offered more details about the company’s newly-introduced security service and broader security issues affecting Mac fleets in the business world.

Jaron Bradley, director of Jamf Threat Labs.

Jamf

AI is boosting attackers, what is the current environment, and why is awareness becoming more essential? “AI is primarily changing the speed at which attackers operate. We’re seeing this across the board: malicious websites go live faster, malware gets built faster, and malware adapts faster once it’s detected in the wild. That said, AI isn’t only benefiting attackers; defenders have gained just as many new capabilities from it. The bigger question is who can use it better.

“AI has effectively lowered the skill floor, so someone who would have once been dismissed as a ‘script kiddie’ can now build functional malware or ransomware with far less expertise than before. That’s why awareness matters more now: the pool of capable attackers is growing even faster.”

Is perimeter security a realistic ambition anymore? “This may depend on the company and its office requirements, but many would argue that security shifted from the perimeter to the endpoint long ago. That doesn’t mean perimeter security is dead; it simply means it’s one layer in a broader defense strategy. Many security analysts have found detection and analysis of novel threats to be more achievable at the endpoint level.”

If AI identifies a vulnerability and moves to exploit it, how likely is Beacon to identify the attack taking place? “AI has certainly changed the threat landscape, especially around vulnerability discovery and exploit development. The good news for expert threat hunting is that this doesn’t have a large effect on our ability to detect attacks.

“Zero-days have always existed, and while AI raises the stakes by accelerating how quickly they’re found and weaponized, it’s usually the activity attackers perform after using an exploit, not the exploit itself, that gives them away. No defense is ever truly complete, so the real differentiator has always been how fast and how well you notice when something’s wrong. That’s exactly where Beacon is built to add value: expert knowledge of what this malicious activity looks like in the Apple environment.”

Q: What sort of threats are you seeing right now? “Infostealer malware remains the single biggest threat to macOS right now. These stealers trick users into running them through convincing fake websites and social engineering, then exfiltrate as many credentials and secrets as possible for the attacker to use, sell, or trade on the dark web. 

“Apple regularly ships new protections, and attackers just as regularly adapt their social engineering to stay ahead of them. Techniques like ClickFix, where users are tricked into pasting and running malicious commands themselves, have become especially effective because they bypass many protections entirely by getting the user to do the work. Beyond that, supply chain attacks are growing at an alarming rate, with attackers compromising developer libraries that get pulled into internal or production projects, quietly introducing backdoors without the creator’s knowledge.”

Q: What about the manufacturing sector? Is there any excuse to use legacy kit at all in an AI threat age? “AI generated threats won’t necessarily be different than traditional ones, but they will stress the seams of traditional security programs that will need to have improved visibility at scale and be able to work at a new kind of speed and agility from start to finish.”

Q: Should IT delay security releases at all anymore? “It’s difficult to find a one-size-fits-all answer here. Delaying a release makes sense when the risk of shipping outweighs the cost of waiting, and that calculation looks very different for a hospital system than it does for a consumer app. The more meaningful shift in recent years isn’t about delaying more or less; it’s about catching problems earlier, so delaying becomes the exception rather than the standard. Both rushing and waiting carry real risks, so the decision should weigh multiple factors, particularly when security updates are on the line.”

Please join me on social media at BlueSky,  LinkedIn, or Mastodon, and do subscribe my daily human-curated Apple news headline summary on Substack.

First launched in November 2023, Microsoft 365 Copilot brings a range of generative AI (genAI) features to Microsoft Office productivity apps, such as Word, Outlook, Teams, and Excel. With capabilities ranging from quick meeting summaries to in-depth data analysis, it’s available via a paid add-on license for Microsoft 365 enterprise and small-business customers.

Initially hampered by underwhelming capabilities and a hefty price tag for businesses of all sizes, M365 Copilot has slowly gained traction in business as its abilities have increased and the integrations between Copilot and various M365 apps and services have improved. With numerous feature rollouts over the past three years, Microsoft has gradually repositioned M365 Copilot from a simple chatbot to a collection of autonomous agents that can carry out tasks across the M365 ecosystem.

The company has also goosed adoption by introducing a more affordable pricing tier for small businesses and (temporarily, as it turns out) allowing commercial users with a standard M365 license to use Copilot in the Office apps, even without the add-on M365 Copilot license.

Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing: 2026 tiers TierMonthly cost (paid annually)AvailabilityM365 Copilot$30 / userFor organizations with more than 300 seats; required for in-app Copilot integration in organizations with more than 2,000 seatsM365 Copilot Business$21 / userFor organizations with 10 – 300 seatsAgent 365 (add-on management layer)$15 / userAvailable as standalone subscription or included in the new M365 E7 Frontier Suite Microsoft 365 Copilot today

In this way, Microsoft 365 Copilot has moved from genAI curiosity to a key part of many enterprises’ workflows. In January 2026, Microsoft said it had 15 million paid M365 Copilot seats, a figure the company raised to 20 million in April.

However, its momentum now faces a challenge as Microsoft limits access to Copilot Chat, a freemium version of the paid M365 Copilot, for its largest enterprise customers.

Specifically, for commercial customers with more than 2,000 seats, Microsoft has removed in-app Copilot Chat access from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. To maintain that integration, large organizations must now pay for the full $30/user/month M365 Copilot license. The M365 Copilot license includes what Microsoft calls priority access to Copilot capabilities, which provides “faster response times and more consistent availability compared to standard access,” according the the company.

Smaller firms (less than 2,000 seats) that have a Microsoft 365 license but not the add-on M365 Copilot license will maintain standard access to Copilot from within the Office apps. Microsoft warns that standard users may experience longer response times and temporary feature limitations as the service shifts resources to its higher-tier customers during peak hours.

When signed in to the Copilot Chat hub, users can see which version of Copilot they have by looking for one of the following labels at the bottom of the left sidebar:

• Copilot Chat (Basic) means the user doesn’t have an M365 Copilot license and can’t use Copilot in the Office apps. They can use the standalone Copilot Chat app with standard access.
• M365 Copilot (Basic) means the user doesn’t have an M365 Copilot license but does have standard access to Copilot in the Office apps.
• M365 Copilot (Premium) means the user has an M365 Copilot license and has priority access to Copilot in the Office apps.

Users with paid M365 Copilot licenses also get advanced features including the ability to pull in data from across the M365 environment (documents, meetings, emails, chats, etc.), extensive use of agents including “advanced” agents like Researcher and Analyst, and the ability to create custom agents. See Microsoft’s “How Copilot Chat works with and without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license” page for details.

What’s new with Microsoft 365 Copilot >

Licensing shift: Large enterprises (more than 2,000 seats) cannot access Copilot directly in Office apps without the M365 Copilot license.

Multimodel access: M365 Copilot now supports non-OpenAI models like Anthropic’s Claude 4, allowing users to choose the best logic for specific tasks.

Agentic pivot: The focus shifts from simple chat to autonomous agents that execute multi-step workflows across the M365 ecosystem.

What other Copilots does Microsoft offer?

It’s worth noting that Microsoft uses the term “Copilot” for a wide variety of genAI tools and functions. Individual users with M365 Personal, Family, and Premium subscriptions can use Copilot in Office apps, but with fewer features and privileges than business users get with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. There’s also a free consumer version of Copilot with very limited functionality.

Adding to the confusion, the company offers several specialized enterprise versions of Copilot for specific purposes, including Microsoft Copilot Studio, Microsoft Security Copilot, Azure Copilot, and GitHub Copilot, as well as additional Copilot “experiences” for Microsoft products such as Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Microsoft Fabric.

Also available: agents in M365 Copilot built for specific industries, including finance, sales, and service.

From chatbot to multi-model researcher to agentic powerhouse

Microsoft has moved away from a single-model approach for its AI assistant. Copilot Chat has evolved into a Frontier interface, allowing users to select among different LLMs (large language models) such as GPT-5.4 and Anthropic Claude 4 for specialized tasks.

A persistent AI risk for enterprises is overly permissive data access. Because Copilot inherits the permissions of the user, any file that is improperly shared within an organization can be surfaced by the AI. To combat the issue of business-critical files that are at risk due to inappropriate classification, Microsoft has integrated Purview Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) more deeply into Copilot, alerting users when they are generating content from unclassified or sensitive sources.

Other recently introduced M365 Copilot features include:

• Copilot Researcher: This feature allows the assistant to pull from multi-model intelligence, comparing perspectives from different AI models side-by-side to reduce hallucinations.
• Copilot Notebooks: Notebooks allow you to ground the AI in specific project context. These can now be exported directly into structured Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint decks, bypassing the need for manual copy and pasting.
• Teams Interpreter: Integrated directly into Teams Phone, Interpreter is designed to provide real-time, AI-powered language interpretation during live calls, a boon for global enterprise operations.
• App Builder: A no-code tool that lets business users create apps, workflows, and agents using natural language prompts. It’s essentially a “lite” version of Microsoft’s high-end Copilot Studio environment for developers.
• Agents for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint: Advanced modes that allow Copilot to take direct action on documents and files rather than simply suggest changes.

Even more notable was the June launch of Copilot Cowork, which Microsoft pitches as an AI agent for M365 Copilot that can independently perform long-running, multi-step tasks, even when a user’s computer is turned off. Unlike Anthropic’s Claude Cowork, which can interact directly with files and applications on a user’s computer, Copilot Cowork runs in Microsoft’s cloud environment and acts on documents held in a customer’s Microsoft 365 tenant. Copilot Cowork requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and is billed based on usage.

Another announcement that caused a stir was Microsoft’s unveiling of Scout, its first autonomous agent built on the open-source OpenClaw platform. By integrating OpenClaw-style agentic capabilities, Microsoft hopes to transform Copilot into an always-on system that can, for instance, scan Outlook email inboxes and calendars to suggest daily priorities. Microsoft’s implementation addresses security concerns around self-hosted agents by isolating professional-grade “autopilots” within specific roles and applying managed permission guardrails. Scout is available as an “experimental release” to customers of Microsoft’s Frontier program.

Industry analysts note that these tools are new and unproven, and IT leaders should use caution when testing them and evaluating costs.

Managing AI agent sprawl: Enter Agent 365

As organizations move beyond simple chat to building custom declarative agents in Copilot Studio, the risk of shadow AI has become a concern. Gartner reports that 86% of IT leaders require additional governance to manage these agents.

Available as an add-on subscription for Microsoft 365 or bundled in the top-end M365 E7 package, Agent 365 acts as a control plane for the AI ecosystem. Unlike the user-facing Copilot, Agent 365 is a back-end dashboard that allows IT admins to manage agents in various ways:

1. Registry and lifecycle management: View every agent — Microsoft, third-party, or internally developed — in a “single-pane-of-glass” dashboard.
2. Policy-based guardrails: Admins can set global rules to prevent agents from accessing high-sensitivity data (like payroll), even if the human user has permission.
3. Unified ROI analytics: Leaders can track which agents are actually driving value, allowing for precise seat-count adjustments during renewal cycles.
   
   

Microsoft Agent 365 quick facts Pricing$15 / user / month (as an add-on) or included in the Microsoft 365 E7 suite ($99 / user / month)Core functionsCentralized registry, access control, and performance analytics for all AI agentsObjectiveDesigned to prevent agent sprawl and ensure agents from partners (e.g., Adobe, ServiceNow, etc.) follow M365 security rules

Gartner says that Agent 365 is still a work in progress and has yet to prove it can actually reduce costs in IT operations. The analyst firm advises customers to assess Agent 365 but not necessarily move to it or the E7 bundle right away.

Copilot vs. AI in other productivity apps

Most vendors in the productivity and collaboration software market have added genAI and agentic tools to their offerings at this point.

The rivalry between Microsoft and Google has heightened in 2026. While Google has faced criticism for a messy transition from the Google Assistant to Gemini, it remains a price leader by embedding Gemini features directly into most tiers of its office suite, Google Workspace.

In contrast, Microsoft seems to be threading a needle, tightening Copilot Premium licensing for large enterprises while making basic Copilot features available to smaller customers without an add-on license. The goal may be to standardize AI as a commodity while reserving the high-value agentic features for the highest-paying enterprise customers.

While Microsoft focuses on the productivity suite, Salesforce is positioning Slack as the “agentic operating system” for the enterprise. As of April 2026, Slack AI has moved beyond summarizing to orchestrating agentic workflows. This is designed let you trigger complex, multi-step actions across non-Microsoft systems directly from a Slack thread.

Salesforce’s Agentforce platform uses the Atlas Reasoning Engine, which is designed to offer autonomous front-office automation (sales, service, and marketing). For organizations where CRM data is more critical than Word documents, Agentforce is emerging as a formidable, high-ROI alternative to Copilot.

Gartner’s 5 stages of agentic AI evolution > Gartner projects that agentic AI could drive approximately 30% of enterprise application software revenue by 2035. The analyst firm’s roadmap identifies five maturity stages for IT leaders:

>

2025: AI assistants: Embedded helpers that simplify tasks but remain dependent on human input

2026: Task-specific agents: Agents capable of end-to-end complex tasks, such as real-time cybersecurity-threat response

2027: Collaborative agents: Multi-agent systems that work together across data environments to solve multifaceted business problems

2028: Agentic front ends: A shift where a third of user experiences move away from native apps toward “agentic interfaces” that navigate multiple apps on behalf of the user

2029: Democratized ecosystems: A new normal where 50% of knowledge workers actively govern or create agents on demand for complex tasks

In March 2026, Apple launched Apple Business, a platform designed to integrate Apple Intelligence directly into macOS and iOS. Apple claims its competitive edge is its on-screen awareness. Unlike cloud-heavy competitors, Apple Intelligence is built to act across apps locally, appealing to regulated industries concerned about data leakage.

Apple Business now supports automated Managed Apple Accounts via integration with Microsoft Entra ID, a feature designed to let IT teams manage Apple’s AI features using their Microsoft identity stack.

