Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

Just as Microsoft's Insider program gives a sneaky insight into the future of Office and Windows 10, so many web browsers have various preview versions that let eager users try out new features before their official release.

Chrome is one such browser, and in addition to the main release version, there are also Beta, Dev and Canary builds which are updated far more frequently. While these all get new features and options well before the main build, many are locked behind flag settings. But now Google is making it easier than ever to access new features that are being developed and tested in Chrome Labs.

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More complaints are starting to surface about the KB4601319 update for Windows 10. The cumulative update was released last month, and has already been found to cause problems with some webcams.

Now this same update has been found to lead to issues with File History backups. Windows 10 KB4601319 update was pushed to users of the May 2020 Update and October 2020 Update last Patch Tuesday, and it is causing backups to fail for a number of people with a 80070005 error.

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Microsoft has revealed a new deployment service for driver and firmware updates which will make it easier for administrators to keep enterprise systems up to date.

The company says that the new system will make it possible to see drivers hosted on Windows Update that match devices, as well as giving admins control over the selection and deployment of updates.

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Anyone thinking about grabbing themselves a new iMac Pro needs to be fast in order to avoid disappointment. The much-loved system is only available to buy "while supplies last" as Apple is discontinuing the high-end computer.

As well as there only being limited numbers of units available, buyers are also only able to opt for the base model, and no personal configuration or upgrades are possible. What's more, it seems unlikely that there will be a replacement system once supplies run dry.

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It has been a little while since there was a PowerToys update, but Microsoft has today rectified this with the release of version 0.33.1 of the suite of Windows 10 utilities.

There are a number of notable changes in this particular release, including improvements to plugins in PowerToys Run, and the editor UX in FancyZones. PowerToys v0.33.1 also features a new 'First time load' experience which serves to introduce new users to what is available in the software.

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Microsoft greatly simplified the user login and authentication process with the introduction of Windows Hello. The biometric security system for Windows 10 means laboriously typing out passwords has been replaced with facial or fingerprint recognition.

Taking this idea to the next level is a great open source Rust-based utility called WSL Hello sudo. This is a pluggable authentication module (PAM) that makes it possible to use Windows Hello authentication in Windows Subsystem for Linux.

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These days, it is almost a given that an update for Windows 10 will not only fix bugs and introduce new options, it is also likely to cause additional problems. It is something that Windows users have been painfully aware of for some time, and Microsoft has been working on a solution.

And that solution is KIR, or Known Issue Rollback. The new system enables Microsoft to rollback changes introduced by problematic patches rolled out through Windows Update. KIR only applies to non-security updates.

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Microsoft has announced Power Fx, a new open source programming language. The Windows-maker describes it as "a low-code general purpose programming language based on spreadsheet-like formulas".

The language can be used across Microsoft’s Power Platform, and the fact that it is based on Microsoft Excel means that it should be immediately accessible to large numbers of people, even if they would not necessarily consider themselves programmers.

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Whether you’re a system administrator or a Windows power user, the chances are that you spend lots of time performing the same tasks over and over again. To help with this, Microsoft has made its Power Automate Desktop tool for Windows 10 free for everyone.

This enterprise-quality macro-like utility can be put to endless uses, helping to optimize all manner of workflows by automating frequently performed tasks. Available to install free of charge right now, it will eventually be included in Windows 10 as standard.

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To comply with "right to repair" laws in France, Apple has revealed repairability ratings for various models of MacBook and iPhone. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ratings make for rather bleak reading.

The ratings are based on analysis of how easy it is to dismantle a device, how easy it is to get hold of spares, and the availability of repair manuals. The idea behind the ratings is to give people an idea of how likely it is that they will be able to fix problems themselves, and Apple's low scores show that at-home repairs can be pretty much ruled out across the board.

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Around a month and a half ago we reported about a serious flaw in Windows 10 that could be exploited to corrupt the contents of an NTFS drive. With Microsoft dawdling in its response, it was down to security researchers from OSR to produce a third-party patch.

But now Microsoft has stepped up to the plate and, finally, come up with an official fix for the flaw. Sadly, it's not all good news as the fix is not currently available for everyone.

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It may only be four months since macOS Big Sur launched, but already Apple has released its fourth significant update.

Big Sur 11.2.2 is here, and it's an important update for owners of certain MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops. There have been numerous reports of problems with third-party USB-C hubs and docks.

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There have long been problems with Intel drivers for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with users experiencing blue screens (BSODs) in Windows 10 as well as unstable connections.

Now Intel has released a pair of driver updates that should address the issues once and for all. The company has new update for the Intel PROSet/Wireless software as well as the Intel Wireless Bluetooth software. In addition to fixing stability problems, these are also security updates, so users of affected Intel hardware are being encouraged to get the updates installed as soon as possible.

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There are many different types of update for Windows 10, some of which are more important than others. To make things easier to manage, both for the company itself and for end users, Microsoft is now integrating servicing stack updates (SSUs) into the latest cumulative updates (LCUs).

Cumulative updates should be familiar to most Windows 10 users, but SSUs are not something that everyone will be aware of. Nonetheless, the change Microsoft is introducing is a important one that should help to reduce update problems in future.

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It is now five and a half years since Windows 10 was released, and we've seen a lot of changes to the operating system over this time. There have been endless additions, numerous changes, and the occasional removal of dead wood.

Among the things that have been killed off so far are various elements of the Control Panel and ways of accessing it, causing upset with many users. But now Microsoft is turning its attention to things which the vast majority of people regard as completely unnecessary. The company has seemingly realized that very few people are interested in 3D modelling and is indulging in a little spring cleaning.

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