Month: August 2024

A new option for a Category view in the Start menu’s list of apps is a welcome change, if it emerges from testing.

Windows 11 has a new preview build, and it comes with a few notable changes to the interface – for the better, thankfully, with no new adverts or promos anywhere to be seen.

Microsoft just introduced Windows 11 build 22635 (KB5041876) in the Beta channel, and the most interesting change is a hidden one, as flagged up by regular leaker PhantomOfEarth on X (who regularly uncovers features that aren’t live in testing yet by enabling them via a Windows configuration tool).

As you can see in the above post, the Start menu’s (hidden) ‘All apps’ category view now has not just icons representing all the apps shown in each category, but tooltips for their names when you hover the cursor over them.

The categories are mentioned in a follow-up tweet, as they have now been changed to mirror the same categories used in the Microsoft Store, the leaker observes based on a clue unearthed when rifling through Windows 11’s Start menu assets.

Elsewhere in build 22635, as Microsoft explains in the usual blog post, there’s been some work on the lock screen, whereby media controls are now shown at the bottom of the screen when audio content is being played. This comes complete with a blur effect on the visuals that’s a nice touch, PhantomOfEarth notes elsewhere.

On top of that, Microsoft has modified another tweak made in testing in the past, namely the introduction of notification suggestions, whereby Windows 11 will suggest turning off notification toasts from any given app if you don’t interact with them for some time. This preview build witnesses the ability to turn off those suggestions (as opposed to the notifications themselves, we should clarify).

There’s the usual bunch of fixes here too, including resolutions for crashes with File Explorer and the Start menu.

(Image credit: Ollyy / Shutterstock)

Analysis: More choice is always good

It’s good to see that work is progressing nicely on the new category view in the All apps panel. As we’ve discussed before, this is a refreshing change of layout from the default list of apps in the Start menu, a clunky affair that’s simply presented in alphabetical order (leaving you with a lot of scrolling to do, potentially, if you have lots of software installed).

Those who feel the category layout is perhaps more cluttered to look at, and prefer the list view as they feel it’s more streamlined, will be able to stick with it, by the way. A choice is set to be offered including the default list, this new category view, and another grid view which is also in preview (if the latter two options ever emerge from testing, that is – they may not, only time will tell).

For us, we feel that pinpointing apps using organized categories could be pretty handy, though it’s not surprising to see Microsoft adopt the categories used in its store here -hopefully, that’s not a sign that the store is going to be promoted somehow in this fresh take on the interface.

The way things are going, we assume this functionality will be live in a preview build before too long, but it’s probably too late to make the cut for Windows 11 24H2 at this stage.

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The Remaster Slim is a tiny autofocus lens housing for Sony that lets you swap out just the optical elements for different looks.

Now this is what I call thinking outside the box: Samyang’s new Remaster Slim for Sony is a tiny lens housing that lets you swap out the optical elements to enable different focal lengths, rather than needing entirely separate lenses.

As a housing, it packs all of the necessary electronic components for communication between camera and lens, including autofocus. But without the optical elements, it’s one of the smallest autofocus lens systems bar none, measuring less than 0.8 inches / 2cm and weighing just 2.82oz / 80g. 

The Remaster Slim is being launched with three different optical elements: a 32mm f/2.8 (pictured), a 28mm f/3.5, and a 21mm f/3.5. Each of these snaps easily into place magnetically, and Samyang says they produce “warm and profound images that cannot be imitated by the digital world, giving photos a natural and soft tone.” 

I’m not reading too much into the translation, although it does sound like the tiny Remaster Slim optics, which Samyang says have a “genuine analog sensibility”, aren’t quite as sharp as a dedicated prime lenses, such as Samyang’s own 35mm f/2.8 (pictured below alongside the Remaster Slim), which was previously its smallest autofocus lens.