As Microsoft tightens the reins on free access, the question for enterprise IT leaders is no longer whether Copilot can summarize a meeting, but whether the $30-per-month leap delivers enough agentic automation to justify the cost. For many, the answer will lie in the effectiveness of Agent 365 in bringing order to the burgeoning fleet of AI workers.

This article was originally published in February 2025 and most recently updated in July 2026.

More on Microsoft 365 Copilot:

• How IT leaders unlock productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Building end-to-end workflows with Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Microsoft Copilot can boost your writing in Word, Outlook, and OneNote — here’s how
• 11 cool things Copilot can do in Excel
• 9 ways Copilot can turbocharge OneNote
• How to curb hallucinations in Copilot (and other genAI tools)

Nominations for the 2027 Best Places to Work in IT program are now open! Click HERE to nominate an organization today.

The 2027 Best Places to Work in IT company survey deadline has been extended to >Friday, July 31, 2026.

See our Best Places to Work in IT 2026 special report for the complete list of current honorees, major trends from the most recent survey, and much more.

About the Best Places to Work in IT program

Computerworld conducts an annual survey to identify the best places to work for IT professionals. We invite readers, PR professionals and other interested parties to nominate companies they consider great employers for IT workers. You may nominate your own company. We then ask those nominated companies that meet our basic criteria to participate in our survey.

Once again, we are excited to extend this program, which has a 33-year history in the United States, to companies worldwide.

The employers in the Best Places list are evaluated by company size: Large companies have 5,000 or more employees; midsize have between 1,001 and 4,999 employees; and small companies employ from 100 to 1,000.

To be eligible, companies must have a minimum of 5 IT employees and a minimum of 100 total employees. We consider IT employees to be those IT workers who provide technology support and services to their own company — or to multiple companies through their work at an IT service provider. Workers who would *not* be included are administrative support staff for the IT department, staff who work in communications or PR for the technology department, IT contractors, or those staff whose primary role is in product development for outside sales.

Best Places to Work in IT is a global program. We ask that companies submit no more than one survey within any one country. If your company operates in multiple countries and you would like to submit a survey for your location only, please note this in the company name field (e.g., “Foundry North America” or “Foundry Germany”). If no location is specified in the company name, we will assume that the entry represents all locations worldwide.

In most cases, we prefer to have the parent company, rather than subsidiaries or affiliates, apply for the Best Places to Work in IT list. However, a subsidiary or affiliate may be eligible, providing that it stands out as a separate entity from the parent company, with separate business functions, IT leadership and so on. A subsidiary may also be eligible to apply separately if its parent company is a holding company. In those cases, the parent company and subsidiary may be able to apply separately. We encourage companies to complete the nomination form or contact us at [email protected], and our Best Places research team will evaluate the submissions on a case-by-case basis.

Questions about the Best Places to Work in IT program can be emailed to [email protected].

Frequently asked questions Survey requirements and eligibility Does my company have to be nominated to complete the survey?

No. Companies may participate even if they were not nominated. In lieu of a nomination, please send an email to [email protected] with the name and contact information (including email address) of the individual who should receive the company survey and other information; we’ll take care of the rest.

Does the Best Places to Work in IT list include public companies only?

No. The survey includes private as well as public companies.

What criteria must my company meet to participate?

To be considered for our Best Places to Work in IT list:

• Companies must have a minimum of 5 IT employees.
• Companies must have a minimum of 100 total employees worldwide.
• In most cases, we prefer to have the parent company, rather than subsidiaries or affiliates, apply for the Best Places to Work in IT list. However, a subsidiary or affiliate may be eligible, providing that it stands out as a separate entity from the parent company, with separate business functions, IT leadership and so on. A subsidiary may also be eligible to apply separately if its parent company is a holding company. In those cases, the parent company and subsidiary may be able to apply separately. We encourage companies to complete the nomination form or contact us at [email protected], and our Best Places research team will evaluate the submissions on a case-by-case basis.

Who should complete the survey?

An individual familiar with employment statistics, benefits, policies and programs of your IT department and your company should complete the survey. This could be a human resources representative, a CIO or corporate PR representative — or a team of all the above.

Survey contents and procedures What does the company survey ask?

Our online survey includes questions about companies’ benefits, training and development, IT salary changes, percent of IT employees promoted, IT turnover rates, and the percentage of women employees in management in IT departments. In addition, we will collect information about company culture, workplace modernization, and company growth.

Which employees are considered “IT workers” in this survey?

Answers to the survey should be based on those IT workers who provide technology support and services to their own company — or to multiple companies through their work at an IT service provider. Workers who wouldn’t be included are administrative support staff for the IT department, staff who work in communications or PR for the technology department, IT contractors, or those staff whose primary role is in product development for outside sales.

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You can’t leave a question blank if it is required. Many of the questions on the survey are required; the survey can’t be processed if they aren’t answered. Please answer to the best of your ability for questions with lists or options included. If any open-ended/text based questions aren’t applicable to your company, please indicate “NA” for “not applicable.” If there is a question you can’t answer fully given the format of the survey, you may briefly explain your answers in an addendum field that follows each survey section.

Companies that withhold information used to rank the finalists will have points deducted from their ranking. Answers that are left blank or have unexplained N/As will be assumed to be 0 (zero).

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Computerworld tries to avoid printing information that a company may consider competitive. The following information may appear publicly:

• Company name
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 All other information will be used only in aggregate format or for ranking purposes, unless a featured organization explicitly grants permission.

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Best Places to Work in IT 2027 Company SurveyDownload Will Computerworld provide us with a copy of our submitted survey?

Upon request, Computerworld will email you a PDF of your company’s survey responses.

Is there an employee portion to the survey?

There is no longer an employee survey portion to the survey. Computerworld decided to make this change in the 2023 program to streamline the process for global participation and to enable companies with smaller IT departments to participate. In lieu of the employee survey portion of the program, Computerworld will be inviting a panel of judges consisting of industry experts to evaluate entries and confirm this year’s honorees.

List publication and notification When will the list of honorees be published?

The Best Places to Work in IT honorees will be announced in December 2026 on Computerworld.com.

When can I find out if my company is on the list?

Computerworld will notify companies that will be honored as a 2027 Best Place to Work in IT several weeks in advance of publication. Computerworld will provide honorees with an online press kit including a sample press release and other promotional information.

Is there a timeline to which I can refer for survey action items?

Below is the 2027 Best Places to Work in IT timeline.

April 15, 2026Nominations open for the 2026 Best Places to Work in IT. Nominated companies receive an email with a unique link to the Best Places company survey from Computerworld by the end of April. Thereafter, company surveys will be sent on a rolling basis.July 31, 2026DEADLINE: Completed Best Places company survey is due to Computerworld.October 2026
Nominees are notified regarding their status as Best Places to Work in IT honorees.December 2026List of Best Places to Work in IT honorees is available online. What if I have a question that was not answered in this FAQ?

Please email your questions to the following address: [email protected].

In the subject line, please include your company name and be as descriptive as possible in the subject line as to the nature of your inquiry.

Microsoft this week tried to address the growing challenges surrounding notetaker bots in meetings by giving IT better control over them.

Microsoft’s announcement said that users of Microsoft Teams will be able to block non-Microsoft bots “even in meetings where organizers allow participants to bypass the lobby.”

When the feature is enabled, Teams automatically detects potential bots, places them in the meeting lobby, clearly identifies them, and prompts organizers to confirm admission, Microsoft said, and even in meetings where organizers allow human participants to bypass the lobby, bots identified through this new policy will continue to require approval before joining.

“We’ve strengthened Teams’ ability to distinguish between bots and human participants as they join a meeting,” the company said. “Teams now uses a combination of behavioral and infrastructure signals to identify bots with a higher degree of accuracy. Alongside these improvements, soon we’ll introduce a registration path for independent software vendors (ISVs) that build meeting experiences for Microsoft Teams.”

The underlying problem with the strategy is more complicated, however. Although AI bots launched by the meeting owner are typically announced at the beginning of a call, and participants’ bots announce themselves as the attendees log in, alert fatigue is diluting how carefully people watch what they say during those meetings.

But the thornier issue is that meeting owners’ approval of their own bot notetakers typically happens right before the start of a call, and the host has no control over whether participants also introduce their own AI notetakers.

And even if the intended topic of a call was innocuous, if someone brings up something that needs to be kept secret, such as plans for a hostile takeover or discussion about firing an employee, that is duly recorded by every bot. This expands the threat surface and increases the ways sensitive data could leak.

Doesn’t rein in Microsoft bots

Analysts and consultants agreed that any effort to restrict notetaking apps is good for enterprise IT, but some questioned whether the Microsoft effort went far enough.

“Although this new capability is useful to prevent external bots from attending recurring meetings even if they were needed for just one instance, it doesn’t seem to me that it does anything to prevent Microsoft’s own bots from doing so,” said Flavio Villanustre, CISO for the LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group. 

Indeed, the Microsoft statement solely talks about managing “external bots and their access to meetings.”

In fact, Gartner VP analyst Nader Henein said the limited controls that Microsoft is offering may actually dilute IT’s ability to control access to sensitive information.

Allowing any additional AI notetaking “takes the option to restrict/redact off the table,” and that control is what he thinks IT leaders should demand. The only practical way to do that is to allow only one notetaking app for any meeting and it needs to be controlled by the meeting owner.

“Allowing attendees to ask for an AI summary from the meeting owner and giving the owner the capacity to provide different versions that potentially shield sensitive data is a better choice for organizations looking to support better meeting follow ups without adding more work on the meeting owner,” Henein said. “It could even be set up in advance so a ‘sanitized’ summary is available for download.”

Tom Findling, CEO of Conifers.ai, agreed with Henein and argued that these notetaking app controls have to be centralized with IT.

“Microsoft basically built a bouncer for meeting bots and that is a good thing. But the real risk shows up later, when a normal meeting turns into M&A, legal, HR, or board-level discussion while an AI notetaker is still running,” Findling said. “Now that transcript may be sitting in a cloud nobody approved. You do not fix that live. You fix it upfront. For legal, finance, HR, and exec meetings, external AI notetakers should be blocked by default unless explicitly approved.”

Existing governance not enough

Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst at Greyhound Research, said the slowly changing nature of AI notetakers has allowed them to slip by IT governance rules.

“A meeting note was once a harmless aid. It is now a searchable corporate record that can hold intent, allegations and material non-public information. Once a conversation is transcribed and saved, it has left the room, and it begins to travel through mail, search, and discovery with a life of its own,” Gogia said. “Microsoft’s control is useful, but should not be oversold. It detects external bots and puts them before an organizer for approval. It does not yet block them, and approval at the lobby is not a governance model. Capture also arrives by routes the lobby never sees, through browser extensions and personal devices.”

Gogia also argued that the inevitable errors in these bot-generated transcripts or summaries, whether caused by hallucination or simply incorrect interpretation what was actually said, is also a massive risk.

“AI summary does not merely create a record. It creates an authoritative-looking one that is often wrong and, in doing so, it inverts the burden of proof. Once a summary exists, the question shifts from proving what was said to disproving what the machine wrote,” Gogia said. “A tentative ‘we should look at acquiring them’ can harden into ‘we agreed to acquire them’ and that version becomes the default until someone corrects it.”

And, noted Justin Greis, CEO of consulting firm Acceligence, the problem will only get worse as AI summary generators morph into agentic systems, with action-taking autonomous agents.

“Over the next few years, we’ll see AI agents that summarize, extract decisions, assign work, update business systems, prepare follow-up documents, and collaborate with other AI systems after the meeting ends,” he said. “In fact, we are already seeing that integration happen, and it is simultaneously incredibly valuable and outrageously risky. The real question isn’t whether to allow an AI notetaker. It’s how organizations will govern an increasingly machine-readable workplace.”

Greis said that he sees the Microsoft approach as a good start, “because they’re treating AI participants more like digital identities than software features.”

He pointed out, “detection, verification, explicit admission, auditability, and policy-based control are exactly the kinds of enterprise controls we’ll need as AI agents become commonplace. This feels very similar to identity and access management twenty years ago. We eventually realized we weren’t managing employees, we were managing identities. AI agents deserve the same treatment.”

The nature of security threats is changing. AI hasn’t just driven up energy prices and consumer electronics costs, it’s also ushering in a new era of AI-augmented cyberattacks, one where the time between a flaw being discovered and being exploited is shrinking fast.

Apple is already signaling that it sees this coming.

Why Apple moved first

The company has begun accelerating the release of security updates specifically to counter AI-assisted hacking. This week’s patch was pushed out ahead of Apple’s usual schedule, and the company told Reuters it’s adapting to a reality in which artificial intelligence can speed up the development of malicious tools. 

The logic is simple. If an AI system can find a flaw for one user, it can identify vulnerabilities for other users; that’s a benefit for well-resourced attackers prepared to move fast once a vulnerability becomes public. Hackers are, after all, one group in tech that really doesn’t worry much about moving fast and breaking things.

Apple said it has no evidence any of the patched vulnerabilities were actively exploited before the fix shipped, but that’s not a reason for complacency — especially in business and education, where deployment tends to lag.

Caution has become risk

That lag is a vulnerability. Traditionally, some industries — particularly, regulated ones — have delayed the installation of system upgrades. That was sensible because it enabled them to identify compatibility problems before a company-wide deployment took place. 

The new problem is that AI-accelerated attackers can specifically target organizations that haven’t yet patched, turning a cautious rollout window into a viable attack surface.

IT must now think deeply about company security policy. The old playbook needs rethinking, and Apple’s new approach to fast and swift security upgrades shows the way. You only need to review some of the data from a Kandji (now Iru) report to see the extent to which business is vulnerable to time itself. 

Legacy hardware? A gift to attackers

There’s another big problem for most enterprises: legacy hardware. Old, unsupported devices that can’t run the latest security protection must be replaced fast. That old hardware is a viable and attractive launch point for any wise cybercriminal. 

