Microsoft is ruining Notepad with pointless formatting in Windows 11
Sigh. Microsoft just can’t leave well enough alone. The company is now injecting formatting features into Notepad, a program that has long been appreciated for one thing -- its simplicity. You see, starting with version 11.2504.50.0, this update is rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, and it adds bold text, italics, hyperlinks, lists, and even headers.
Sadly, this isn’t a joke. Notepad is actually being turned into a watered-down word processor, complete with a formatting toolbar and Markdown support. Users can even toggle between styled content and raw Markdown syntax. And while Microsoft is giving you the option to disable formatting or strip it all out, it’s clear the direction of the app is changing.
Ditch Windows 11 and try Alpine Linux 3.22 with GNOME 48 and Plasma 6.3
Alpine Linux 3.22 is finally here (download), and if you’re tired of bloated operating systems like Windows 11, this release might be the breath of fresh air you’ve been waiting for. While Alpine is still a niche distribution, it’s slowly becoming a viable option for power users who want speed, control, and simplicity.
Despite being known as a lightweight distro often used in containers and servers, Alpine 3.22 brings some serious desktop upgrades. It now includes GNOME 48, KDE Plasma 6.3, and LXQt 2.2. Even the XFCE desktop got some love, with updated packages like xfce4-panel 4.20.4, thunar 4.20.3, and more. It’s clear Alpine is not just for the command-line crowd anymore.
UK tech leaders want the government to stop buying US cloud
New research reveals a surge in interest in data sovereignty among UK IT leaders since the implementation of the United States government's historic raft of tariffs in April.
The study from Civo, of over 1,000 UK-based IT leaders, shows more than 60 percent now feel that the UK government’s use of US cloud services exposes the country's digital economy to significant risks, damages its domestic industry, and threatens data security.
Best Windows apps this week
Six-hundred-forty-nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Microsoft released Windows Backup for Organizations to ease the transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Microsoft launched a private preview of a native update orchestration platform for Windows. Put simply, it enables app developers to push app updates via Windows Update.
Why data privacy is a fundamental human right
In an age where every click, swipe, and search can be tracked, stored and analyzed, data privacy is no longer a luxury but a necessity. From social media profiles to medical records and financial transactions, personal information is constantly collected and processed, often without understanding or consent.
Recognizing data privacy as a fundamental human right isn't just a legal or technical issue, but vital for individual dignity, autonomy, and freedom of expression.
Safeguarding your marketing channels: how AI-powered automation is fueling new threats and how to defend against them
Scammers are already using AI-powered automation to manipulate marketing channels. We don't want to hand out a playbook for bad actors, but it's important to recognize the growing number of scams that have been enhanced by AI and automation tools. Most scams are still about money, either directly or by collecting personal data that can be used to access financial information. If there is no money, there is typically little motive.
In a space like eCommerce, for example, we've seen scammers clone legitimate websites to trick customers into handing over their payment information. These spoof sites look identical to the real thing.
The top priorities and biggest worries for cyber leaders [Q&A]
The technology world is a fast moving one and keeping up with the latest trends can be difficult. Yet it's also essential if you're not to lose competitive edge or get caught out by new risks.
We spoke to Myke Lyons, CISO of data infrastructure company Cribl, to discuss what the priorities for cyber leaders should be and what things are likely to keep them awake at night.
Instagram announces support for the most commonly used photo aspect ratio
Post an image to Instagram and it will almost certainly be automatically cropped. The reason for this is that, until now, the platform has supported 4:5 aspect ratio images, as well as the Instagram staple -- the square format.
But this is not in line with how most people shoot photographs, and the platform is finally taking this into account. There is now support for a new (new to Instagram, at least), aspect ratio.
No prizes for guessing what's to blame for the latest problem that stops Windows 11 booting (yep, it's another OS update)
Windows updates that cause problems are far from being uncommon, sadly, but the latest issue is a pretty serious one. Some users who have installed the KB5058405 update from earlier this month have found themselves with an non-booting system.
Those affected will note a 0xc0000098 error in the ACPI.sys file, and a message informing them that their device needs to be repaired. The bad news does not end there. Microsoft does not yet have a fix -- or even a workaround.
Your WhatsApp status just got a huge upgrade that injects creativity and personality
While WhatsApp is, ostensibly, a messaging, chat and video calling platform, it is more than that; it is also a pseudo social media platform. The Status section of WhatsApp has gradually evolved over the years to become a way to not only indicate your availability, but to express much more.
And now Status has received another massive upgrade. It is now possible to display a collage of multiple photos, share music, and much more. A plethora of new options are rolling out globally; here's what you have to look forward to.
The rise of the million dollar CISO
While the average total compensation for CISOs at large enterprises is $700K, those at $20B+ firms average $1.1M, with top earners exceeding $1.3M. These people are often managing $100M+ security budgets and teams of over 200 staff.
A new report from IANS Research along with Artico Search looks at data from more than 860 CISOs, including 406 at enterprises with $1B+ in annual revenue.
Why now is time to build sustainable accessibility into organizational culture
Accessibility is increasingly recognized as an important part of how organizations deliver value across a number of industries, and rightly so. It goes beyond meeting legal requirements to improve user experience, promote inclusion, and build better services for all. Yet, despite the growing awareness, some organizations still see integrating accessibility into its processes as an isolated effort or something to be 'checked off' near the end of a project, prompted by upcoming regulation, user complaints, or reputational risk.
This reactive approach may satisfy compliance needs in the short-term, but it does little to build lasting, meaningful inclusion. Meaningful progress happens when accessibility is embedded into an organization’s everyday mindset and operations. In short, accessibility must become a fundamental element, not an afterthought. Adding accessibility to everyday practices instead of reserving it for emergencies allows companies to develop better products, rely on stronger teams, and be more resilient.
Get your hands on the new Windows Share feature and try out Click To Do enhancements with the KB5058499 update for Windows 11
Microsoft has released a preview version of the KB5058499 update for Windows 11, adding a host of new features to the operating system -- many of them, predictably, AI-oriented.
The biggest additions are updates to Click To Do, as well as the rollout of the new Windows Share feature. There is also “Cross device resume” to allow for seamless device migration when using OneDrive files, and much more.
The launch of Windows Backup for Organizations sees Microsoft making it easier to move to Windows 11
The end of support for Windows 10 is fast approaching, as Microsoft is only too eager to keep reminding us. This is important for all users of Windows 10, but particularly for organizations that need to ensure security.
Microsoft has just launched Windows Backup for Organizations, and this can be seen as one of the ways in which the company is encouraging migration to Windows 11. It is an Entra-based way to backup and restore Windows settings, and it's now available in a limited public preview.
Less than eight percent of top domains implement the toughest DMARC protection
New research from EasyDMARC reveals that just 7.7 percent of the world's top 1.8 million email domains are fully protected against phishing and spoofing, having implemented the most stringent DMARC policy.
While this configuration, known as 'p=reject', actively blocks malicious emails from reaching inboxes, many businesses have only adopted the passive monitoring setting known as 'p=none', which passively monitors inboxes for threats without intercepting them. This means it doesn't block fraudulent emails or provide full visibility into authentication failures.
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