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Microsoft released a new insider preview build to the developer and beta channels of Windows 11. The new build 26220.7262 introduces several new features and changes, including a new "experimental agentic features" toggle in the Settings. If you recall, Microsoft announced this month that it is turning Windows into an agentic operating system. The post, by Windows-chief Pavan Davuluri on X, faced heavy criticism. To the point that Davuluri limited the commenting ability. The new AI component setting in the development edition of Windows 11 is a major step towards that goal. First, the good news. Microsoft is shipping the...

 SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. acknowledged Wednesday that it needs to better inform users that its tool for determining whether a computer is running a pirated copy of Windows also quietly checks in daily with the software maker. The company said the undisclosed daily check is a safety measure designed to allow the tool, called Windows Genuine Advantage, to quickly shut down in case of a malfunction. For example, if the company suddenly started seeing a rash of reports that Windows copies were pirated, it might want to shut down the program to make sure it wasn't delivering false results. "It's...