That’s not just an Apple issue; those firms still running Windows 10 systems are very much at risk. That risk is wide, given estimates that around 35% of US business systems are still running Windows 10.

Manufacturing is particularly exposed to the specter of an AI-attack. Apple and Tata Electronics are still reeling from the consequences of the recent attack at Apple’s India iPhone maker, which saw vast troves of confidential data stolen. (We don’t know whether AI was used in that attack, but we do know it is being used in attacks.)

Manufacturing is a target

Manufacturing has emerged as the most heavily targeted sector. Attackers have identified structural vulnerabilities that beset the market, including legacy infrastructure, sprawling supplier networks with inconsistent security postures, and tight margins that limit how fast companies can modernize. 

None of that is likely to change anytime soon, so attackers will continue to make extensive use of artificial intelligence to probe for weak links in manufacturing tech infrastructure. Combined with rapid increases in tech hardware prices and continued constraints on renewal budgets, companies are likely to find themselves even more exposed before things improve. 

What does this mean for the industry?

In general, the manufacturing industry will likely need to invest in more effective security protection, potentially amplifying ongoing inflationary pressure.

At Apple, it means the company must now intensify its race to secure its vast endpoint perimeter as AI weapons are applied by a variety of entities, including the nation state-adjacent hackers who want to subvert platform security in service of authoritarian control and surveillance.

For business, it means IT — and regulators — must swiftly review best-practice approaches to account for a fast-moving security environment in which failure to swiftly deploy updates can leave a company open to attack. For platform providers, it implies an imperative moral obligation to widen the security support windows for older devices. 

And for the rest of us, it means we must be even more conscious of the need to follow good security practices, including timely installation of security updates. And it may be time to retire some of the old devices, or at least take them offline. This is all unfolding at the same time the economy seems ready to call a time-out on affordable consumer electronics everywhere. Good times, indeed.

Please join me on social media at BlueSky,  LinkedIn, or Mastodon, and do subscribe my daily human-curated Apple news headline summary on Substack.

It was one of the biggest tech headlines in June: Amid the race leading up to the initial public offerings (IPOs) of artificial intelligence (AI) giants, the United States used its “blocking card” to disable Anthropic’s latest models. Citing national security concerns, the Trump Administration forced the company to prevent non-U.S. citizens (even in the US) from using its most advanced models — the very ones it had just unveiled. Speculation suggests the same thing could happen to OpenAI.

The ban on Anthropic was not lifted until June 30. The US administration said that, in the intervening weeks, it had worked with the company to “review and approve Fable5 to ensure it aligns with the US government and strengthens US leadership in AI.” For its part, OpenAI confirmed that its next major launch would begin with a preview for “trusted partners ”—a list it has shared with the US government.

Are these companies falling victim to their own marketing — having touted that their models are becoming increasingly intelligent and potentially more dangerous? Or are they collateral damage in an uncertain geopolitical world? Whatever the rationale, the recent moves raise questions in Europe, where digital sovereignty movements are on the rise.

The sudden shutdown of Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for European companies had a limited direct impact, because the models were so new. As Fernando Maldonado, senior analyst at Foundry Spain, noted: “Hardly anyone here had even started using them yet.” The indirect impact is more far-reaching, because it shows that a forced technological blackout is possible and that Europe has a limited margin for response.

The doomsday scenarios warn that Europe could be headed for a future tech disaster that will have a domino effect on the economy and society. That’s the conclusion of the “Europe 2031” report, prepared by a group of European AI researchers, analysts, and investors. “The current trajectory of AI calls for the most ambitious political agenda in the history of postwar Europe,” the report concludes. They argue that Europe has failed to grasp the scale of AI ‘s spread and warn that Europe couldl fall into irrelevance. (The group estimates that, in that scenario, the continent would control only 5% of AI computing by 2031, compared to 80% for the US). There is much talk of sovereignty, but little real-world action so far.

That dystopian vision of the future coexists with other, more nuanced perspectives. But analysts and political scientists point out that AI could yet become an economic and political lever that will shape the future balance of power.

The ‘kill switch’ scenario

The total shutdown “kill switch” option, deemed impossible not so long ago, has established itself as one of the real potential fears in geopolitical risk: it was on the agenda at the recent G7 meeting. The Anthropic case was seen as a warning. “Technology is increasingly a strategic asset. Europe must be able to act on its own terms,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told Euronews. Speaking to Reuters, he added, “This event is further proof that Europe must strengthen its technological sovereignty.”

The Anthropic outage “has given ammunition to those who have been calling for investment in technological sovereignty and highlights this geopolitical situation,” said Beatriz Arias, director of digital transformation at DigitalES. Arias believes the incident shows that today’s reality requires work in more areas; it is no longer enough to manage telecommunications or standards. Other issues such as interoperability and intellectual property are on the table, as well as “the need to invest more in our own capabilities, without prejudice to our continued commitment to an open model of cooperation and alliances.”

That said, Darío García de Viedma, a researcher in Technology and Digital Policy at the Elcano Royal Institute, does not believe the feared kill switch will be used, “because the US technology export model depends on companies. Companies are the strong arm of US diplomacy in the technological sphere.” For them to play that tole, they need a global presence. But he does agree that what happened with Anthropic helps “explain this risk to the public” — and incidentally showcase what technological sovereignty is.

Even if a catastrophic blackout doesn’t occur, other problems could still hinder access. Political scientist Amélie Férey explained on France Culture how license prices could gradually rise and drive up costs. Or access to certain features could be gradually restricted. As García de Viedma put it, a moratorium on model access would create a “temporal asymmetry.” Disruptions can occur in “the complex supply chain behind all our technology,” through export controls (something now happening in the chip market) or through the degradation of essential services (such as what could happen with Starlink coverage).

In recent years, the European Union has entered a race in that arena, one that involves symbolic measures well as practical legislative moves. The European Parliament has dropped Google as its default search engine and replaced it with the French Qwant. And in early June, the Commission presented its European Technology Sovereignty Package, which addresses, among other issues, AI. They aim to ensure that Europe becomes “a continent of AI, strengthen its digital autonomy, and help build a more sustainable digital future,” while also acknowledging Europe’s technological dependence.

“We cannot afford to depend on others for the technologies that keep our hospitals running, our energy grids stable, and our services secure,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Specifically, Europe aims to triple the capacity of its data centers over the next five to seven years, boost the adoption of AI, enhance research and innovation, and work on its own development and deployment efforts. The package will now have to go through an approval process to become law and take effect.

Henna Virkkunen and Dan Jørgensen at the presentation of the EU’s technological sovereignty package on June 3.

UE

Has Europe done enough?

The big question is whether what Europe has done — and what it plans to do — will be enough. Are the sovereignty packages sufficient, or are they vague and lacking in concrete details? The Europe 2031 group accuses Europe of making empty promises that don’t translate into tangible results.

García de Viedma said the latest package represents “good progress, which is defining technological sovereignty as risk mitigation.” In this case, risk has three aspects: technological dependence could be used as a coercive measure; tech operations could be disrupted “if at any point our alliances deteriorate;” and IT could be used as a tool for surveillance.

“Not to sound like conspiracy theorists, but the fact is that there is a possibility that whoever controls the communication nodes and software has the ability to see, if not everything, then at least some things,” he said. “That gives them an advantage.” Therefore, sovereignty is not so much “that identity-based vision” but rather one of “risk avoidance.” It’s not about using European technology simply because it’s European, but about understanding the risks of not using it.

Viedma believes the Commission has accurately identified today’s problems (such as governance or the digitization of the power grid, “the main bottleneck for AI”) but wonders about the future. Added to this is the issue of money: investment is a key piece in this chess game.

DigitalES views the efforts currently under way — such as those regarding European chips — favorably. “What’s needed is more determination and focus,” said Arias. Incidents like the Anthropic case can “help move in that direction.” While European investment plans in AI may seem less grandiose than those of the sector’s major companies, Arias warned against defeatist rhetoric.

“The EU is doing what it needs to do,” he said, and is creating “a more geopolitically stable environment for investors. Ultimately, this is about the market and who creates the most value.” European regulations can eventually become global standards, with Europe positioning itself “as an attractive partner for investment” — one that is “reliable and more predictable.”

Arias said the key lies not in complete autonomy, but in finding a balance. “We don’t have to produce 100% of what we use, and we shouldn’t depend 100% on a single supplier or jurisdiction.” What’s needed is technological diplomacy, being able to navigate complex waters and safeguard interests.

Playing by different rules in the global AI market is not feasible. “You must be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.” And she insists: “Europe is by no means a long shot — quite the opposite, because it offers certain guarantees.”

The next great revolution

Europe is late to the AI race, but it can still “assume a certain leadership role,” depending on how the sector evolves, as García de Viedma notes. Europe can carve out its own niche and investments are being made and efforts are under way to do so. In AI, this involves identifying areas of European specialization.

There remains a lot of work to be done and, possibly, lessons learned from past experiences to face what lies ahead. AI issues are part of a very complex reality. Arias warned of the need to prepare for “the convergence of artificial intelligence with the computing power that quantum computing will provide” featuring “dual-use technology that will be employed for both military and civilian purposes.” These will be more powerful tools that “require a more solid foundation.

“Such technological diplomacy will be necessary to negotiate global quantum standards, protect intellectual property, and address the potential impact on national security.”

The quantum revolution is imminent, but has yet to unfold, and Europe can capitalize on it. “Europe is jumping on this bandwagon,” argued Arias, highlighting the investments and work on quantum capabilities. “We’re in a very different situation than we were with the cloud and artificial intelligence.” The EU is “acting quickly” and opening the door to “positioning ourselves country by country.”

The US government has reversed export restrictions on Anthropic’s frontier AI models Fable 5 and Mythos 5, allowing the company to resume global access after nearly three weeks of disruption triggered by concerns over the models’ cybersecurity capabilities.

“As of today, June 30, the export controls on Fable 5 and Mythos 5 have been lifted,” Anthropic said in a blog post. The company said Fable 5 will begin rolling out globally on July 1 across Claude Platform, Claude.ai, Claude Code and Claude Cowork, while access on Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Foundry will be restored “as quickly as possible.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the administration had worked with Anthropic before reversing the restrictions.

“Over the past two weeks, we have worked closely with Anthropic to analyze and approve Fable 5 to ensure alignment across the US Government and strengthen America’s leadership in AI,” Lutnick wrote in a post on X.

Anthropic had launched Fable 5 and Mythos 5 on June 9, and the US authorities restricted their export on June 12.

The Anthropic decision comes as other frontier AI developers are also operating under closer government scrutiny.

In announcing GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna last week, OpenAI said it had previewed both its rollout plans and the model’s capabilities to the US government before launch and, “at their request,” was initially making the model available only to “a small group of trusted partners” whose participation had been shared with the government.

OpenAI said it would continue coordinating with government partners before expanding availability, but added that it did not believe “this kind of government access process should become the long-term default” because it keeps advanced AI tools from “users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them.”

Analysts say the Anthropic decision reflects a broader shift in how frontier AI models are governed.

“The reversal is not the story; the instrument beneath it is,” said Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst at Greyhound Research. Washington, he said, has applied the long-standing “deemed export” doctrine to frontier AI models, signalling “negotiated oversight, conditional and monitored, rather than blanket prohibition.”

Immediate order created global disruption

Anthropic said the June 12 export controls required it to restrict access to foreign nationals.

“Because the order took effect immediately and we had no reliable way to verify nationality in real-time, we suspended access to both models for all users,” it added. The company partially restored Mythos 5 last week for a limited group of US organizations.

Anthropic said the restrictions followed a report from Amazon researchers describing a technique that bypassed one of Fable 5’s cybersecurity safeguards. After reviewing the findings with Amazon and the US government, the company concluded the technique “did not expose any unique Mythos-level cyber capabilities” and instead represented “a borderline case for Fable 5’s safeguards.”

It subsequently retrained its safety classifier, saying the reported technique is now blocked in more than 99% of cases, while acknowledging that the stronger protections would increase false positives for some legitimate coding requests. Researchers at the US Department of Commerce’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation also evaluated the updated safeguards, Anthropic said.

Enterprises face a new continuity risk

Experts say the episode demonstrates that frontier AI’s availability can now be shaped by policy decisions as much as technical capability.

“Frontier access has become conditional infrastructure,” Gogia said. “The models went dark globally because nationality could not be verified in real time, so a control aimed at foreign nationals became an outage for everyone.”

He said enterprises should also not assume that deploying models across multiple cloud providers insulates them from regulatory actions affecting the underlying model provider.

According to Gogia, organizations should begin evaluating frontier AI platforms for regulatory interruption, cross-border identity restrictions, channel restoration delays, and trusted-partner eligibility alongside traditional security, commercial, and technical considerations.

Anthropic proposes a common jailbreak framework

Anthropic used the announcement to call for an industry-wide framework to assess AI jailbreaks, saying developers and governments currently lack a common standard for evaluating newly discovered techniques.

“There’s currently no consensus in the AI industry on how to describe, in objective terms, the severity of an AI jailbreak,” the company said. Anthropic said it is working with Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and other Project Glasswing partners on a framework for evaluating jailbreaks, while also expanding collaboration with the US government through pre-release testing of future frontier models, information sharing, and joint AI security research.

“Government involvement in AI releases requires a durable, transparent process that gives cyber defenders and others the certainty they need about access to powerful models,” Anthropic said. “These rules should be codified in strong regulation and applied equally across frontier model developers.”

Gogia said the broader lesson extends beyond Anthropic’s restored access. “Restored access is not restored certainty,” Gogia said. “Build for the detour, because the road now runs through policy.”

The article originally appeared on CIO.

Few apps are as essential to mobile productivity as the humble word processor. I think I’ve probably spent a solid seven years of my life staring at Google Docs on one device or another at this point, and those minutes only keep ticking up with practically every passing day.

