Just a few days ago, Microsoft revealed it was testing more experimental features for Windows – although little was known about them. However, preview versions show new sustainability and focus options. Windows 11 was only released in October 2021 and as with any new operating system, so it’s vital you keep it – as well as your antivirus software – up to date to avoid potential security issues.
What are the ‘Secret’ Features?
Among the improved features is one that will help users stay focused. Focus Assist is already present in Windows 10, but it appears that this will be renamed simply Focus from here on, and offer more granular options, including the ability to schedule through Outlook to buy yourself some quiet time and ignore distractions. According to Albacore, a Windows enthusiast who tweets regularly about the product desktop stickers are coming too. Users will “be able to configure [stickers] using a new Sticker Editor app, they’ll persist across wallpaper changes as long as you don’t use a slideshow, use Fill fit & have only 1 monitor.” Policies relating to this new feature reference education usage – and it’s entirely possible the new feature is part of the consumer-facing version of Windows 11 called Windows 11 SE, which Microsoft is currently shipping to students at a low price point. On top of this, there’s evidence that suggests users will have the option to hide the taskbar on tablet devices and a ‘sustainability’ section in the Settings Menu. The latter will provide users with tips regarding energy saving, as well as how to recycle parts of the device.
An Experimental Year for Microsoft
Microsoft is gearing up for a year of experimenting with Windows 11, with plans to evaluate features through testing procedures that ultimately may never be rolled out commercially. The Windows Insider Program – a community of users that get to trial versions of Windows products and give feedback – will be leaned on “more heavily” for its views on individual features, long lead items, and new ideas in general, according to Program Lead Amanda Langowski. Langowski said that “that some of our more technical Insiders have discovered that some features are intentionally disabled in the builds we have flighted…this is by design, and in those cases, we will only communicate about features that we are purposefully enabling for Insiders to try out and give feedback on.” For Windows testers, the Dev Channel has become the true home for free-reign testing, where anything with an outside chance of being a permanent feature is tested. The Beta Channel, on the other hand, is used to test new versions and features of Windows only houses features that are likely to be shipped out commercially.
Why Having Antivirus on Windows 11 is Vital
Having reputable antivirus software is vital for all businesses, whatever size – but it’s particularly important for US businesses, considering the country is targeted more than any other by ransomware gangs. But having antivirus software installed on devices with Windows OS is particularly important because Windows devices get more viruses than devices with other operating systems. This is partly because they have the largest market share of any desktop OS, as well as historical security issues. With new pieces of software, there’s always the risk that fresh vulnerabilities will be discovered by hackers before security researchers identify them – and patches have already been released for Windows 11 in January. So, equipping yourself with deterrents is crucial.
