Here's how to get a longer timeframe to remove Windows 10 feature updates
When you install a feature update for Windows 10 -- the likes of Windows 10 October 2020 Update (20H2), for instance -- Microsoft does not give you very long to change your mind and uninstall it. If you decide you don't like the changes introduced by a feature update, you have just 10 days to easily remove it without having to go down the route of using a backup.
It might not just be the fact that you don't like changes that have been made to the way Windows 10 works. There have been numerous updates to the operating system that have been problematic and buggy, but Microsoft still only gives you 10 short days to go back to your previous version of Windows 10. But there is a way to get yourself more time to play with.
Microsoft is using Windows Feature Experience Pack update to add great new features to Windows 10
Normally when Microsoft adds new features to Windows 10, it does so using the twice-yearly Feature Updates -- such as Windows 10 May 2020 Update and Windows 10 October 2020 Update (20H2). But this is changing.
We have seen references to Windows Feature Experience Pack updates in preview builds of Windows 10, and now Microsoft is starting to test out the feature. Using the new method of delivering updates, the company is bringing some interesting new features and options to the operating system.
PowerToys is making it easier to manage open windows across multiple monitors -- UPDATED
Microsoft has been gradually developing PowerToys for Windows 10, and the collection of tools is growing. While still in its relative infancy -- we're a long way from version 1.0! -- there are already some PowerToys that are proving firm favorites.
One of the most popular is FanzyZones. It offers a great way to quickly organize a large number of open programs and windows into preset layouts... and it's about to get even better.
Project Latte could see Android app support coming to Windows 10
Having already embraced Linux with WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), Microsoft looks set to do the same with Android. The company is said to be working on a project which will make it possible to run Android apps in Windows 10.
The arrival of a new subsystem in Windows 10 is something that will be welcomed by Android fans looking to enjoy mobile apps on the desktop. While Microsoft is yet to confirm its plans, Project Latte could see the light of day as soon as late 2021.
Microsoft 365's 'Productivity Score' raises serious privacy concerns
Microsoft has attracted the attention of privacy campaigners over the Productivity Score feature of Microsoft 365. The tool uses telemetry to enable employers to track the activities and performance of workers.
The analytics tool has been criticized for being a serious invasion of privacy, as it gives employers the ability to closely monitor individuals. One data privacy researcher describes it as "turn[ing] Microsoft 365 into a full-fledged workplace surveillance tool".
If you're still using Windows 7, you need to install this important, free 0-day patch
Windows 7 may be rather long in the tooth, but there are still millions of people using it globally. And just because the operating system has been around for years, that does not mean all of the bugs and security issues have been ironed out; far from it, in fact.
Earlier this month a security researcher discovered a local privilege escalation vulnerability in both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. There's no indication that Microsoft will issue a patch even for organizations the paid for extended support, but the vast majority of Windows 7 users will be left vulnerable. Or at least that would be case if it wasn't for 0patch stepping up to the plate and making a micropatch available for free.
You can make unlimited Zoom calls for free this Thanksgiving
Like many things happening in 2020, Coronavirus means that Thanksgiving is going to be very different to previous years. While friends and family would normally gather together, COVID means that more of this year's celebrations will be held remotely.
And with this in mind, Zoom is here to help. Over the Thanksgiving period, the company is lifting its 40-minute limit on calls and will let everyone -- all over the world -- make calls of unlimited length for free.
Baidu apps with 6 million US downloads found to be leaking sensitive user data
Security researchers from Palo Alto Networks have discovered that apps produced by Chinese firm Baidu have been leaking sensitive data about users.
Baidu Search Box and Baidu Maps -- which have been downloaded more than six millions times in the US alone -- were found to be sending details such as MAC addresses, phone models, IMSI and IMEI to a server in China. The researchers warned Google about the activity of the Android apps which were then removed from the Play Store.
Linus Torvalds wants Linux running on Apple's new M1 Macs
When Apple launched its new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini systems, there was much excitement about the performance boost the M1 chips are bringing to the table.
People who have been running Windows and Windows apps on Macs, however, are less happy due to the lack of support for Boot Camp, and the lack of M1-ready virtualization software from the likes of Parallels. But what about the prospect of Linux on M1 Macs?
Want to get verified on Twitter? It could happen in 2021
The blue tick of verification is something a huge number of Twitter users crave. Sadly for those who are desperate for validation, the company placed a paused of verifying accounts quite some time ago. But this is about to change.
2020 has been a terrible year for many people for numerous reasons, but for those seeking Twitter verification, things could be about to improve. The company has announced that its verification program is about to start up again. So... how do you get verified on Twitter?
Batterygate: Apple to pay $113 million for throttling iPhone performance
Apple has agreed to pay $113 million as part of a settlement in Washington DC and 33 states over the "batterygate" scandal.
Starting back in 2016, Apple used updates to iOS to throttle the performance of older iPhones in a bid to improve battery life. While the company’s intensions may have been good, the fact that customers were not warned about the reduction in performance did not work in its favor.
Google adds new privacy setting to Gmail for anyone happy to skip 'smart' features
The smart features of Gmail -- such as Smart Compose and Smart Reply to help speed up email composition -- are certainly handy, but they come at a price. Privacy.
As is often the case with Google products, sharing personal information with the company is par for the course. While it could be argued that some features simply could not function properly, or be personalized correctly, without such data-sharing, not everyone is happy with giving up their privacy in this way. Now Google has introduced an option that gives users greater control.
macOS Big Sur is bricking some MacBook Pros
With any big update to an operating system, there are usually warnings to hold off for a bit and make sure there are no bugs that you might be affected by. When Big Sur was released last week, there were similar warnings about not immediately installing the biggest update to macOS in years.
And it seems that those warnings were justified. People running some older MacBook Pros are finding that installing Big Sur bricks their laptops. It seems that the late-2013 and mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pros are most problematic.
Security: Animal Jam warns of hack affecting 46 million accounts
The popular game Animal Jam, enjoyed by millions of children around the world, has advised parents of a hack which has exposed the personal details of 46 million account records.
The company behind Animal Jam, WildWorks, has issued a warning that details revealed in the attack include 7 million email addresses used to create accounts, and 32 million player usernames. A proportion of the 46 million accounts affected have had full name and billing address details exposed.
Microsoft is holding back on Windows 10 updates in December
Microsoft has announced that it will not be releasing any preview releases in December as the company winds down for the end of the year.
The Windows maker cites the "minimal operations during the holidays and the upcoming Western new year" as the reason for scaling things back. Microsoft adds that things will return to normal in January.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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