While we can’t do much about the need to gaze at that word-filled white screen, what we can do is learn how to make every moment spent within Docs count — and in the Docs Android app, specifically, there are some pretty spectacular tucked-away time-savers just waiting to be discovered.

Make a mental note of these advanced shortcuts and options, and put ’em to good use the next time you find yourself staring at Docs on your own device.

Google Docs Android feature #1: Smarter document organization

We’ll save the best for, erm, first — ’cause the easily overlooked feature we’re kickin’ things off with can save you some serious time and make your mobile editing experience significantly easier.

After all, dealing with a complex document from your phone can be a real hassle. Who wants to waste time scrolling through endless-seeming screens to find the section of info you need to read, edit, or work on at any given moment?

I sure as heckfire don’t — and if you remember to use Docs’ out-of-the-way Outline option, you’ll never have to do it again, either. While viewing or editing any document with any sort of headers in it (be they actual header-formatted text or even just bolded section titles), tap the three-dot menu icon in Docs’ upper-right corner and then select “Document Outline.”

And by golly, wouldya look at that?

An automatic document outline is never out of reach in the Docs Android app.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Jumping to any part of the document is now just a single tap away.

[Psst: Love shortcuts? My Android Shortcut Supercourse will teach you tons of time-saving tricks for every single part of your smartphone experience. Sign up now for free!]

Google Docs Android feature #2: Instant tab access

Speaking of organization, in that same section of the in-document three-dot menu resides an easily overlooked option called “Document tabs.”

Tap it, and you can then see, manage, and move among any tabs created within the document for added organization — just like in the Docs desktop interface.

Who knew?! Your Google Docs tabs are now accessible within the Docs Android app as well.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Yes, please — and thank you.

Google Docs Android feature #3: Easier Word integration

When you’re working with clients, colleagues, or even camels who for some reason prefer the Microsoft editing ecosystem, you don’t have to do much to bridge that gap. The Docs Android app can already open and allow you to edit Word files, without any work — and with one simple flip of a switch, you can create new files in the .DOCX format just as easily.

To find the feature, you’ve gotta back out of any actual documents and get onto the main Docs screen — the screen with the search box at the top and all your documents listed out beneath it. Tap the three-line menu icon in the upper-left corner of that screen and head into the Settings section of that main menu. There, you should see the very switch we need:

Tick one toggle, and you can then create native Word files within the Docs Android app anytime.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Flip that into the on position, then back yourself out to the main Docs screen. The next time you tap the plus icon in that area’s lower-right corner, you should see “New Word file” show up as an option right above the default “New Docs file” command.

And just as a reminder, if you ever want to save an existing Docs file into the .DOCX format, you can do that, too: Tap the three-dot menu icon while editing a document, select “Share & export,” then select “Save As” and choose the “Word (.docx)” option.

Saving any document as a Word file is also easy, once you know where to look.

JR Raphael, Foundry

You can also save the file as a PDF or other common document format from that same menu.

Google Docs Android feature #4: The swift sender

While we’re thinkin’ about dealing with different document formats, download this into your long-term memory: The next time you need to save or send a document as an actual file — as opposed to an in-app, collaboration-ready Google Docs share — you can save yourself the trouble of downloading and then reuploading the thing and simply send it directly from the Docs Android app.

The trick is to once again tap that three-dot menu icon whilst editing a file and then select that same “Share & export” menu we just went over. But this time, instead of going with the “Save As” option, select “Send a copy.”

You can then pick from the same set of format choices we just finished exploring. And from there, Docs will allow you to choose from any compatible app on your device — everything from Android email and messaging apps to note-storing services like Notion and Trello.

Send any document into any other compatible app on your phone for a simplified sharing setup.

JR Raphael, Foundry

All it takes is one more tap from there, and your document will be on its way to the appropriate place in the format you requested — just like that.

Google Docs Android feature #5: The local file finder

Ever download a document onto your phone — be it from an email, a Slack channel, a website, or any other such source — and then later find yourself struggling to find it? Well, get this: Google’s got its own simple file finder ready and waiting for you right within the regular Docs app. Who woulda thunk, right?!

But oh, it be there, all righty. It’s that innocuous little folder icon within the search bar on the main Docs screen — something I must’ve seen about a thousand times before I ever thought to actually tap it.

Whoa — a built-in Docs file finder?!

JR Raphael, Foundry

When you do, the app will prompt you to find a saved file from either your local phone storage or from your online Drive storage. And once you select either option, you can browse through the associated place to see what’s there or search to find exactly what you’re after — no hopping over to a separate Android file manager required.

Google Docs Android feature #6: The Drive detour

Speaking of Google Drive, if you ever find yourself needing to mosey over to the full Drive interface to dig around more deeply or pull up a file that isn’t text-related, here’s a handy little secret:

You can actually fly from Docs directly to Drive without going through all the usual steps — y’know, heading back to your home screen, finding the Drive icon, and opening it up anew from there.

Just rely on the Docs app’s artfully hidden Drive shortcut to slash steps and zip straight between the two related interfaces. The option is quietly waiting for you within the three-line menu icon on the main Docs screen.

Docs and Drive — BFFs forever.

JR Raphael, Foundry

And now you know.

Google Docs Android feature #7: The account adjuster

Keep that overly moist eyeball of yours in that same area of the Docs app interface for a minute, ’cause we’ve got one more sneaky shortcut worth unearthing there.

It’s a shortcut baked into your face — or whatever sort of image you’ve got in place for your Google account profile photo, up in the app’s upper-right corner.

As is the case with most Google-made apps on Android these days, you can swipe up or down on that image to flip through any additional accounts you’ve got connected on your phone. If you only have a single account set up, this obviously won’t apply to you. But if you have, say, a personal Google account and a work address or even a few different situation-specific personal or work identities, it’s a splendid way to move between ’em with next to no effort and just a single swift swipe.

Google Docs Android feature #8: The direct document shortcut

Another shortcut worth burning into your brainspace: If you find yourself working on a specific document or set of documents frequently — whether they’re evolving documents you access all the time or just specific projects on your radar at one particular moment — save yourself the steps of opening the Docs app, finding ’em there, and then tapping their titles to get into ’em and instead give yourself one-tap shortcuts to open the files directly from your home screen.

The option to do that is pretty buried, but it’s well worth digging up. Start by finding the document in question on the main Docs screen. Long-press it, and then look way down on the menu that pops up for the “Add to home screen” command. (Depending on the size of your phone, you might have to scroll down that menu a bit before you’ll see it appear.)

You’ve usually gotta scroll to find it, but Docs’ “Add to home screen” option is there and ready to save you time.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Tap that bad boy and follow the prompt to place the shortcut wherever you want it — and say “hocus pocus” for good measure, if you’re feelin’ merry — and before you know it, you’ll have an app-like icon sitting right on your home screen. Tapping it will take you directly into the document you selected, without any extra steps required.

You could even get ambitious and create an entire folder on your home screen where you store a variety of high-priority or in-progress documents.

What’s up, Docs?

JR Raphael, Foundry

Three cheers for seconds saved!

Google Docs Android feature #9: Quick function shortcuts

Let’s keep our shortcut mojo goin’ for one more minute, shall we? You can actually follow that same pattern we just went over and and put shortcuts for common Docs commands like creating a new document or searching your existing documents right on your home screen, too. That way, you can perform the associated commands quickly and without any wasted effort opening up the app and hunting around for ’em — and what’s not to love about added efficiency?

These are actually part of Android’s oft-forgotten App Shortcuts system — the thing that came around way back with 2016’s Android 7.1 Nougat release and that’s still vexingly out of sight and out of mind for most of us.

Open up your app drawer, though, and find the Docs icon — or find the Docs icon on your home screen, if it’s there. Press and hold it, and you should see a series of options for direct shortcuts to actions within the app appear.

All sorts of helpful Docs options are accessible right from your home screen.

JR Raphael, Foundry

You can always get to those by long-pressing the Docs icon, but if you find yourself using the functions often, you can make it even easier by pressing and holding one of ’em within that pop-up menu and then dragging it directly onto your home screen for one-touch access.

You could even build yourself a nifty little Docs command center for super-fast access to all the stuff you use the most:

Docs, Docs, everywhere — so many options, never more than a tap away.

JR Raphael, Foundry

And while we’ve got easy access on our minds…

Google Docs Android feature #10: The offline on switch

By default, the Docs Android app will make any files you actively work within the app available for offline use for a while — but if you’re getting ready to travel or expecting any other connectivity-challenged moments, you don’t have to rely on its judgment to make sure your stuff is accessible even without internet access.

From the main Docs screen, tap the three-dot icon alongside any document name and then look for the “Make available offline” option within the menu that pops up.

Pro tip: Turn offline access on before the need actually arises.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Tap that for any document that you expect to need and then rest easy knowing it’ll be there and available for you — no matter your current connection status.

Google Docs Android feature #11: Wordless reactions

Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words. Or at least a couple hundred.

That’s especially true when collaborating on a document and expressing your opinions — which, let’s be honest, often come down to simple reactions like ???? or maybe ????.

Docs has allowed emoji reactions as a part of its editing process for a while now, and at some point along the way, the Android app gained the same ability. It’s just weirdly tucked away in a place where few word-minded mammals would ever find it.

So do this: The next time you’re working on a shared doc, try pressing and holding your finger onto any word to highlight it. (You can then use the selector icons that pop up to expand or shift your selection, if needed.)

Now for the tricky part: In the menu that appears alongside your selection — the one that contains “Copy” and other such commands — look for the three-line icon at its far right side.

See that little three-line icon within the text actions pop-up?

JR Raphael, Foundry

Tap that — and lookie what we have here: the awkwardly hidden option to add an emoji reaction! ????

Emojis for everyone — hip, hip, hoorah!

JR Raphael, Foundry

Hit that sneaky little thing with all your might, then select the most appropriate reaction and move on with a satisfied ???? in your mind.

Google Docs Android feature #12: Your in-doc AI

Generative AI these days is a bit of a mixed bag, to put it politely. Google’s Gemini and other such services are arguably causing more harm than good, on numerous levels, and also just creating paths for lazy, low-quality and accuracy-challenged work.

But in the right scenario and with the right sort of framing, Gemini-style AI can actually be useful. The onus just falls squarely on you to determine how to most effectively use it and avoid falling into the traps of unoriginality or, worse, inaccuracy.

The Docs Android app now offers a direct shortcut to Gemini within its editing interface — via the starburst-shaped icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen — and with some careful considering, it might just end up being a helpful reading or editing tool for you.

A few suggestions that notably don’t involve having AI write lazy, uninspired copy on your behalf:

• You can use the Gemini in Docs system as a quick ‘n’ easy way to get a definition or list of synonyms for any word in front of you.
• You can also use it to ask for context or related information — like an integrated research aide. (Just remember that AI doesn’t always get things right, so treat it as more of a starting point than a final quote-ready answer.)
• And you can lean on it to perform tasks like summarizing or outlining a long document or helping you reorganize a document into a more logical state.

Gemini is now available directly within Docs. Please, use it wisely.

JR Raphael, Foundry

You may still end up spending a ton of time in Docs, but at least now you’ll make the most of every second there and avoid wasting your effort on piddly little tasks that can be made more efficient. And that, as far as I’m concerned, warrants an enthusiastic ???? reaction — maybe even followed by a well-earned ????.

Get six full days of advanced Android knowledge with my free Android Shortcut Supercourse. You’ll learn tons of time-saving tricks for your phone!

The recently reported cyberattack against Tata Electronics is shaping up to be one of the most consequential attacks exposing important trade secrets belonging to Apple and, conceivably, other clients, including a slew of details about the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro. The attack follows May’s assault against key Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn.

World Leaks iPhone 18 Pro

Hackers from the ransomware group World Leaks managed to penetrate systems belonging to Apple’s most important manufacturing partner in India to exfiltrate hundreds of documents, including drop test videos, schematics, design details — even specifics about Apple’s C2 modem design. 

Reuters confirmed last week’s Apple Insider scoop that the leaked documents also included the purported board layouts for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, as well as data sheets for the rumored A20 Pro chip.

The data reveals some of this year’s colors, including a red, dark cherry, and gray, and indicate that the basic design remains the same, albeit with a slightly wider camera bump. They also suggest the upcoming high-end iPhone is a little thicker than current models and hint at a smaller Dynamic Island.

A brand new processor design

But the leaks also show something far more interesting: Apple is adopting a new processor design in the A20, a design that promises up to 20% additional performance and even more effective battery management. 

That’s thanks to Apple’s adoption of TSMC’s new Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) packaging technology. What’s good about this tech is that it places the RAM alongside the SoC within the same package. 

The current design sees the RAM placed on top of the SoC, which is slightly less efficient and runs hotter. This informative image helps explain the difference between the two designs; essentially, the new architecture should reduce heat dissipation and speed up communication between the two components. 

That results in better performance and power efficiency and also means the vapor cooling system inside Apple’s upcoming pro iPhones can work more efficiently to reduce heat dissipation. While no one knows for sure, some estimates claim this new WMCM packaging should enable 15-20% performance boost, even before we consider the improved efficiency inherent in the new A20 chip.

A huge data heist

All of this information is carried within the 200,000+ files (630GB) World Leaks published on its dark web site. The data also includes confidential Apple supplier list info, detailed information concerning the circuit board, battery parts, and camera modules – even confidential information about which suppliers are competing to supply specific components. These are all confidential trade secrets the company is unlikely to want public, as they give rivals rare insight into how the company’s supply chain is structured.

Apple’s own crack team of security specialists is now involved in investigation of the attack, while Tata Electronics says it has restricted internal access and is engaged in a forensic investigation of the attack. 

Manufacturing is under attack

The scale of the attack is significant — so much so that it suggests the attackers engaged in extensive work to compromise the systems at Tata. This might have involved targeted attacks on employees, phishing, exploitation of weak access controls, the use of stolen credentials, and more. The attack point is unlikely to have been via Apple, but through a less protected supplier. 

