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It might not get the same kind of attention as Google and Apple, but Microsoft is still one of the biggest and most powerful tech companies operating today. It runs Azure, one of the biggest cloud computing services, and maintains Windows 11 and the whole Office suite of software. It also makes plenty of Surface hardware and has a whole slew of gaming products, including the Xbox Series X. But the company is ever expanding — building new hardware, acquiring new game studios, and making sure that even if Microsoft doesn't run your phone, it can touch plenty of the apps on it.

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Microsoft has a new Windows and Surface chief

After the formation of Microsoft AI, the software giant has now appointed a new Surface and Windows chief.

Microsoft forgot to update this Windows feature for 30 years

There’s lots of old UI in Windows, but some of it was only supposed to be temporary.

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Microsoft delights IT admins by removing Copilot from Windows Server 2025.

Microsoft is working on finalizing its Windows Server 2025 release and IT admins discovered last month, in disbelief, that Copilot was added to a server OS that’s usually free of additional Windows features. A month later and Microsoft has removed Copilot from test builds of Windows Server 2025. We’ll keep an eye out to see if it manages to sneak back in for the final release.


Microsoft is removing WordPad from Windows 11 later this year.

The basic WordPad app has shipped as part of Windows since Windows 95. but Microsoft announced last year that it’s removing it from Windows 11. Now we have a rough date for the removal. “WordPad will be removed from all editions of Windows starting in Windows 11, version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025,” says Microsoft. We’re expecting version 24H2 of Windows 11 later this year, and hopefully with a much better update name.


Farewell, WordPad.
Farewell, WordPad.
Screenshot by Tom Warren / The Verge
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Even LinkedIn is trying TikTok-like videos now.

LinkedIn confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s testing a short-form video feed housed within a new “video” tab on the app, which one user shows off here.

The Microsoft-owned platform is the latest to jump on the vertical video bandwagon, following Twitch, Reddit, Spotify, and even Netflix in experimenting with similar features.


Here’s one for all the iconheads out there.

I’m not sure if this great collection hosted by product engineer Alex Meub is all of the Windows 98 icons, but it sure has all the ones I remember.

Each one is downloadable, too. Might as well use them to replace your Windows or Mac icons. Or, if you’re a real sicko, you could swap them on Android or iOS.


A GIF of scrolling Meub’s icon collection.
Time to make your icons good again.
GIF: Wes Davis / The Verge
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Microsoft’s gaming chief hints that Xbox could get PC stores one day.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has dropped some hints that PC stores like Epic Games Store and Itch.io could one day arrive on Xbox consoles. In an interview with Polygon, Spencer says the console market isn’t growing and that there are barriers that exist today. “How can we be part of opening up that model?” asks Spencer, hinting at a potentially radical rethinking of Microsoft’s Xbox console ecosystem.


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You should read this epic story from 2000 on the Microsoft antitrust trial.

I reread this massive Wired piece this morning on the train, a propos of, you know, things. It’s an incredible tale of antitrust warfare, and it’s wild how much of what the DOJ said and did about Microsoft rhymes with today’s lawsuit against Apple.

I’d bet that Tim Cook saying “buy your mom an iPhone” will become an iconic legal phrase the way “cut off Netscape’s air supply” did 25 years ago.


How to watch Microsoft’s Surface event for businesses.

Microsoft is holding a digital event today for Surface, Windows, and Copilot. We’re expecting Microsoft to announce new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 devices for businesses, ahead of consumer versions in May.

Microsoft’s event will kick off today at 12PM ET / 9AM PT / 4PM UK, and will include Microsoft’s new head of Surface Brett Ostrum. You can watch it live over at Microsoft’s website.


The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 closed, seen from above.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
“The bundles, they are like children to me.”

Larry Hryb, aka “Major Nelson,” did a little reminiscing on Threads this week, posting videos from his time with Microsoft’s Xbox division, which he departed from back in December.

One video is him running down features of the original incarnation of Xbox Live, but I’m more interested in this parody of defunct electronics store Crazy Eddie’s commercials — something the company did regularly.


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If you play Minecraft through the Xbox app on PC, don’t update the game.

Mojang has just posted a warning that says you could lose all your worlds if you download the latest Minecraft update through the Xbox app.

To get around the issue, Microsoft says to run the Gaming Services Repair Tool for PC and then install the update. You can find more information about how to do this here.


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Copilot upgrade.

Windows Central points out that a switch to GPT-4 Turbo on the free tier of Microsoft’s AI assistant means searches on Copilot will be more current, and answers can be more thought out. GPT-4 Turbo was trained on data until April 2023 and can understand more complex questions.

However, for those who prefer the older model, Pro accounts can toggle between GPT-4 Turbo and GPT-4.


Microsoft Paint is getting better pencil, brushes, and eraser sizes.

Microsoft is bringing a new size slider to its pencil, brushes, and eraser tools in Paint. This will let you pick a custom size, much like you’d find in more advanced image editing tools like Photoshop. These new options are in testing today, alongside some improvements to the new layers feature inside Microsoft Paint. Microsoft has been on a roll lately, updating Paint with layers, AI features, and much more.


The new Paint brush sizes.
The new Paint brush sizes.
Image: Microsoft
The “new” Threads desktop app is available for Windows PCs.

Yes, Windows users can get the Threads app Mark Zuckerberg is showing here from the Microsoft Store

But once it’s installed, you’ll get the same desktop web app experience (loaded in Microsoft’s Edge web browser) that we’ve had access to since August.


1Password is making it easier to log into your accounts on Windows.

Instead of having to go into a separate authentication app to get your 2FA code and then manually type it in, Auto-Type via Quick Access now copies the code to the clipboard for you.

Other experimental features in 1Password include setting default payment details, Touch ID browser integration for Mac, a unified password vault, and a new home tab that will show PIN numbers and other account log-in details based on your location or nearby items.

You can access some of these new features via the Labs tab, while others are available to everyone.


A screenshot of 1Password’s user-interface on macOS.
1Password