Latest Software & Apps News
Microsoft Build 2026 adds Windows 365 for Agents and new on-device AI
Microsoft announced Windows 365 for Agents, a managed Cloud PC environment for AI agents to complete multi-step workflows across software, and said it is now generally available. The company also unveiled new on-device AI models, including Aion 1.0 Instruct and Aion 1.0 Plan, to bring local agentic capabilities to Windows devices in coming months.
WSL containers are coming to Windows in public preview
Microsoft said WSL containers will become a built-in way to create, run, and interact with Linux containers using familiar CLI and API tools, with public preview coming soon. The move further tightens Linux and Windows development workflows for app teams building cross-platform software.
Microsoft expands Windows AI APIs across more PCs
Microsoft is extending Windows AI APIs to more Windows 11 PCs across CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs, including speech-to-text recognition support on NPUs and CPUs. It is also expanding on-device SLM capabilities to select discrete GPUs and bringing Video Super Resolution to CPUs for richer local app experiences.
Project Solara reimagines agent-driven app experiences
Microsoft introduced Project Solara, a new platform designed from the ground up for agent-driven experiences, alongside two concept devices. The announcement signals a broader push to blend software, devices, and AI-native workflows into a more unified Windows ecosystem.
Microsoft Store adds faster certification and richer developer analytics
Microsoft said it is improving the Microsoft Store with free and faster company onboarding via Entra ID support and accelerated app certification times. Developers will also get near real-time analytics and subscription insights, making the Store a more attractive app distribution channel.
GitHub Copilot app arrives in preview on desktop
Microsoft launched the GitHub Copilot app in preview, bringing agentic development to a native desktop experience for a broader audience. The company says the app requires only a GitHub Copilot account and is available in preview today.
Microsoft releases Web IQ for faster grounding in agent workflows
Microsoft announced Web IQ, describing it as its fastest real-world grounding capability for agents and an AI-first web search stack. The system is model-agnostic and MCP-native, and Microsoft says it returns relevant passages at nearly 2.5 times the speed of the next-best alternative.
Microsoft Discovery reaches general availability
Microsoft Discovery is now generally available on Azure, positioning itself as an enterprise-grade agentic AI platform for the full science workflow. The release extends Microsoft’s push to embed AI agents into specialized software development and research processes.
Microsoft expands multilingual AI models and speech tools
Microsoft said MAI Transcribe 1.5 now offers state-of-the-art accuracy across 43 languages, with streaming support coming soon. It also expanded MAI-Voice-2 and its flash variant to more than 15 additional languages, adding new voice options for app developers.
New security system Codename MDASH targets exploitable bugs
Microsoft introduced Codename MDASH, a multi-model agentic security system that uses more than 100 agents to find exploitable bugs. The system reasons about data flow, business logic, and exploit chains, then delivers context-aware fixes directly in the Defender Portal.
Gartner projects $2.59 trillion in global AI spending for 2026
Gartner forecasts worldwide AI spending will reach $2.59 trillion in 2026, up 47% year over year. The scale of spending underscores why software and app vendors are rapidly centering products around AI features and agentic workflows.
Rocket Software named a Challenger in 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant
Rocket Software said it was named a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant, highlighting continued activity in enterprise software modernization. The recognition is notable for companies focused on mainframe and legacy-system application infrastructure.