There’s no doubt this leak is one of the worst to have hit the company, including the pre-release iPhone 4 left in a Redwood, CA nightclub that was then sold to a tech website. About the best thing to say about both leaks is that they help stoke up pre-release interest in an upcoming iPhone.

In truth, the story should be a wake-up call to business users that when it comes to system security, they are only ever as safe as the weakest link in their supply chain. This is particularly true in manufacturing. The IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2025 described manufacturing as the most targeted industry across four successive years.

Expect more such attacks with AI

Today’s sophisticated attackers are very accustomed to crafting multi-stop attack chains to get what they want, and World Leaks successfully attacked several larger enterprises, including Dell and Nike in recent months. 

Did this attack rely on AI? It’s not impossible, given Apple’s rush release of a security update designed to patch numerous vulnerabilities covering maliciously crafted web content and malicious web extensions, data exfiltration and sensitive data leakage, hijacked clipboard data, and more.

“It cuts both ways. The same AI helping researchers find these flaws is helping attackers exploit them faster, so expect more frequent updates, not fewer bugs, and the advantage shifts to whoever deploys the fix fastest,” said Adam Boynton, senior enterprise strategy manager for Jamf.

Please join me on social media at BlueSky,  LinkedIn, or Mastodon, and do subscribe my daily human-curated Apple news headline summary on Substack.

With AI agents increasingly expected to remember conversations, preferences, and decisions over extended periods, Microsoft Research has developed Memora, a memory system designed to provide more scalable and reliable long-term recall than existing approaches.

AI agents are increasingly expected to retain context across weeks or months rather than individual chat sessions. Memory can become fragmented, leading to duplicate information and slower retrieval as knowledge grows.

According to Microsoft, Memora can solve this problem by decoupling what the AI remembers from how it looks up that information, ultimately reducing context token usage by up to 98% while matching or exceeding full-context accuracy, Microsoft Research claimed in a blog post.

Limitations of today’s memory architectures

As AI assistants and autonomous agents move into long-horizon deployments, the absence of a principled memory system has become a critical bottleneck. While modern LLMs are powerful reasoners, they still start every session from scratch.

Long conversations require models to repeatedly re-read their entire history, while new information is either stored as raw text or compressed into summaries where important details may be lost.

Solutions to address these are available, but they too have limitations. For instance, systems like Mem0 extract atomic facts from conversations, retrieval-augmented (RAG) approaches index raw text fragments for later recall, and graph-based memory systems such as Zep and GraphRAG impose structure through entity relations. But these mostly fall into two extremes.

Content-fragmentation systems, such as RAG and Mem0, embed extracted facts or text fragments directly. This preserves detail but produces brittle, isolated entries that lose narrative coherence.

Coarse-abstraction systems compress experience into compact summaries but strip away the constraints, edge cases, and numeric details that make memory useful in the first place.

Graph-based systems add structure on top of content but still rely on the content itself for retrieval and typically require rigid ontologies that don’t generalize across domains.

Decoupling memory from retrieval

Memora architecture claims to address this by decoupling what is stored from how it is retrieved. For this, each memory entry will have two components.

The first will be a primary abstraction, which is a short phrase (6–8 words) that will capture what the memory is fundamentally about. The second will be a memory value, which will hold the rich content itself. As a result of this separation, new information about an evolving topic will be merged into the existing memory entry under the same primary abstraction and will not be fragmented into a chain of partial duplicates.

Complementing primary abstractions, cue anchors are short, context-aware tags extracted from each memory’s value, providing alternative access paths to the same memory. They will function as flexible, organically-generated metadata, claimed the post.

Memora also introduces a policy-guided retriever that, rather than returning the top-k semantically similar items in a single shot, iteratively refines its query, expands through cue anchors to surface related-but-not-similar memories, and decides when to stop.

“The deepest flaw in current agent memory is that it mistakes retrieval for memory. A vector store is superb at finding text that looks relevant. An enterprise agent needs more than resemblance. It needs to know what has changed, what still holds true, and what should never be recalled in the task at hand,” said Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst at Greyhound Research.

Memora is interesting precisely because it refuses that shortcut, Gogia noted. It separates the rich detail of a memory from the handle used to find it, indexing a stable abstraction and a set of cue anchors while keeping the full content intact beneath them. Retrieval then becomes an act of navigation rather than a single hopeful guess, as the system re-queries, widens its search, or stops once it has enough, he added.

Benchmarking Memora

Microsoft evaluated Memora on two long-context benchmarks. LoCoMo, where dialogues average 600 turns, and LongMemEval, which uses 115,000-token contexts. According to the company, Memora achieved 86.3% LLM-judge accuracy on LoCoMo and 87.4% on LongMemEval, outperforming RAG, Mem0, Nemori, Zep, LangMem, and even full-context inference.

It also stored nearly half as many memory entries per conversation as Mem0 (344 versus 651) while reducing token consumption by up to 98% compared with full-context inference.

While the benchmark results suggest significant efficiency gains, enterprises should not assume lower token consumption will automatically translate into lower infrastructure costs.

Gogia cautioned against taking the token reduction number at face value. It is a benchmark context reduction, not a promise that an enterprise bill will fall by 98%, he said. “Real cost also includes memory construction, indexing, storage, and the audit logging that governance demands.”

He warned that Memora’s strongest retrieval mode is also its slowest. Its policy retriever runs at between roughly five and six seconds per query across several model-calling steps, against under a second for the simpler semantic mode.

The saving in prompt tokens is partly repaid as retrieval latency and extra inference. So the memory crunch does not disappear but moves. Instead of paying only for longer prompts, enterprises must now manage what is written, updated, and forgotten, and the indexing and testing that govern it.

Enterprise implications

Memora is currently an active Microsoft Research project, but the company has made the research code available on GitHub, enabling developers to experiment with the architecture and adapt it for their own AI applications.

However, portability on paper should not be confused with production readiness. While a memory layer of this design can, in principle, sit above models from any major provider, Gogia suggests that until the code is fully verifiable, maintained, and supportable under enterprise controls, the prudent posture for IT leaders is to study Memora as an architecture rather than operationalize it as software.

Beyond the technology, organizations will need governance and compliance policies to ensure AI memories are managed securely and remain auditable. He noted an enterprise must decide who may write to memory, who may read it, how long it persists, and how an auditor reconstructs why a memory shaped an action.

“An enterprise must decide who may write to memory, who may read it, how long it persists, and how an auditor reconstructs why a memory shaped an action. ‘The agent remembered it’ will not satisfy a regulator under the European Union’s AI Act traceability duties, nor a customer under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act,” Gogia said.

The article originally appeared on InfoWorld.

There are a variety of security concerns about artificial intelligence (AI), especially when it comes to the behavior of agentic AI. But until recently, the concept of locking down the models to prevent tampering hasn’t gotten a lot of attention.

Now, a security technology called “confidential computing” has emerged that could help solve that problem: it protects AI models from hackers by restricting models to authorized users. (It also protects data wherever it is — in storage, when moving between systems, and when it is accessed.)

With many top cloud and hardware providers championing confidential computing for AI, Computerworld talked with Dion Harris, Nvidia’s senior director of high-performance computing and AI factory solutions, about what the technology does and how it works.

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Dion Harris, Nvidia’s senior director of high-performance computing and AI factory solutions.

Nvidia

Why should organizations care about confidential computing now? “Seventy percent of data exists outside the cloud, in on-premise data centers and data lakes. To deliver AI on this data while maintaining security, you need confidential computing to unlock that use case for enterprise AI.”

Why is confidential computing suddenly important in the AI age? “Enterprises want AI on sensitive data — customer records, medical information, financial data — without exposing it in cloud environments where they lose control.

“Traditional encryption protects data at rest and in transit, but not during computation. When you run an AI model, you must decrypt data. It sits in plain text in memory, accessible to administrators and cloud operators. Confidential computing creates a hardware-rooted trusted zone where data is decrypted only when computation needs it, then immediately re-encrypted.

“This lets enterprises get AI value without compromising security. Financial services, healthcare, government, and regulated industries are adopting it.”

How is confidential computing changing with agentic AI? “We’ve gone from generative to agentic AI being deployed and used to solve real business problems. To deliver agentic capabilities with required privacy, security and performance in enterprise, confidential computing provides the unlock.

“We can spawn agents, access data, leverage tools and generate real useful work. With agentic AI, confidential computing helps in two ways: protecting the data and helping design implementation and workloads. It’s deployment, implementation, and use combined.”

How does confidential computing work? “Encryption at rest protects stored data. Encryption in transit protects data moving over networks. Encryption in use is the problem — when you compute on data, you must decrypt it in memory. 

“Confidential computing encrypts data in memory and between CPUs and GPUs. A dedicated element in the GPU decrypts information only when needed for computation, 100% inline, with minimal performance impact.”

Can you walk through a real-world example? “Apple’s standard operating policy for years has been to keep private information on device to avoid having access to private data. However, to leverage advanced AI models, they no longer fit on the device. Apple instituted their Private Compute Cloud, and now they’re extending that to Google Cloud.

“Let me give a hypothetical and hopefully describe how it works. If you have a user who wants to upload a medical transcript from their doctor, their system creates a secure, attested environment. It sends a request to the server: validate yourself. That attestation says: ‘I am a Nvidia GPU. This environment is secure. It hasn’t been tampered with.’ Now, it’s okay for you to send your information over that secure line. Remote attestation allows the edge device to ensure it’s sending to a trusted environment.

“The medical data comes over encrypted and remains encrypted until it lands in the GPU memory. Specific compute engines in the processor decrypt that information only to use it. The LLM dissects and summarizes it. Then it re-encrypts and sends it back over the wire.

“They get the capabilities of data center AI mode — larger, more advanced, delivering more services. But they also get the security and privacy from Apple’s [Private Cloud Compute]  platform. It’s the best of both worlds: efficiencies and intelligence from data center AI with Apple’s PCC security.

What prevented confidential computing adoption? “The main challenge in the past was significant performance impact. When you adopted confidential computing, you had to trade off performance for privacy. A 30% to 40% throughput reduction undermined the economic viability of the entire solution. If you sacrifice that much performance, it reduces the ability to get full utilization out of the hardware you’re deploying to deliver tokens or deliver a service in an economical fashion.”

How was that solved? “With Blackwell and newer GPU architecture, you can deploy confidential computing without impact to performance. You get both privacy and performance, a win-win scenario.

“Performance now translates directly into economics. You get full utilization of the hardware, which matters for delivering tokens or services at scale. When we built Blackwell, we made confidential computing a first-class system feature to deliver not just the security, but also the performance the market requires.”

Where is adoption accelerating? “Companies are thinking about the cloud. Model builders can’t expose APIs, enterprises customize for their business. Hybrid on-prem and cloud models — where builders deliver services behind enterprise walls — require zero trust. We’re no longer in fully owned infrastructure.

“By 2030, [billions of dollars] is expected in confidential computing use cases. It’s emerging as essential infrastructure for AI adoption across the industry. For organizations using cloud infrastructure, deploying AI on sensitive data, or operating under regulatory requirements, confidential computing is becoming essential.”

What should organizations do? ”The performance problem is solved. The technology is ready, ecosystems are built, partners enable it. If you want to deploy agentic AI on sensitive data, protect customer privacy, meet regulatory requirements, and maintain security across hybrid environments, you need confidential computing in your strategy.

“Most customers start with a developer license, validate performance and security, then migrate to a commercial license. Partners like Red Hat and Fortanix integrate these mechanisms within their platforms. Google Cloud offers it through their services.

“Start with a proof of concept. Validate it works. Plan deployment. Organizations gain competitive advantage securing AI on sensitive data.”

Ford has rehired approximately 350 experienced engineers after the company’s investment in AI and automated quality control systems failed to meet expectations, according to Bloomberg. In short, the technology did not detect enough problems.

“We mistakenly believed that we could create a high-quality product simply by introducing artificial intelligence and inputting our design requirements,” Charles Poon, head of Ford’s hardware development, told Bloomberg.

The rehired quality inspectors — known internally as “gray beard” engineers for their experience and years with the company — are now working to identify defects before components reach the factories.

Still, Ford is not abandoning AI completely; the experienced engineers will be asked to help train younger employees and improve the company’s AI tools.

Apple’s ongoing problems with RAM shortages and higher prices won’t be solved anytime soon, because rapidly accelerating demand for high-end AI memory is devouring the consumer electronics industry. 

GoPro has already warned it might go out of business — and the scale of the crunch has prompted analysts to call it an “absolute existential crisis” for smaller tech firms.

An endless night

The whole issue might get worse. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the supply/demand crisis will deepen through 2027. He expects up to 20% of the remaining memory manufacturing capacity currently going to consumer electronics could be diverted to feed data centers in the coming year. That’s a message of doom to smaller firms, and the Android market will be eaten up. 

It’s lazy thinking to see Apple as a villain in this scenario. The company might have been charging more for add-on memory than market rates, but there were real technical reasons to do so. And while critics might be castigating Cupertino for those past practices, they’ll still find themselves now paying more for whatever brand of electronic devices they use to write their screeds on in future.

It’s all about supply and demand. Memory manufacturers see the opportunity to feed AI need, even if it means sacrificing consumer markets as they do.

Cash through chaos

You can argue that the consequences of that decision are unethical. Should memory makers have considered the consequence of curtailed supply on their existing markets? After all, every business, every school, and almost every consumer is now a digital entity, and the massive increase in PC, smartphone, and other consumer electronics prices will have a consequential impact across all layers of society.

It generates yet another inflationary pressure (as if more is needed) on the global economy, and the decision to further limit supply of consumer electronics memory could be seen as corporate irresponsibility. That’s partly why a class action against the big three memory makers (Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron) has been filed in California. Between them, those three firms control around 90% of global memory supply, giving the trio colossal market power.

It’s a real power imbalance. 

