Microsoft appears to be experimenting with yet another way to weave AI deeper into everyday Windows workflows. A new option called “Share any window from my taskbar with virtual assistant” has started showing up in Taskbar settings, allowing supported apps such as Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot to access whatever window you choose directly from the taskbar interface.

The idea is to skip the process of manually screen sharing to an AI assistant and just let Windows hand off a live app window straight to Copilot or Microsoft 365 Copilot, of course, with your permission, and it all aligns with Microsoft’s inevitable plan of making the taskbar into a dynamic hub for AI.

The company is already toying around with Ask Copilot, which is an AI-powered potential replacement for the traditional Windows Search on the Taskbar, featuring a single button access to Copilot Voice and Copilot Vision, the latter of which lets you share your screen to Copilot and make it do tasks for you.

However, the “Share any window from taskbar with virtual assistant” toggle is a part of Microsoft’s broader plan to make Windows into an Agentic OS, because from the looks of it, the space isn’t just reserved for Copilot and may include more AI agents in the future.

Windows 11 is preparing to let you share app windows directly with AI assistant

The screenshot by Windows enthusiast @phantomofearth shows a new Taskbar setting called “Share any window from my taskbar with virtual assistant.” The toggle appears to be the settings-side control for a feature Microsoft has already been testing under the name “Share with Copilot.”

That implementation added the option to share a specific app window directly to Copilot when hovering over that app’s thumbnail preview on the taskbar. It allowed Copilot to analyze what’s on screen and provide contextual help. Windows Latest tested Share with Copilot on apps like Outlook, Cloudflare WARP, and more.

Once a window is shared, Copilot can read visible content, summarize information, suggest replies, or guide you through actions by highlighting UI elements with its own cursor. It is designed as a read-only, assistive layer. The AI sees what you see, but it does not take control of the app or interact with protected content.

The newly spotted toggle suggests Microsoft is formalizing that capability into a system-level permission model. Users may now be able to choose which “virtual assistant” apps are allowed to request access to open windows. The list already includes Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot, and we believe that third-party AI agents may make their way here.

Windows Latest found that Microsoft is using a Windows API called ” Windows.UI.Shell.ShareWindowCommandSource.” to allow apps like Teams to plug into the taskbar. This API is marked as a “Limited Access Feature”.

This Windows shell-level sharing infrastructure was originally meant for communication apps. Microsoft appears to be extending that plumbing so AI agents can register as sharing targets, letting Windows pass along a selected WindowId from the taskbar itself.

Until now, Microsoft has only approved the Copilot app, but now Microsoft 365 Copilot is also whitelisted. For any third-party AI Agents to make the cut, the company has to approve those developers. And once they do, you’ll start seeing other AI agents in the list.

The screenshot shows that you’ll be able to turn on or off individual AI Agents from this list.
The option to Share window with virtual assistants is, in fact, an option, and a simple toggle can completely turn off the feature. Also, the feature is turned off by default.

To enable the feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, and check under Taskbar beaviors:

You can prioritize AI Agents while sharing an app window

Interestingly, you can decide which AI Agents get higher priority while sharing an app window. The screenshot shows 6 dots on the left of each AI agent, and they can be long-pressed and dragged to move them up or down. However, we are not sure how we can choose a particular AI Agent when selecting the option to share the window with a virtual assistant.

Windows 11 is redefining the taskbar for the AI era

For decades, the taskbar was little more than a launcher. It held the Start button, showed running apps, and stayed mostly unchanged from Windows 7 through Windows 10.

Windows 11 initially drew criticism for removing long-standing behaviors, including the ability to move the taskbar to different edges of the screen. That decision frustrated power users who had built workflows around a more flexible layout.

Now Microsoft appears to be reversing course while simultaneously expanding what the taskbar can actually do. The company is already working on bringing back the ability to move the taskbar and even resize it, features that are reportedly under active development for upcoming Windows 11 updates.

Microsoft has also been layering in new functionality, such as updated battery indicators. Recent preview features include a built-in network speed monitoring from the taskbar, which could be a very nifty feature. Microsoft increasingly wants everyday information and actions to appear directly from this strip of UI.

The addition of AI entry points follows that same course. Windows 11 is embedding them into places users already interact with constantly. We have recently seen how AI agents run on the taskbar via Ask Copilot.

Note that Microsoft is not replacing the taskbar with something unrecognizable. It is layering new capabilities on top of a familiar foundation, testing them in limited rollouts, and adjusting based on feedback. The newly spotted toggle can be turned off, but the UX may change before it reaches a wider audience.

The post Microsoft tests a Windows 11 taskbar feature that lets AI see your open apps when you share window appeared first on Windows Latest

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Summary

In this episode, Andy talks with Wharton economist Judd Kessler, author of Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics You Need to Get More of What You Want. If you have ever looked at someone else's career success and thought, "They just got lucky," this conversation will give you a new lens. Judd introduces the idea of "hidden markets," the informal rules and systems that shape who gets opportunities, access, and scarce resources, even when money is not changing hands.

