Enhancements to Screen Corners, Touchpad Gestures, Touchscreen Actions, Bluetooth Communications Detail, App Power Consumption Analysis, and Customizable Taskbar

[b0rh]

Description of the new feature / enhancement

Screen Corners Shortcuts: Implement hot corners functionality similar to what is available in Linux and macOS. For example, moving the pointer to the upper left corner would trigger the same shortcut as the Windows + Tab combination, displaying all open apps in a mosaic view for easy selection. Another example would be the lower right corner, which would show the desktop.

Touchpad Gestures: Enable configurable multi-finger gestures on the touchpad. In Windows 11, currently, it’s not possible to configure actions for 2, 3, or 4 finger swipes, only allowing cross movement. In macOS, this is customizable, and in Linux, there are several useful gestures available, such as circular movements for scrolling.

Touchscreen Actions: Introduce similar multi-finger gestures and shortcuts for the touchscreen that are available for the touchpad with 2, 3, and 4 fingers. Additional new gestures could be added, similar to iOS/iPadOS, for quickly closing applications or displaying all open ones depending on the starting area of the movement.

Bluetooth Communications Detail: Create an app to display detailed information about Bluetooth communications, including signal strength, power consumption, and audio codec in use. This would be extremely useful for ensuring proper device configuration and identifying issues, similar to what is available in macOS developer tools by using Alt-click on the Bluetooth icon, or in Linux via CLI.

App Power Consumption Analysis: Develop an app that details power consumption in milliwatts (mW) per app and the total consumption. This would be immensely helpful in identifying resource-hungry or poorly optimized applications, such as those using the dedicated GPU instead of the CPU. This app could be integrated with Process Explorer and potentially allow limiting app power consumption, similar to Linux's Powertop.

Customizable Taskbar: Allow for a highly customizable taskbar to simplify the workflow and maintain a clean workspace, similar to what is available on Windows Server. Users should have the option to remove unnecessary features like news, social media, and other distractions that consume resources. Additionally, enable the taskbar to be positioned at the top, sides, or bottom of the screen. This flexibility is particularly useful for users managing multiple remote desktop sessions, preventing confusion by differentiating taskbar positions. Also, in tablet mode, it would be beneficial to have the option to position the taskbar above the on-screen keyboard, a feature that has disappeared in Windows 11. An option to enable a "Focus Mode" that removes all added features intended for domestic use and allows full customization of the taskbar position would be incredibly useful.

Scenario when this would be used?

These enhancements would be invaluable for power users who rely on efficient navigation and workflow management.

• Screen Corners Shortcuts: Enhancing productivity by quickly accessing open applications or the desktop without needing to use keyboard shortcuts or other manual steps.

• Touchpad Gestures: Allowing for a more seamless and customizable user experience, making multitasking more intuitive and efficient, especially for users transitioning from macOS or Linux who are accustomed to these gestures.

• Touchscreen Actions: Improving the usability of touchscreen devices by offering more intuitive controls and gestures similar to those on iOS/iPadOS, which can speed up tasks and provide a more integrated experience.

• Bluetooth Communications Detail: Assisting in the proper configuration of Bluetooth devices by providing detailed information about signal strength, power consumption, and audio codec, helping users identify and solve connectivity issues.

• App Power Consumption Analysis: Enabling users to monitor and manage the power consumption of individual applications, identifying resource-heavy or poorly optimized software, and potentially allowing users to limit power usage, extending the battery life of portable devices.

• Customizable Taskbar: Streamlining workflows by allowing users to customize the taskbar to remove distractions and save resources, such as news and social media, which are often unnecessary in a professional environment. Providing the ability to place the taskbar at the top, sides, or bottom of the screen is extremely useful for users who manage multiple remote desktop sessions. This prevents confusion by enabling distinct taskbar placements for each session. In tablet mode, restoring the option to position the taskbar above the on-screen keyboard would greatly improve usability. Adding a "Focus Mode" would further enhance productivity by eliminating distractions and allowing users to concentrate on their tasks.

Supporting information

Thank you very much for considering my suggestions. I truly adore PowerToys and have been using them for years. They have been an essential part of my workflow, greatly enhancing my productivity and user experience. I am excited about the potential improvements and am grateful for the continuous innovation and dedication to making these tools even more powerful and versatile.