This is market power

GoPro is typical; as a smaller vendor, there isn’t much it can do to save itself. Apple has more clout, so it might be able to forge a way forward. But even then, it’s rowing against what CEO Tim Cook has already called “a hundred-year flood.”

So even if the company can convince the Trump Administration to let it secure memory from currently embargoed Chinese manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies, the move is unlikely to ease the pressure much at all.  “Tim Cook is one of the few tech leaders who can still navigate both Washington and Beijing, so this is better handled before he steps down as CEO,” wrote Ming-Chi Kuo. That’s true, though Cook will continue “engaging with policy makers” once he takes on his new role as executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors in September.

Apple will likely also be speaking with partners to explore the possibility of investing in additional fabrication plants together (or building its own, given it has its own stable of experts quite capable of doing so). But even if those talks come to something, it will be years before they enter operation. Sadly, manufacturing investment from the existing big memory firms seems focused on data centers.

The shortage will continue until morale improves

What happens now? Short of any direct intervention to change the situation, memory prices will continue to accelerate. Jefferies Equity Research warns they will rise up to 50% in Q3 and an additional 30% to 40% by the end of 2026. They’ll also continue to increase next year, by which time some new production capacity might begin to come on stream. 

The scale of these price increases means no one can know whether Apple’s most recent product price increases (and the looming iPhone price increases in fall) will cover the full extent of the anticipated memory price hike. 

Will we see prices fall if memory price inflation eases off? History says we’re unlikely to see AI-flation go in reverse, but it’s not completely impossible. Meanwhile, businesses everywhere will struggle with unexpected hardware cost increases that are impossible to plan for. You can also anticipate some smaller vendors exiting the market, leaving companies who might have deployed those products across their business exposed, as software updates and hardware repairs will cease.

Yes, AI has already changed the world – it’s more expensive

They told us AI would change the world. It appears to be doing so by making everything more expensive. 

While there will still be opportunity to generate cash through this chaos, it’s far from delivering the kind of stable, business-friendly environment most governments rely on to balance their books.  In the end, all of this calls to mind the 2002 DRAM price fixing scandal, the only difference being that the consequences are much greater in this digital-everything age. 

Please join me on social media at BlueSky,  LinkedIn, or Mastodon, and do subscribe my daily human-curated Apple news headline summary on Substack.

Italy’s competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Microsoft over concerns it may not have clearly informed consumers about the integration of Copilot and Designer into Microsoft 365 subscriptions, associated price increases, and automatic upgrades to higher-cost plans.

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), in a statement to the press, said it had opened an investigation into Microsoft S.r.l., the vendor’s Italian subsidiary, and Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd. to assess whether the way the changes to M365 pricing were communicated may have unduly restricted consumers’ freedom of choice.

Although the AGCM’s announcement does not explicitly identify the pricing event under investigation, its description aligns with Microsoft’s January 2025 rollout of Copilot and Designer for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers.

At the time, Microsoft announced its first price increase for the consumer subscriptions since the launch of Copilot and Designer, stating that existing subscribers would pay the higher price at their next renewal after the AI features were added.

Could scrutiny spread beyond Italy?

The Italian probe is not the first time Microsoft’s communication around AI-related Microsoft 365 pricing has drawn regulatory attention.

The investigation follows earlier scrutiny of Microsoft’s consumer pricing communications in Australia and New Zealand, where Microsoft apologized and revised some of its messaging after regulators raised concerns over how AI-enabled Microsoft 365 subscriptions were presented to customers.

That episode could prove relevant for the current investigation, even though the legal frameworks differ, said Pareekh Jain, principal analyst at Pareekh Consulting.

“Microsoft’s apology and revised communications show similar concerns were raised before,” the analyst said.

“While the legal cases differ, Italian regulators may see it as evidence that clearer customer communication was already known to be necessary,” he added.

Jain also expects regulators elsewhere to watch the outcome of the Italian investigation: “Regulators in the EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are likely to watch closely, especially where AI is bundled into existing subscriptions with higher prices or automatic renewals.”

Enterprise buyers are likely to scrutinize AI pricing more closely

Whether the Italian investigation ultimately results in penalties against Microsoft remains to be seen, but analysts say the probe could have an impact on M365 commercial plans, which are separate and set to take effect on July 1.

The investigation serves as a reminder for enterprises to examine AI-related price changes even if Microsoft’s commercial licensing process seems more transparent than its consumer subscription model, Jain said. “CIOs should still verify what is changing at renewal and whether AI features are optional.”

Enterprise procurement teams should ask tougher questions during negotiations, said Bhupendra Chopra, chief revenue officer at IT consulting firm Kanerika.

“Procurement teams should ask questions, such as what AI am I paying for, can I see it itemized, and can I decline it without losing the rest? Buyers would be right to want AI pricing written into renewal terms with clear opt-outs and price protection,” Chopra said.

These questions, according to Jain, could provide additional leverage during licensing discussions to negotiate flexible terms.

However, Chopra pointed out that the investigation is symptomatic of a broader tension between software vendors’ efforts to integrate AI into existing products and regulators’ expectations around transparency and customer choice.

“Building AI into existing products and pricing it in is becoming standard across software, not unique to one vendor. Regulators are testing an old question against a new feature — whether buyers were given clear information and a real choice,” the analyst said.

For enterprises, the analyst added, the practical takeaway is straightforward: “Expect AI to show up inside the tools you already own, expect it to carry a cost, and review what each renewal actually includes. Treated as routine cost discipline, it stops being a surprise.”

Microsoft said it is committed to complying with Italian consumer law and will cooperate with the Italian Competition Authority in its preliminary investigation.

Reading about the “revolutionary” nature of generative AI technology these days, it’s hard not to feel a little left out.

Sure, services like Google’s Gemini and its contemporaries can be useful in certain limited, specific areas for productivity purposes. But working with them can also be pretty disheartening and overwhelming — from prompt fatigue and an onslaught of AI workslop to the fear of lost jobs and even just the simple inconsistencies and inaccuracies these systems are so prone to providing. (And that’s to say nothing of the ever-increasing creepy factor that often accompanies this type of technology.)

More and more, it seems the most significant impact of these systems is in areas like coding, where AI is allowing ambitious tech-heads to create their own custom programs with limited to no programming knowledge (but a lot of time, vision, and patience) — as well as allowing accomplished coders to produce products more quickly by letting AI do the dirty work and then spending their time guiding, tweaking, and correcting its output.

That’s all well and good, but the reality is that most of us mere mortals are never gonna mess with anything that daunting. That doesn’t, however, mean we can’t enjoy a slice of the custom-coding pie and the productivity advantages it offers — on a much simpler but still supremely useful level.

The average-worker answer lies in an oft-overlooked middle-ground possibility these AI chatbots possess to help us create relatively basic but extremely high-potential custom browser extensions. As their name suggests, these simple little programs run entirely in your browser — the same exact sorts of add-ons you’d typically find and install in a marketplace like Google’s Chrome Web Store.

But with Gemini or any other similar genAI platform, you can dream up your own web-improving extension and turn it into reality in a matter of minutes — simply by describing your goal and then guiding the AI gently along the way. And given how much time most of us spend on the web these days, that opens up a tantalizing series of doors for taking total control of your work environment.

Hate all the extraneous bells and whistles gunking up the Google Docs interface? Gemini can create a Chrome extension that removes them. Annoyed by a glitchy web app? Ask Gemini for an extension that makes some under-the-hood improvements. The possibilities are endless.

Let me show you how exactly it works, how easy it is to approach and master, and how many work-enhancing possibilities are out there just waiting to be created.

The ins and outs of Gemini’s custom Chrome extensions

First things first: You don’t need any special tools or subscriptions to make this happen. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on Google’s Gemini for the creation and the standard desktop Chrome browser for the installation — but the same basic process would work with most any AI chatbot, if you happen to prefer ChatGPT or Claude, as well as with any extension-supporting, Chromium-compatible browser (a list that includes everything from Microsoft Edge to Brave, Vivaldi, and beyond).

Google offers a dizzying array of Gemini modes and options and an equally overwhelming series of AI subscription plans that control how much you can use those capabilities, but you don’t need to worry about any of that to create custom Chrome extensions. You might sometimes see better results if you switch your Gemini model to “Pro” or your Gemini thinking level to “Extended” — designations that even Gemini itself has trouble deciphering (believe me, I asked!) — but just using the default Gemini settings with a free Google account will generally work quite well.

Getting going with a custom Chrome extension is as simple as opening up a new Gemini chat and telling the system what you want it to cook up for you. The hardest part is deciding what you want and what’d be helpful for you — something we’ll explore more in a moment, via specific examples and suggestions. Once you’ve got that, you can just ask Gemini to create a Chrome extension that’ll accomplish what you’re envisioning, with as much specificity as possible about what it’ll do and how it’ll look.

Gemini will spit back a series of plain-text code chunks with instructions to copy each cluster and paste it into a new plain text file with a certain specific name — things like “manifest.json,” “content.js,” and “styles.css.” All you’ll do is use the on-screen button to copy each segment, then open up any simple text editor (like Windows Notepad, macOS TextEdit, or any number of simple online text editors) and paste the text in, then save it under the name Gemini gives you.

You’ll need to put all the files into a single isolated folder on your computer, and then you can go into Chrome, type chrome:extensions into its address bar, and install your shiny new creation by:

• Flipping the toggle next to “Developer mode” in the upper-right corner of the screen into the on and active position, if it isn’t already
• Clicking the “Load unpacked” button
• And selecting the folder you just created in the pop-up that appears

Chrome’s “Developer Mode” toggle and “Load unpacked” button are the keys to importing any extension you create.

JR Raphael / Foundry

And that’s pretty much it: No complicated compiling or program publishing — the extension you envisioned will be alive and working right in your browser and ready to use.

Now, odds are, it won’t be exactly what you wanted in its first iteration, and you’ll have to go back to Gemini to request several rounds of updates and corrections. Each time, Gemini will create a new set of code chunks, and you simply overwrite the text in each file with its corresponding new code chunk.

It’s still a bit of a process. But you’ll rarely spend more than an hour on something simple and maybe a few hours on something especially multifaceted and specific, and whatever you create will then work to your advantage indefinitely from that point onward, on any computer where you install it.

Before we dive into specific slivers of inspiration, let’s just note the hopefully obvious asterisk that this’ll work only if you’re either (a) using a personal computer that isn’t associated with an organization or (b) using a work-connected computer where custom Chrome extensions are permitted. In either scenario, you’ll want to use your own best judgment to ensure that whatever you’re adding into your browser won’t expose any corporate data or cause your IT comrades any alarm if they see you using it in your workday.

With most common examples, though — including all the ones we’re about to go over — you shouldn’t have any problem or cause for concern.

Capisce? Capisce. Let’s get into it.

Custom extension category #1: The interface fixer

Our first custom Chrome extension category is the one that won me over to this practice initially and has been the most shapeshifting for my own browser-based workflow — and that’s the simple-seeming but transformational ability to have AI remake any web app you rely on to remove unneeded elements and redesign the interface to your exact specifications.

The best example I can show you is what I did with my completely homemade, Gemini-created Docs Zen extension. Google Docs, to put it mildly, has devolved into a cluttered mess. There are so many on-screen elements I never use and, ironically enough, irrelevant AI elements I’d rather not have in my hair. I just want a calm, simple, minimalist environment for writing — with Google’s second-to-none syncing, universal access, and collaboration systems beneath it.

So rather than try to reinvent the wheel, I described to Gemini all the elements I wanted to remove from Docs and all the ways I wanted to rethink how its interface appeared for me.

My original request to Gemini, followed by rounds of expansions and revisions (and eventually also a more poetic name).

JR Raphael / Foundry

I went back and forth with numerous iterations and kept coming up with interesting new additions to further flesh out and improve the experience — and I ended up with a delightful setup that gives me a distraction-free view of my writing space with a simple toggle to reveal the main Docs menus and a palette icon that allows me to switch from one eye-pleasing theme to another.

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Google Docs with my custom Docs Zen extension — a true delight for daily writing.

JR Raphael / Foundry

My setup deliberately doesn’t include comments or other collaborative elements, as I’m mostly writing by myself these days — but when I do need those elements, the eye icon in the upper-right corner of the screen disables my custom adjustments and takes me back to the standard Docs interface. I can then click the eye icon again in that environment to switch back.

My custom extension includes a simple on-off toggle for times when I need the full Docs setup.

JR Raphael / Foundry

I used Gemini to create something similar for Trello, with which I also have a love-hate relationship — loving the foundational functions and easy access everywhere but hating the interface that’s lost focus, gained bloat, and gotten noticeably clunky and slow over time.

With the same sort of step-by-step, plain-English guidance, I was able to transform Trello from this…

Trello, in its typical current-day state.

JR Raphael / Foundry

…into this:

Trello, with my custom modifications in place.

JR Raphael / Foundry

I couldn’t even begin to recount the number of superfluous features and elements I’ve removed, along with revamping the overall interface to make it both more efficient and more visually pleasing to my eye.

Whether it’s a web app you rely on regularly or even just a website you open often, the possibilities are practically endless for the ways you can reshape it and mold it to make it work better for you.

Speaking of which…

Custom extension category #2: The feature creator

In addition to the surface-level adjustments and feature removals in my aforementioned Trello-enhancing extension, I also added in several components — such as one-click buttons for archiving or moving cards — and I managed to speed up the site by making some under-the-hood adjustments Gemini suggested when I asked about its choppy performance. The same sort of concept can apply to any web-based interface you’re using, if there are any options that are annoyingly buried within menus, shortcuts that’d make your life easier, or other improvements you’ve longed to see.

You can also consider some simple standalone extensions for giving yourself on-demand features that aren’t necessarily associated with any one specific website but could be useful in plenty of productivity scenarios. For instance:

• I do a fair amount of basic image editing and frequently find myself needing to reference a hex color code that corresponds with a particular brand color, and I always end up having to open up a new tab and look in a note somewhere to find the code I need. Well, no more: I used Gemini to create a super-simple custom color code pop-up where I can store all the colors I need and then copy any of ’em onto my clipboard with a single click. Major time-saver.