Still, what you do get is a genuinely tiny autofocus lens that looks like an ideal pairing with a travel camera such as the Sony A7C II. And instead of carrying multiple prime lenses for different scenarios, you can just keep the housing in place on the camera and pack the tiny optical element units instead, which are also quicker to swap out than standard lenses.

The Remaster Slim is currently only available in Sony E-mount and is on backorder in South Korea (with the 32mm f/2.8 optic costing 308,000 won – that’s around $230 / £200 / AU$400). There’s no official word on availability for other markets, although Samyang is already asking for customer feedback regarding which other mounts it should make the innovative lens housing for, including L-mount and Fujifilm X-mount.

At 0.8 inches / 2cm the Remaster Slim is much smaller than Samyang’s 35mm f/2.8, which was previously the company’s smallest autofocus lens. And despite is diminutive size, it still features an autofocus / manual focus switch (Image credit: Samyang)

Is this the lens innovation you actually need?

In theory, the Remaster Slim is sound. Most photographers are carrying around multiple lenses, doubling up on physical components such as the housing, autofocus motors and lens mount. So why not just pack that hardware once in a housing that can host multiple optical elements instead?

Using one lens housing for multiple optical elements that offer different looks also makes practical sense for creatives mounting gear to a gimbal – because there’s no need to recalibrate the gimbal for different weight lenses each time. The quick and easy magnetic mounting of the optical units further increases the Remaster Slim appeal. 

However, I’m not sure if the Remaster Slim is genuinely useful. It’s clearly designed for portability over outright quality, plus there are practical limitations. I doubt that it’s possible for Samyang to create any other optics that could squeeze into the Remaster Slim beyond the three everyday lenses on offer, all of which are fairly similar. Clearly, the Remaster Slim couldn’t house a zoom lens, a larger-aperture prime lens like a f/1.4, or a telephoto lens. 

In its current form, the Remaster Slim is probably confined to everyday prime lens focal lengths with a moderate maximum aperture – hardly the stuff to excite serious photographers. 

The idea has potential, though, and Samyang could well launch a larger Remaster Slim housing in the future that’s able to house different lenses, including telephoto optics. But until then, I’m filing this one under the innovations that I don’t really need.  

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Proton Drive for business is here, with security and privacy as a priority

Proton, creator of one of the best password managers around today, has unveiled a new offering for businesses looking for cloud storage, file sharing and real-time document collaboration.

Proton Drive for Business provides a secure means of collaboration, featuring end-to-end encryption and full GDPR and HIPAA compliance, making it especially useful for legal, finance and research firms.

This cloud collaboration platform is also ISO 27001 certified, with the additional benefit of subscribing to Swiss privacy and neutrality standards.

Proton Drive for Business

Proton Drive holds a strong commitment to privacy and security, providing active defense against data breaches, surveillance, and ransomware, as well as giving your organization access to other Proton products, such as email, calendar, VPN and password manager.

The Enterprise tier plan will also include Proton Sentinel, providing additional security for your organization with two-factor authentication, and by preventing data breaches even if an attacker has stolen credentials.

Proton Drive is available at three tiers. Drive Professional is perfect for smaller teams that need secure file storage, sharing and collaboration, with 1TB of storage and 365-day file version history at $5.99 per month with Proton’s limited time 40% discount on the yearly plan.

Proton Business Suite provides organizations with privacy protection, 1TB storage, secure email, calendar, VPN and Proton Pass password manager at $12.99 per month billed yearly. Proton Enterprise Suite combines all the above with additional flexibility and customization for those with privacy challenges, with priority support and advanced security included.

Anant Vijay Signh, Product Management Lead at Proton, said, “In a landscape where data breaches and corporate surveillance are on the rise, Proton Drive is the secure choice for businesses that can’t afford to compromise on privacy. With end-to-end encryption and zero-access architecture, your data remains safe—even in the event of a data breach. Proton Drive offers the kind of privacy that big tech simply can’t match, making it the clear choice for organizations serious about protecting their most sensitive information.”

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