Microsoft is deprecating 1024-bit RSA certificate support in Windows 10 and Windows 11 to boost security
Microsoft has quietly announced plans to deprecate TLS server authentication certificates using RSA keys with key lengths shorter than 2048 bits.
The change means that it will not be possible to use 1024-bit keys, although Microsoft is yet to reveal exactly when the changeover will start. This is important information for companies using aging hardware and software as it will mean weaker keys can no longer be used for authentication.
KB5035853 update is slowing down Windows 11 and causing other problems for users
It is a rare month in which Microsoft releases an update for Windows that doesn't cause problems, and March sees the company maintaining this habit. The KB5035853 update released last week was supposed to fix a number of issues, including a persistent 0x800F0922 error, but it seems to have introduced problems of its own.
The KB5035853 update is a security update so it is being automatically installed for the majority of Windows 11 users, and this means that the issues associated with it are hitting a lot of people. Among the problems users are experiencing are BSoDs, slow boot times and reduced system performance.
Microsoft Office 2024 will be available without subscription
Microsoft has announced that the next subscription-free version of its Office suite will launch later this year. A commercial preview of Office LTSC 2024 will be available from next month, with a full launch scheduled for later in the year.
The Office Long-Term Servicing Channel is supported for five years, and it holds great appeal for the many businesses that are not keen on the idea of software subscriptions. There will also be a consumer-focused version of the suite, Office 2024, available via a traditional "one-time purchase" model.
Microsoft is finally unifying Teams chaos into a single app
A major frustration for users of Microsoft Teams has been the need to use different versions of the app for different accounts. It has not been possible, for instance, to use a personal account and a work account in the same app. But this is changing.
With the release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080 to the Canary and Dev Channels, Microsoft has announced that a preview version of a unified Teams app is to be made available very soon. A single Teams app will be able to handle multiple accounts, including different types of account, and it will be possible to easily switch between them.
Microsoft releases KB5035845 update for Windows 10, with security fixes, new Windows share features and more
Windows 10 users have a new security update to install in the form of the KB5035845 update. In addition to addressing a number of security issues, this mandatory update also kills the Windows Backup app for many people and introduces various other changes.
One of the most interesting additions to be found in the KB5035845 update are improvements to Windows share. There are also fixes for various issues in Windows 10 including Windows Hello problems.
Microsoft releases KB5035853 security update for Windows 11 fixing 0x800F0922 error and more
Microsoft has released a new security update for Windows 11. KB5035853 is a mandatory update which not only addresses security issues, but also introduces changes to make Windows 11 compliant with new DMA legislation in Europe.
On top of this, the update fixes the 0x800F0922 error which many people started to experience back in February. The KB5035853 update also features various other changes and additions such as the arrival of support for the USB 80Gbps standard.
Meta adds a new label to show whether third-party WhatsApp chats are secure
New rules in Europe means that WhatsApp will have to offer interoperability with other messaging apps and platforms. This is something that Meta has already been talking about, having published its preference for third parties to use the Signal Protocol as the foundation for these E2EE communications.
Use of the Signal Protocol will not be a requirement for interoperability, but whatever protocol is used by a third-party messaging app or platform, it will need to show they offer "the same security guarantees as Signal". To communicate security to users, WhatsApp is introducing a new "end-to-end encrypted" label that will be added to secure chats.
Microsoft is ending updates for Windows 10 21H2 and wants enterprise and education users to consider Windows 11
In three short months, Microsoft is ending support for various editions of Windows 10 21H2. This means that not only will there be no more new features or bug fixes, there will also be no more security updates released for the operating system.
Running any version of Windows that is not in receipt of security updates is a bad idea, but as this latest announcement includes numerous Enterprise and Education versions of Windows 10, the impact could be huge.
Microsoft is rolling out new versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 to Europe
March 6 was an important day in the European Union as it marked the date on which the Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force. The new legislation places numerous requirements on "gatekeepers" (defined as "large digital platforms providing so called core platform services"), and this has already seen Apple roll out a different version of iOS to the EU than to the rest of the world.
The DMA affects a lot of tech firms, including the likes of Google and Microsoft. With the new legislation having come into force, Microsoft has implemented compliance measures, and this includes rolling out DMA compliant versions of Windows 10 and 11 to users in the EU. The company has started this process and has explained what changes and differences this includes.
Microsoft releases KB5001716 update for Windows 10 to give Windows Update a new UI... and to push users towards Windows 11
Microsoft has released a new update for Windows 10 users in the form of KB5001716. While the company is promoting this as an update that refreshes the UI for Windows Update, there is rather more to it than that.
The release notes point out that after installing this update "you may see a notification informing you that your device is currently running a version of Windows that has reached the end of its support lifecycle ". In other words, expect Windows 11 upgrade nags. Oh, and if the slightly predictable underhand tactics were not enough, the installation of the KB5001716 update is proving problematic for some users, with numerous instances of 0x80070643 errors.
Zapier acquires Vowel team and launches AI automation service Zapier Central
Zapier is a name that will be familiar to companies that have explored workflow automation, and like so many other tech firms, it is now grabbing a slice of AI pie.
Announcing the acquisition of the team behind the AI-powered video conferencing tool Vowel, Zapier has also launched a new AI-focused service called Zapier Central. Currently in preview, this is a workspace for creating and using AI bots to help with task automation and workflow optimization.
Europe now has a better version of iOS than the rest of the world
Apple has released iOS 17.4, with the company pointing to the arrival of podcast transcripts as the highlight. There are also new emoji, improvements to CarPlay, and a number of bug fixes, but things are rather more interesting for users in the European Union.
With the EU's Digital Market Act coming into force today, March 6, Apple has delivered different versions of iOS 17.4 to this market compared to the rest of the world. And by different, we mean better.
Microsoft has started referring to its CBL-Mariner distro as Azure Linux
While it came as a bit of a surprise when it first became public, it has been known for some time that Microsoft has its own Linux distro called CBL-Mariner. The name has been questioned by many, and it is in the process of changing.
The CBL-Mariner moniker is set to become a thing of the past as the distro transitions to being known as Azure Linux.
Microsoft is killing off Windows Subsystem for Android
If you are a Windows 11 user who fell in love with Windows Subsystem for Android, Microsoft has just delivered some bad news. The company is ending support for WSA.
Unlike Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Subsystem for Android failed to generate the mass appeal Microsoft was probably hoping for. This is likely partly because of the fact that while WSA makes it possible to run Android apps and games in Windows 11, it is limited to apps available via the Amazon App Store. The clock is now ticking for Windows Subsystem for Android
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.79.0 with amazing new shortcuts options in Keyboard Manager
It feels like it has been a while since there were any particularly dramatic changes or additions to PowerToys, but now Microsoft has just pushed out PowerToys v0.79.0.
The latest version of the essential utilities collection does not, unfortunately, gain any new modules this time around, but there are significant updates to existing tools. Chief among these are updates to Keyboard Manager that means, among other things, it is now possible to create a keyboard shortcut to launch a particular application.
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 Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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