They explore how leaders can evaluate allocation rules using Judd's three Es (equitable, efficient, and easy), why first come, first served "races" often reward availability more than merit, and how waiting lists can quietly shift costs onto the people least able to pay them. You will also hear Judd's "settle for silver" strategy, a practical way to make smarter choices in competitive markets, plus a thoughtful parenting angle on teaching kids to notice rules and incentives early.

If you're looking for a fresh, research-backed perspective on how hidden rules shape who gets opportunities at work and in life, this episode is for you!

Sound Bites

• "The goal of the book is to get people to start to recognizing these markets all around us."
• "In most of these markets, they play by a simple rule that we all understand, which is if you're willing to pay for the thing, then you get it."
• "Is the way that we're deciding who gets what... is it equitable? Is it efficient? And is it easy for market participants?"
• "I open my calendar and I see all these recurring meetings on my calendar, recurring meetings that were set up years or months ago. That's first in time, first in right."
• "If you understand the rules and develop strategies to get what you want from the market, then you actually can be one of the handful that actually gets the thing, that desirable outcome, and then it will look like you got lucky."
• "It's always going to be the folks who are in the market winning who are always going to think that it's fair."
• "Once you start thinking like, how am I actually allocating these things? That's when you've put on that market designer hat."
• "They'll come to you kind of with half-baked ideas because they know if they wait later on until they can fully bake the idea that the resources or the fun parts of the project might already be gone."
• "Part of what the Settle for Silver / Go for Gold Strategy is forcing you to do, is to think seriously about what you want and why you want it."
• "You, as a parent, you are designing the markets that your kids play in all the time."
• "We're not breaking the rules, but we are figuring out what they are so that we can put ourselves in a good position, and that's going to serve you well."
• "Maybe by being in the office, you are signaling your dedication to the firm that you're available for all of these opportunities."
• "If it's something that anybody can do, like send a quick email, right? That's, it's not actually costly. Anybody could send that email even if they're not truly dedicated and eager for the opportunity."
• "You cannot get all three E's for sure in any allocation mechanism. There's always going to be tradeoffs."

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:41 Start of Interview
• 01:49 Growing Up and Thinking About Luck
• 03:00 Introducing Hidden Markets
• 07:10 The Three E's: Equitable, Efficient, and Easy
• 08:08 Live Event Tickets as a Case Study
• 12:50 High Frequency Trading and Hidden Races
• 15:21 Common Misunderstandings of the Three E's
• 17:04 Races Inside Organizations and Project Teams
• 20:25 Proximity, Signaling, and Opportunity at Work
• 23:03 Are We Selecting for the Right Behavior?
• 25:41 Stepping Back to Evaluate Your Own Systems
• 25:52 Colorado River Water Rights and Recurring Meetings
• 29:09 The Settle for Silver Strategy
• 30:57 The French Laundry Reservation Story
• 32:51 Settle for Silver in College Admissions
• 37:22 Helping Kids Recognize Rules and Incentives
• 41:03 End of Interview
• 41:32 Andy Comments After the Interview
• 44:34 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Judd and his work at JuddBKessler.com/book.

For more learning on this topic, check out:

• Episode 265, a short video episode Andy put together about the topic of luck. Check it out!
• Episode 339 with Katy Milkman. Katy is the person who gave Andy the heads-up about Judd's book. In episode 339, they talk about her book How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. It's a great discussion with another researcher who knows how to make the learning practical for all of us.
• Episode 372 with Annie Duke. Annie is a former world champion poker player who is a big fan of Judd's book. How does a poker player think about luck? Check out episode 372 to find out!

Pass the PMP Exam This Year

If you or someone you know is thinking about getting PMP certified, we've put together a helpful guide called The 5 Best Resources to Help You Pass the PMP Exam on Your First Try. We've helped thousands of people earn their certification, and we'd love to help you too. It's totally free, and it's a great way to get a head start.

Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I'd love to help you get your PMP this year!

Join Us for LEAD52

I know you want to be a more confident leader–that's why you listen to this podcast. LEAD52 is a global community of people like you who are committed to transforming their ability to lead and deliver. It's 52 weeks of leadership learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Learn more and sign up at GetLEAD52.com. Thanks!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Topics: Luck, Hidden Markets, Behavioral Economics, Leadership, Decision Making, Resource Allocation, Organizational Design, Career Strategy, Signaling, Systems Thinking, Equity, Project Management

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Echo by Alexander Nakarada
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Download audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/peopleandprojectspodcast/499-JuddKessler.mp3?dest-id=107017

You love building web apps with Python, and HTMX got you excited about the hypermedia approach -- let the server drive the HTML, skip the JavaScript build step, keep things simple. But then you hit that last 10%: You need Alpine.js for interactivity, your state gets out of sync, and suddenly you're juggling two unrelated libraries that weren't designed to work together.

