TypeWhisper v1.0.0-rc1

TypeWhisper 1.0.0-rc1 is the first release candidate for the Windows 1.0 release. It focuses on release quality, update reliability, plugin compatibility, and the stability fixes needed before the stable 1.0 tag.

Release Candidate Focus

• Prepared the Windows app for the 1.0.0-rc1 release-candidate channel.
• Kept the RC scope focused on blocker fixes, compatibility, documentation, and QA rather than new workflow surfaces.
• Preserved the stable 1.0 path for a short RC soak before publishing v1.0.0.

Improvements

• Loaded bundled app plugins from the installed application directory alongside marketplace and user-installed plugins.
• Preferred marketplace or user-installed plugin copies when they share an id with a bundled plugin.
• Aligned OpenAI and Supertonic TTS plugin host compatibility with the Windows 1.0 release line.
• Documented the RC validation focus for Windows 10 startup, plugin loading, update channels, and local acceleration diagnostics.

Fixes

• Fixed Groq recorder transcription on Windows systems where Media Foundation AAC encoding is unavailable by falling back to WAV upload.
• Preserved cancellation behavior for Groq transcription while avoiding hard failures for AAC encoder availability issues.

Known RC Packaging Note

• The v1.0.0-rc1 Windows Setup.exe assets are currently unsigned. Windows may show SmartScreen or publisher warnings during installation.
• Code signing remains a stable v1.0.0 release gate unless the release communication is updated again.

RC Validation Notes

• Check startup responsiveness on Windows 10 22H2 systems with virtual audio devices such as Voicemeeter.
• Confirm upgrade behavior from v0.8.4 to the RC channel and fresh portable RC launches.
• Verify OpenAI and Supertonic TTS visibility in the plugin marketplace on a 1.0.0-rc1 host.
• Verify Velopack RC-channel assets and x64/ARM64 package completeness.