All the color codes I need are now never more than a couple clicks away.

JR Raphael / Foundry

• I’m also constantly converting time zones, either for meetings with clients or colleagues or for trying to wrap my head around publishing systems that insist on using random time zones with no meaning to me. It’s infinitely easier for me to manage now, thanks to the custom Chrome extension I made that shows the current time in all the zones I need most often — as well as allowing me to put any other time into any field and have all the other zones instantly adjust to match. It also offers a brilliant plain-text conversion box where I can just type things like “1pm-3pm PT in MT” and have it cough back up an instant answer for any conversion I need.

My custom time zone conversion extension comes in handy countless times a day.

JR Raphael / Foundry

Maybe what you want is the ability to interact with data on different websites more easily — to be able to save any table on a page in front of you as a CSV file, mayhap, or even to save any text you highlight on a page into a new Google Docs document. Whatever the case may be, Gemini can handle it — and that superpower that you’ve always wished for but never found the right tool to make possible can actually now be yours.

Custom extension category #3: The browser expander

Our final category of custom Chrome extensions to consider moves beyond the web itself and into your actual browser. The browser is essentially the modern-day desktop, after all — and for the first time now, you can expand and enhance it in all sorts of interesting ways.

Some specific examples, to get your brain-motor whirring:

• You could walk Gemini through creating a smart auto-snooze system for your open browser tabs, both to clear clutter and help with Chrome’s performance. It could save any tab that hasn’t been touched in a certain amount of time to your local storage and then give you a simple searchable “Archive Dashboard” where you can find all those auto-closed tabs and re-open ’em as needed.
• With the right guidance, Gemini could give you a custom browser research panel — where any info you highlight on a page gets beamed over into a sidebar-style panel that serves as a running scratchpad of notes from the day.
• Or, if you find yourself often needing to see two tabs together side by side, you could have Gemini cook up a custom extension that instantly detaches any tab in front of you and puts it into a new tab window in a perfectly sized and spaced pattern. One keyboard shortcut could make that move happen, while another keyboard shortcut could recombine the two tabs into a single centered window.

As with all the other ideas we’ve gone over, all you’ve gotta do is ask — and now, with the right inspiration in mind, you’re ready to get your custom extension adventures going and start bending the web to your will.

Windows 11 25H2 has been publicly released, but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and help shape — upcoming features.

Skip to the latest builds

Our story “How to preview and deploy Windows 10 and 11 updates” details how the Insider program has worked until now. However, Microsoft recently announced sweeping changes to the program that will include the ability to select which new features to test. As the first step, the company is introducing a new channel system and transitioning Insiders like so:

• Beta Channel > Beta
• Beta Channel (for devices on Windows 11 version 26H1) > Beta (26H1)
• Dev Channel > Experimental
• Canary Channel (28000 series) > Experimental (26H1)
• Canary Channel (29500 series) > Experimental (Future Platforms)
• Release Preview Channel > Release Preview 24H2/25H2
• Release Preview Channel (for devices on Windows 11 version 26H1) > Release Preview (26H1)

This transition is happening over time, starting with the Dev Channel. See Microsoft’s blog post for more information about the transition.

Below you’ll find information about the Windows 11 preview builds that have been announced by Microsoft in the past six months. For each build, we’ve included the date of its release, which Insider channel it was released to, a summary of what’s in the build, and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it.

Note: If you’re looking for information about updates being rolled out to all Windows 11 users, not preview builds for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”

The latest Windows 11 Insider preview builds Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8754

Release date: June 26, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, administrators can now configure Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 sessions that use Microsoft Entra ID authentication to automatically disconnect when a redirected smart card is removed. This extends smart card removal policy enforcement to Microsoft Entra authenticated remote sessions, helping organizations meet security and compliance requirements.

It also fixes a bug in which the OneDrive shortcut in File Explorer stopped working when File Explorer was running in administrator mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8754.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2366

Release date: June 26, 2026

Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel

This update, for devices running Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a small set of improvements and fixes, including the ability to add and manage your mobile devices in Settings under Bluetooth & Devices > Mobile Devices. On this page, you can manage features such as using your device as a connected camera or accessing your device’s files in File Explorer.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2366.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8758

Release date: June 26, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

Several minor new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including a dedicated Taskbar Size setting that makes it simpler to find, understand, and personalize the taskbar.

Several bug fixes are also being gradually rolled out, including for one in which the OneDrive shortcut in File Explorer stopped working when File Explorer was running in administrative mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8758.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2374

Release date: June 26, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This update, for devices running Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a small set of improvements and fixes, including the ability to add and manage your mobile devices in Settings under Bluetooth & Devices > Mobile Devices. On this page, you can manage features such as using your device as a connected camera or accessing your device’s files in File Explorer.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2374.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29617.1000

Release date: June 26, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build gradually rolls out several new features, including screen tint, a new accessibility setting that applies a color overlay across your entire display, softening its intensity so it’s easier on your eyes throughout the day. Other additions include improved explorer reliability when switching between multiple desktops; improved reliability and persistence for color profiles; and Voice Access support for Portuguese (Portugal), Portuguese (Brazil), and Korean (South Korea).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29617.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8690

Release date: June 19, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

This update improves the reliability of the Start menu and of Settings > Apps > Startup. It also fixes one virtualization bug that could result in bug checks citing HYPERVISOR_ERROR (0x20001) and KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x1E) errors after installing the latest flights on some devices during system restarts, virtual machine operations, or while running some gaming applications.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8690.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2308

Release date: June 19, 2026

Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel

This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also improves the reliability of the inbox HD Audio driver.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2308.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8697

Release date: June 19, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

Several minor new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including improving visual consistency and reliability of the Copy dialog in Dark mode. It also fixes one virtualization bug that could result in bug checks citing HYPERVISOR_ERROR (0x20001) and KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x1E) errors after installing the latest flights on some devices during system restarts, virtual machine operations, or while running some gaming applications.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8697.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2315

Release date: June 19, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also improves the reliability of the inbox HD Audio driver and improves caption style responsiveness by redrawing captions immediately for caption style changes.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2315.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29613.1000

Release date: June 19, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build gradually rolls out adjustments to Settings > System > Sounds, by updating the “All sound devices” page with the ability to change default devices from this page and other enhancements.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29613.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Release Preview Builds 26100.8728 and 26200.8728

Release date: June 12, 2026

Released to: Release Preview 24H2/25H2 Channel

A wide variety of features and enhancements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including increased reliability of the Windows networking stack. It reduces bug checks (blue screen errors) related to Wi-Fi power and improves cellular (WWAN) connectivity, including support for IPv6 VPNs. Compatibility with third-party VPN software and SR-IOV configurations on server hardware is also improved. Network adapter settings and bindings are now preserved across OS upgrades.

Immediately rolling out are several quality improvements, including additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8728 and 26200.8728.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2333

Released to: Release Preview 26H1 Channel

Release date: June 12, 2026

This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including improved visibility into NPU usage in Task Manager. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page. Neural engines that are part of a GPU now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI-related activity. A new optional Isolation column on the Processes and Details pages shows which apps are running in an AppContainer. You can add any of the new columns by right-clicking a column header in Task Manager and selecting them from the menu.

Being rolled out immediately is improved Netlogon secure channel connections between domain controllers, enabling successful connections from member servers to domain controllers set up before 2025.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2333.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8680

Release date: June 12, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

This update offers a wide variety of changes and improvements, including a new set of default Widget settings designed to reduce unexpected alerts and visual interruptions. They include:

• Disabling Open on hover by default
• Turning off Taskbar badging by default
• Opening to widgets experience on first launch
• Placing Weather as the only default widget on the lockscreen
• Restricting the number of Taskbar alerts that can be sent daily
• Limiting Taskbar alerts until you choose to open and engage with the Widgets experience

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8680.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2298

Release date: June 12, 2026

Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel

This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also introduces the new screen tint accessibility setting. In addition, Task Scheduler will now persist column width adjustments in task list view across sessions.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2298.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8687

Release date: June 12, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

Several minor new features and enhancements are being rolled out gradually in this build, including improved reliability of loading the system tray area of the taskbar and a new recovery remote management plug-in for extending WinRE management capabilities for MDM providers.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8687.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2302

Release date: June 12, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also accelerates app launch and core shell experiences such as Start menu, Search, and Action Center.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2302.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29599.1000

Release date: June 12, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build gradually rolls out several minor changes and improvements, including improved performance when navigating to see storage on large volumes via Settings > System > Storage > Advanced Storage Settings > Disks & Volumes.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29610.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8575

Release date: June 8, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

This update adds the ability to extend Windows Update as many times as you need. It also fixes three bugs: one that caused audio not to work, another that impacted the reliability of Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, and a third that caused freezes with search, Notepad, and other parts of Windows.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8575.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2236

Release date: June 8, 2026

Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel

This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 version 26H1.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2236.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2242

Release date: June 8, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 version 26H1.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2242.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8544

Release date: May 29, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

Several minor new improvements and fixes are being rolled out in this build, including consistent solid (donut) spinners across key Windows scenarios including Boot, Logon, Restart, Shutdown, and Update. This update replaces legacy spinner visuals to deliver a more cohesive experience aligned with Windows design standards. Users will now see a unified spinner behavior with corresponding status text (e.g., “Restarting”, “Working on updates”, “Welcome”).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8544.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553

Release date: May 29, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

Several minor new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including a number of changes to the Start menu. These were first outlined in the May 15 Insider blog post Making Taskbar and Start more personal. They include:

• “Recommended” section renamed to “Recent” in Start and Settings page
• Section-level toggles to independently show or hide Pinned, Recommended, and All
• Choose between a small and large Start menu, in addition to already available “Automatic (default)” setting
• Option to hide your name and profile picture in Start
• Redesigned Start menu settings page

One known issue, in which resetting your PC may have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2207

Release date: May 29, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2207.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29599.1000

Release date: May 29, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build gradually rolls out several minor changes and improvements that, in the words of Microsoft, include “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.” The update also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug in which some Insiders unexpectedly saw an erroneous message saying they weren’t connected to internet (when they actually were) when signing into their Microsoft account in certain apps. It also improves CPU speed display on the Performance page of Task Manager for VMs, so it doesn’t show higher than unexpected numbers after resuming from hibernate.

There is one known issue that causes crashes with AMD machines supporting System Guard, so these devices in Windows Information Protection will not be offered the build.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29599.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8491

Release date: May 22, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.” It introduces Voice Isolation, a new option in Voice Access that helps the tool focus on your voice, even when others are speaking nearby, by filtering out other voices and background noise.

Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8491.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8497

Release date: May 22, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including several to improve accessibility. Among them are making it easier to connect the Braille display to Narrator by using the HID open industry standard for Braille displays. If your display supports HID, connect it via USB, with no additional setup required. For Bluetooth, pair your HID Braille display in Settings > Bluetooth & devices just like any other accessory. Another new feature is Voice Isolation in Voice Access, as detailed for Beta Channel Build 26220.8491 above.

The build has one known issue, in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8497.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2149

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

Release date: May 22, 2026

This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that improves the reliability of explorer.exe when closing the input switcher, and when switching between multiple desktops.

Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2149.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29595.1000

Release date: May 22, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build, in the words of Microsoft, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29595.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8474

Release date: May 15, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

Several minor new improvements are being rolled out in this build, including one that improves the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive.

It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8474.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8493

Release date: May 15, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including the ability to change the position of taskbar on your screen. In Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors, you can select the side of the screen you want your taskbar on: bottom, top, left, or right. In these other positions, tooltips, flyouts, and animations will still come from the taskbar, and most customization settings like “small taskbar” and “never combine taskbar icons” will work with all locations.

It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8493.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2134

Release date: May 15, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This build gradually rolls out an improvement in the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive. It also rolls out gradual changes to updating Windows, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need.

It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2134.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29591.1000

Release date: May 15, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build introduces new features for Windows Update, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need. New Windows update features also include having always available options to shut down and restart with updating, and additional insight about available updates to make more informed installation decisions.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29591.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26200.8514/26200.8514

Release date: May 14, 2026

Released to: Release Preview 24H2/25H2 Channel

A wide variety of features and enhancements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new shared audio feature that allows two people to listen to the same audio from a single Windows 11 PC at the same time. In addition, Task Manager now offers improved visibility into NPU usage on PCs with an NPU. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page. 

One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26200.8514/26220.8514.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2173

Released to: Release Preview 26H1 Channel

Release date: May 14, 2026

This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that expands the list of archive formats that can be used in File Explorer to include uu, cpio, xar, and NuGet Packages (nupkg). Also being gradually rolled out is a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter.

One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2173.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8370

Release date: May 8, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved reliability of Japanese IME usage when Administrator Protection is enabled. In addition, the build fixes a single bug, in which there were notification issues and certain apps hung on launch.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8370.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8376

Release date: May 8, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including new File Explorer address bar support for paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks (for example, C:\Users\user or “C:\Users\user”), improving compatibility with a wider range of inputs.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8376.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2075

Release date: May 8, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 26H1. It also improves performance when opening clipboard history.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2075.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29585.1000

Release date: May 6, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”

It also updates the experience when you use voice typing with the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design removes the previous full‑screen overlay and instead shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29585.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8340

Release date: May 1, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8340.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8346

Release date: May 1, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA). Another change “quiets” the default behavior for Widgets, with the goal of making them feel less distracting and overwhelming.