What if there was a single 11-kilobyte framework that gave you everything HTMX and Alpine do, and more, with real-time updates, multiplayer collaboration out of the box, and performance so fast you're actually bottlenecked by the monitor's refresh rate? That's Datastar.

On this episode, I sit down with its creator Delaney Gillilan, core maintainer Ben Croker, and Datastar convert Chris May to explore how this backend-driven, server-sent-events-first framework is changing the way full-stack developers think about the modern web.

Episode sponsors

Sentry Error Monitoring, Code talkpython26
Command Book
Talk Python Courses

Links from the show

Download audio: https://talkpython.fm/episodes/download/537/datastar-modern-web-dev-simplified.mp3

For most of my career, I’ve been a proud Windows developer.

I build Windows apps. I run Windows as my primary dev machine. It’s been home.

But recently? That’s been challenged — not by another OS, but by AI.

Developer workflow is changing fast. Agents, containers, automation — they’re reshaping how we build software. So let’s rewind a little, talk about why Windows, and then look at what’s shifting under our feet.

---

Why Windows?

There are really two answers.

1️⃣ The Tools — Visual Studio

For years, Visual Studio was untouchable.

While others were sprinkling Console.WriteLine or scanning logs, Windows developers had:

• Step-through debugging
• Deep variable inspection (even the gnarly ones)
• Conditional breakpoints
• Edit-and-Continue (Hot Reload)
• Integrated build, test, and profiling

It wasn’t just an editor — it was a command center.

And honestly? It still is when I need serious debugging power.

---

2️⃣ The Stack — XAML and Beyond

The second reason: the Windows UI stack.

Since the early days of WPF and Silverlight, I’ve loved XAML. Declarative UI. Clean separation. Powerful binding.

As the platform evolved — WPF → Win8 → UWP → WinUI — XAML stayed central.

Now with the Uno Platform, that same XAML lets me target:

• Windows (WinUI & Desktop)
• macOS
• Linux
• Android
• iOS
• Web (WASM)

One UI definition. Everywhere.

Pair that with MVVM and you get a clean, structured architecture. Add MVUX from Uno and you get a reactive, modern state management model.

It’s simple. Powerful. Productive.

---

So What Changed?

For the first time in my career…

I’m not building for WinUI first.

That used to be my workflow:

1. Build and debug on WinUI
2. Then test on other Uno targets

But when Uno recommended the Skia backend, things shifted.

Now I default to the Desktop target (Windows, macOS, Linux). Why?

• Faster build and launch
• Clearer XAML errors
• Better day-to-day debugging flow

Ironically, building for Windows became less about WinUI itself.

And that shift matters — because an even bigger shift was coming.

---

Enter AI Agents + App MCP

This is where things really changed.

With AI agents — whether it’s Claude, Copilot, or Codex — and the Uno Platform App MCP:

An agent can:

• Build the app
• Run it
• Take screenshots
• Verify changes
• Repeat across Desktop, Web, and Mobile

I can now assign an entire issue to an agent.

It will:

1. Plan the solution
2. Implement it
3. Run the app
4. Validate the outcome

Across multiple platforms.

That’s not autocomplete.

That’s delegation.

---

Containers, YOLO Mode, and Dev Isolation

The next evolution?

Running agents in YOLO mode inside a dev container.

I’m using:

• A Linux container
• Running on WSL
• Connected via VS Code

The dev container stays locked down:

• Limited GitHub access
• Controlled environment
• Isolation from the host

I can still launch desktop and web targets for debugging — but the agent operates in a contained sandbox.

It’s structured chaos.

---

Where That Leaves Me

So here I am.

Still using Windows.
Still building for Windows.
But not the way I used to.

Visual Studio is now my “serious debugging” tool.

Day-to-day development?
Often handled by an AI agent — inside a container — through whatever console I happen to be using.

That’s a massive shift.

---

The Bigger Picture

AI isn’t just speeding up development.

It’s redefining the workflow.

Agents. Sub-agents. Teams of agents.
Parallelizing feature work.
Burning down backlogs.
Testing across platforms automatically.

The tooling and models are evolving monthly.

Six months from now? The workflow may look completely different again.

One thing is clear:

Being a developer today isn’t just about writing code.

It’s about orchestrating intelligence.

The post I used to be a Windows Developer….. and I still am (sort of) appeared first on Nick's .NET Travels.

Interesting Engineering reports: A newly uncovered flaw in Discord’s age verification rollout has added fresh pressure to the company’s 2026 compliance plans. Security researchers recently found that frontend components tied to identity vendor Persona were accessible on the open web, prompting debate over how securely the platform handles sensitive age checks. The discovery surfaced on...

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