You have just one more week to buy the Windows 10 download from Microsoft
The cut-off date for buying the download version of Windows 10 directly from Microsoft has been revealed. Even though the company will be offering support for Windows 10 until late 2025, you have just until the end of this month to purchase a downloadable license.
Microsoft is obviously keen for anyone still running Windows 7 or Windows 8 to make the move to Windows 11, and in cutting off one source of accessing Windows 10, the company is reducing options for users.
Now everyone can download the WhatsApp for macOS beta
While WhatsApp is most commonly used on iOS and Android devices, there are plenty of reasons for wanting to use the messaging service on the desktop. There has been a web-based version of WhatsApp for quite some time, but for many people this is a poor substitute for a dedicated app.
Windows users have been able to use a desktop app for ages, and now the same is true for those who are more at home on a Mac. There has been a beta version of WhatsApp for a number of weeks, but only through TestFlight which has a strict limit on user numbers. But now it is possible to download the macOS version of the beta direct from WhatsApp,
Riot Games delays release of game updates and patches following security breach
League of Legends publisher Riot Games has announced that it suffered a security breach last week. While it is not clear precisely what was compromised in the social engineering-driven attack, the company says that personal information and player data was not accessed by the hackers.
The impact of the hack is that key updates and patches for numerous titles will be delayed. In addition to League of Legends, games including Teamfight Tactics have also been affected, forcing developers to change the release schedule for hotfixes.
Microsoft Edge 111 adds new Sidebar options, advanced History controls, security features and more
It does not seem all that long since browser version numbers were single digits, but Microsoft Edge has now reached the 111 milestone -- for Insiders on the Dev channel, at least.
Available for Windows, iOS, Android and Linux (with the macOS edition promised "at a later date"), Microsoft Edge 111.0.1619.2 includes a number of interesting new features and settings. Highlights include a new option to personalize top side in the Sidebar, the ability to hide duplicate entries from History, and new protections against unwanted Start page and search engine changes.
Netflix will start cracking down on passwords sharing in the coming weeks
At the same time as sharing its Q4 2022 earnings report, Netflix has revealed that its much-hyped crackdown on password sharing will roll out before the end of this quarter.
In a letter to shareholders, the company reveals that more than 100 million households currently share their accounts with others, pointing out that this "undermines our long term ability to invest in and improve Netflix". Having already tested charging for account sharing in Latin America, the plan is to expand this to a much larger proportion of the subscriber base.
How to activate Windows 11's new, hidden Volume Mixer
If you want to be among the first to try out the latest features and options of Window 11, being part of the Windows Insider program is the place to be. But even if you are signed up to the Dev Channel, there are hidden secrets to unearth, and this is true of the latest release.
For anyone who has Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25281 installed, there is a new Volume Mixer. While Microsoft has not made it easy to activate the feature, it is possible. Here's what you need to know.
New KB5019274 update for Windows 11 adds new subscription options in Settings and fixes bugs
After taking a month off in December, Microsoft has now released the first preview update of 2023 for Windows 11. The KB5019274 update does not address any security issues, but it does fix various problems and adds new features and options.
The KB5019274 update is available for Windows 11 21H2 and it, among other things, makes it easier to discover and turn on the Windows Spotlight feature. There are important changes in the Settings app, including the arrival of storage alerts for Microsoft OneDrive in the System section and the addition of Xbox subscription information.
Microsoft releases KB5019275 update to fix a load of Windows 10 bugs
Microsoft has released a Windows 10 update to address a series of bugs in the operating system. The preview version of the KB5019275 update is due for a wider release next month, but is available now for those who would like it sooner.
This is a non-security update but with it Microsoft has fixed a series of problems afflicting Windows 10, including issues with searchindexer.exe and conhost.exe, as well as adding support for longer URLs.
Twitter officially bans all third-party clients, forcing people to use its own apps
While there has still been no announcement, Twitter has updated its developer agreement so that third-party clients are now prohibited. Over the course of the last week or so, we've already seen the likes of Tweetbot and Twitterific rendered useless after the company blocked API access.
Twitter later said that it was merely enforcing long-standing rules, but failed to provide any details or clarification. But now a new developer agreement has been published that slaps a ban on the creation of, "a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications" -- in other words, third party Twitter apps are now forbidden.
Microsoft is using the KB5021751 update to see if you have an unsupported version of Office installed
Earlier this week, Microsoft released the KB5021751 update. Unusually it has no fixes or new features for users whatsoever -- it is an update purely for Microsoft's benefit.
Designed for Office 2007, Office 2010 and Office 2013, the slightly sinister-sounding update "will run one time silently" and gather information that is then fed back to Microsoft.
Microsoft acknowledges Windows 11 22H2 bug that stops apps working after a system restore
Microsoft has issued a warning about yet another known issue with Windows 11. Affecting version 22H2 of the operating system, the problem means that users may experience problems launching certain apps after performing a system restore.
The company says that the bug caused problems with any application that uses the MSIX Windows app package format, and concedes that various titles of its own -- including Office and Terminal -- are affected.
The Office Insider program is dead; long live the Microsoft 365 Insider program
Microsoft has killed off the Office Insider program, used to gain feedback from testers about new features and changes. The death is not one to be mourned, however -- it is followed by an immediate resurrection as the Microsoft 365 Insider program.
The rebranding is in line with Microsoft's announcement last year that Office 365 would become Microsoft 365. In addition to the change in name, the company says that it will be providing information and publishing blog posts about a wider range of products and services that fall under the Microsoft 365 banner.
Microsoft uses KB5022360 update to squash bugs and reduce the number of reboots when upgrading to Windows 11 22H2
Microsoft has released a new update for Windows 11 in the form of KB5022360.
The release is only for Windows Insiders participating in the Release Preview Channel running Windows 11 22H2. Although it may be a little while before it is made available more widely, it sees Microsoft not only fixing a number of issues -- including one relating to searchindexer.exe and another to conhost.exe -- but also introducing changes that reduce the number of reboots experienced by users upgrading to Windows 11 22H2.
Oversight Board recommends Meta change its policies to respect transgender and non-binary people
It is quite some time since Facebook was hit with the "free the nipple" campaign that demanded the company stop censoring or removing images of breastfeeding women. But now Meta is facing new recommendations from its independent Oversight Board to update the Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity Community Standard that it applies to Facebook and Instagram content to ensure it is "governed by clear criteria that respect international human rights standards".
The recommendation comes as the Oversight Board overturned Meta's decisions in 2021 and 2022 to remove content posted by a couple -- one of whom is transgender, the other non-binary -- for violating Sexual Solicitation Community Standards. Meta is criticized for taking a simplistic view of gender, with the Board saying that it is "unclear how the rules apply to intersex, non-binary and transgender people, and requires reviewers to make rapid and subjective assessments of sex and gender, which is not practical when moderating content at scale".
Twitter confirms that it is deliberately blocking numerous third-party clients
Users of various third-party Twitter clients have been frustrated over the last week as their chosen apps stopped working. There was speculation that Twitter was blocking apps on purpose, with internal communication appearing to substantiate this.
Now we know for sure that it is the case, with the company confirming it in a tweet. Twitter says that it is merely "enforcing its long-standing API rules", conceding that this "may result in some apps not working". But there is confusion from app developers who say that Twitter is not revealing which rules it is referring to.
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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