There are several known issues in this build, including one in which Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new WIP experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing state and applying changes will work as expected.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8346.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1921

Release date: May 1, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This build gradually rolls out several improvements to Task Manager, including one that provides better insight into NPU usage for PCs that include an NPU. Optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are now available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, with optional NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory columns on the Details page to give you deeper visibility into how workloads are using NPU resources. Additionally, if there are neural engines that are part of a GPU, they will now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI‑related system activity.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1921.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29580.1000

Release date: May 1, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29580.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8283

Release date: April 24, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

Several minor new improvements and fixes are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8283.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8289

Release date: April 24, 2026

Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)

In a phased rollout, Insiders in the Dev Channel are being moved to the new Experimental channel. Insiders who do not see the new experience on their device can enable it under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags.

Several minor new features are also being rolled out gradually in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.

There is one known issue in this build: Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new Insider experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing the state and applying changes should work as expected.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8289.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28200.1873

Release date: April 24, 2026

Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)

This build is gradually rolling out a variety of small improvements, including an updated voice typing experience for the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key rather than on a full-screen overlay.

It also fixes a bug in which Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage showed large, unrealistic values.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28200.1873.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29576.1000

Release date: April 24, 2026

Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)

This build is gradually rolling out a variety of changes, including Point-in-time restore for Windows, which can quickly roll your device back to a previous state, potentially helping minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting when disruptions strike. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29576.1000.)

Windows 11 Builds 26100.8313 and 26200.8313 (KB5083631) 

Release date: April 17, 2026

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build introduces a wide variety of new features rolled out gradually, including a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter. When Researcher works on a report, Windows shows progress on the taskbar so you can check updates at a glance.

For IT administrators, the update gradually rolls out support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education. It also removes default trust for cross‑signed third-party drivers, while drivers from the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and an allow list of trusted legacy drivers remain allowed. Enterprise State Roaming can now be managed through Windows Backup for Organizations policies.

The update also immediately introduces two minor improvements for everyone. Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, which increases coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. In Windows Security, the name of the affected application is now included in event logging related to CVE‑2024‑30098. This change makes it easier to identify applications that rely on smart card certificates and may need updates following recent security changes.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Builds 26100.8313 and 26200.8313.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8271

Release date: April 17, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

Several minor new features were made available in this build for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8271.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8276

Release date: April 17, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, several minor new features are being gradually rolled for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8276.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1863

Release date: April 17, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build fixes a bug that prevented some apps from signing in due to a false report of no internet connectivity. The fix is rolling out gradually.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1863.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29570.1000

Release date: April 17, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes rolling out gradually, including more widget options and support for lock screen widget personalization, a new setting in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad that lets you can choose how large the right-click zone is, and support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29570.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8165

Release date: April 10, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.

It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8165.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8170

Release date: April 10, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.

It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8170.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1812

Release date: April 10, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out general improvements and fixes, including a new setting that lets users choose the size of their touchpad’s right-click zone, as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1812.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29565.1000

Release date: April 10, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build includes “platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29565.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8148

Release date: April 3, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including a new icon in print settings to indicate when a printer supports Windows Protected Print Mode.

Several bugs are also being fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8148.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8155

Release date: April 3, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which users will be able to feel haptic feedback effects on compatible input devices while performing certain actions, such as aligning objects in PowerPoint, window snapping, resizing, or hovering over the Close button. These haptic effects can be configured in Settings under Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Haptic signals.

Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8155.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1803

Release date: April 3, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel, this build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes, including improved reliability for configuring the fluid dictation option in voice typing settings.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1803.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29560.1000

Release date: April 3, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” in the words of Microsoft. Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which attached USB devices weren’t working for some Insiders.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29560.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8138

Release date: March 30, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8138.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8142

Release date: March 30, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8142.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1797

Release date: March 30, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1797.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29558.1000

Release date: March 30, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Windows 11 Insider Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build introduces several new features, including a variety of improvements to the Windows Console, many of which were created by open-source contributors. Several bugs have also been fixed, including an authentication error people received when trying to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29558.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8079

Release date: March 20, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8079.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8085

Release date: March 20, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build resumes rollout of the Point Indicator Accessibility setting, which enables low-vision users to easily locate and use their cursor. The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.

In addition, several bugs were fixed, including one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8085.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1743

Release date: March 20, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes several new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which shared audio now provides individual sliders for each listener which adjusts their volume without affecting the other. You can continue to adjust volume for both listeners at the same time through the main volume controls available through Quick Settings or on-device and keyboard controls.

The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1743.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29553.1000

Release date: March 20, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29553.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8062

Release date: March 13, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.

Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8062.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8068

Release date: March 13, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.

Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.

(Get more info about  Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8068.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1737

Release date: March 13, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build makes refinements to the Pen settings page, including small changes to the options for the pen tail button. A new option, “Same as Copilot key,” enables the pen tail button to launch the same app as the Copilot key.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1737.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29550.1000

Release date: March 13, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)

For those  who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes, including one in which changes to global power settings (for example, Display, Sleep, Hibernate timeouts, Power/Sleep button, and lid close actions) from Settings are now applied to all power plans. This should help improve persistence of chosen settings.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29550.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8106 and 26200.8106

Release date: March 12, 2026

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build introduces a wide range of minor features being rolled out gradually, including the ability to turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without needing a clean install. To make changes, go to Settings > Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings. When turned on, SAC helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps.

The update also improves stability in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) when you run x64 apps on ARM64 devices. These apps run more smoothly and respond as expected.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8106 and 26200.8106.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7961

Release date: March 6, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.

Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Build 26220.7961.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7965

Release date: March 6, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.

Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7965.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1685

Release date: March 6, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build lets you use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer. The build also improves the reliability of removing Windows Update files and windows.old files via Settings > System > Storage.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1685.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7934

Release date: Feb. 27, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.

There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, giving a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7934.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7939

Release date: Feb. 27, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who opted to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.

There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, offering a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7939.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1673

Release date: Feb. 27, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

For those who have opted to receive the latest updates, this build gets a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for enterprise managed Windows Professional devices, as well as Windows Professional devices that are not domain-joined. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain-joined devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1673.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7872

Release date: February 20, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7872.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7877

Release date: February 20, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.

Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.

Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7877.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1619

Release date: February 20, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including one in which Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) supports peripheral fingerprint sensors. Previously, ESS was only available on PCs with built-in biometric sensors, but now it can be used when you plug in a supported ESS fingerprint reader.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1619.)

Optional Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29531.1000

Release date: February 18, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

This build is the first in a new Canary Channel optional path with a focus on platform development, which will introduce new features before the existing 28000 Canary Channel series. Microsoft recommends that most people remain on the 28000 build path, but adds that those who want to get the newest platform changes as early as possible may want to switch to this new 29500 path. Note, though, that if you switch to the 29500 path by installing this build, you won’t be able to go back to the 28000 Canary Channel series.

The build itself, in Microsoft’s words, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”

Microsoft warns, “because of the focus on platform development for this path, you may notice a temporary loss in some features that you have today. These features will return to this new active development build.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29531.1000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7859

Release date: February 17, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build displays an option to upgrade to a different Microsoft 365 plan on the Accounts page within the Settings app. It also rolls out fixes for several bugs, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Preview Build 26220.7859.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7918 and 26200.7918

Release date: February 17, 2026

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization. The build also improves login screen reliability.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7918 and 26200.7918.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1611

Release date: February 12, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

This build brings Sysmon functionality natively to Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and in a wide range of use cases.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1611.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7755

Release date: February 9, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 226220.7755.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7760

Release date: February 9, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7760.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1546

Release date: February 4, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders” running Windows.

It also fixes one bug that affected apps working with files stored on OneDrive or Dropbox.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1546.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7752

Release date: February 3, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)

The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.

(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7752.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7733

Release date: February 3, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)

The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.

(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7733.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1495

Release date: January 28, 2025

Released to: Canary Channel

This build, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience [of Windows 11].” It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that led to the Windows Update settings page hanging when loading.

The build has two known issues, one that sometimes causes all open File Explorer windows and tabs to unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home in File Explorer, and another in which the desktop watermark is showing the wrong build number.

(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 28020.1495.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7701 and 26200.7701

Release date: January 27, 2026

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features for Copilot+ PCs, including one in which Narrator gives you more control over how it announces on‑screen controls. You can choose which details are spoken and adjust their order to match how you navigate apps. These settings apply throughout the app to help reduce extra speech and make Narrator easier to follow.

The build also immediately rolls out a variety of new features for all PCs, including one in Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup key management. Administrators can now set how often keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.

(Get more info about Insider Preview Builds 26100.7701 and 26200.7701.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7670

Release date: January 27, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for an issue in which the Search process was showing an icon with an X instead of a magnifying glass.

The build has five known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.

(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7670.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7674

Release date: January 27, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, the Dev Channel jumps ahead to receive 26300 series builds. This means that the window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel is closed once Build 26300.7674is installed on your PC. This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the Windows 11 Build 26220.7653 release (see below).

(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7674.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653

Release date: January 21, 2026

Released to: Dev Channel

This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the January 16th Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653 released to the Beta Channel. See the writeup below for details.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653

Release date: January 16, 2026

Released to: Beta Channel

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several changes, including one in which you can now set .webp images for your desktop background in Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background.

The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which Settings crashed when interacting with audio devices.

The build has four known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1371 

Release date: January 14, 2026

Released to: Canary Channel

This build gradually rolls out a variety of bug fixes for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including a bug in which File Explorer showed a white flash when navigating between pages.

There is one known issue in this build: The desktop watermark shows the wrong build number.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1371.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535

Release date: January 9, 2026

Released to: Dev & Beta Channels

For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out Copilot-powered image descriptions to Narrator on Copilot+ PCs, making it possible for blind and low-vision users to hear detailed, AI-generated descriptions of images, charts, and graphs.

The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for an issue in which File Explorer was causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when invoking the context menu on the desktop.

The build has seven known issues, including one in which Settings crashes when interacting with audio devices.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535.)

Microsoft is continuing its push to bring generative AI (genAI) into Excel, with new Microsoft 365 Copilot skills designed to automate common processes and a “plan” mode to provide more control over Copilot’s outputs when handling financial data.

Microsoft made Microsoft 365 Copilot generally available in Excel in late 2024 and since then has added several capabilities, including agentic tools, a Copilot function within Excel, and Python support for advanced data analysis.  

On Thursday, Microsoft unveiled a skills feature that lets users define processes Copilot can perform in Excel — such as building a discounted cash flow, Microsoft suggested, preparing a variance analysis, or refreshing a monthly reporting model.  

“Instead of starting from scratch each time, a skill guides Copilot through the steps, applying the right structure and formatting, and helping produce an output that is easier to review, reuse, and trust,” Brian Jones, vice president for Excel at Microsoft, said in a blog post.

Users can access a library of pre-built finance skills or create their own custom skills and save them as a SKILL.md in OneDrive, where the Copilot assistant can access them. Microsoft’s partners are also building their own skills, including finance software vendors such as LSEG, Ramp and Velixo — these are “coming soon,” Microsoft said. Custom skills are available today via the Insider channel and generally available next month.

A new “plan” feature is aimed at giving users greater oversight of the AI assistant’s proposed actions before it starts interacting with spreadsheet data. The Copilot assistant can now draft a list of planned interactions — such as changing a formula — and, before it gets to work, ask the user to “approve, edit, or answer clarifying questions,” said Jones.

After it has completed the list of actions, the Copilot assistant will post a link to any changes in the chat window. Edits made by the AI assistant will then appear alongside other those from human users in the Show Changes pane.

Copilot can connect to third-party platforms now, pulling in data from sources such as Moody’s, CB Insights, Morningstar, and PitchBook.

The features will roll out “progressively” for customers, Microsoft said, and are available to paid Microsoft 365 Copilot users. Microsoft offers two payment options: $30 per user each month for larger customers, or the Microsoft 365 Copilot Business plan, which costs $21 per user a month for organizations with fewer than 300 employees.

US authorities are getting decidedly twitchy about frontier AI models. Just a couple of weeks after ordering Anthropic to prevent foreign companies from getting hold of its latest release, Mythos/Fable 5, it’s been putting the squeeze on another AI company..

Now, the Trump administration is asking OpenAI to hold back on the general release of GPT-5.6, according to a report from Bloomberg.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly told employees that the government is asking that the model be released only to a short list of trusted partners, initially 20, before being more widely disseminated.

Altman reportedly told staffers that the administration was getting nervous about the capabilities of the latest AI tools. It didn’t go as far as forbidding access to foreign users but it’s clear that the White House is looking to act as the power of the new models becomes more apparent.

The administration’s actions will undoubtedly cause some anxiety among AI companies, particularly in light of OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s upcoming IPOs. There will be concerns that new software developments could be postponed or even halted. However, it should also be noted that the administration was already displeased with Anthropic over its moral stance on defense issues, so the action against Mythos should be placed in context.

Indeed, the government is trying to play down such fears. Bloomberg quoted a White House official as saying that the Trump administration continues to collaborate with frontier AI labs to develop shared approaches for addressing the challenges of scaling the technology.

Chinese tech giant Tencent is set to launch an AI assistant inside WeCom, its Slack-like collaboration tool for enterprises. The new tool, Dayuan, is built on the latest large language models from Chinese AI developer DeepSeek.

Tencent announced the news in a post on Chinese messaging platform Weibo by Tencent’s public relations manager Zhang Jun. Dayuan will automatically understand user requests and will respond according to the demands of the user, he wrote, according to a translation by Bloomberg. “At any time within WeCom, simply swipe left to summon Dayuan. It can intelligently recognize the interface you’re on, understand what you’re asking, and help you resolve issues more effectively,” he wrote, according to the report.

In addressing the Chinese enterprise market, Tencent has an advantage over other companies in the AI space because it has a vast reservoir of customers who use WeCom. Earlier this month, it announced a range of AI productivity agents to address the demand for more AI tools across enterprises.

Tencent has been intensifying its efforts in the AI space in an attempt to beat US competition. In April, it launched an updated version of its Hunyuan model to catch up with more established AI companies such as ByteDance, Alibaba and DeepSeek.

The launch of Dayuan with its vast supply of user data will provide a step-up for Tencent and will reinforce Chinese efforts to establish serious AI competition to US products.