Microsoft launches Windows 11 24H2 for Copilot+ PCs, creating a confused multi-tier system of Windows users
With the official launch of Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft has also unleashed Windows 11 24H2. This most recent update to Windows 11 has been a long time in the works, and there have been numerous preview builds available.
What is interesting is the way in which this launch is taking place. Copilot+ PC are now available with Windows 11 24H2 pre-installed, and it is also available to Insiders. The fact that systems have this version of the operating system installed means that development is complete (well, as complete as such work ever is), but the launch is dividing the Windows userbase into haves and have-nots -- in more ways than one.
Yes, Microsoft Cross Device Service is causing high CPU usage in Windows 11; no, there is no fix
If you have been experiencing higher than normal CPU usage in Windows 11 recently, you are certainly not alone. There is good and bad news.
The good news is twofold. Firstly, the cause of the issue has been identified by Microsoft, and secondly, it only affects Insider builds of Windows 11. The bad news, however, is that there is no fix available, and no indication of when this may change.
Microsoft postpones Recall so new Copilot+ PCs will launch without this flagship feature
Since it was first announced, the Recall feature for Copilot+ PC has been a major headache for Microsoft. The AI-powered feature has raised all manner of privacy concerns, and now the company has responded by putting the brakes on rolling it out.
Microsoft doesn't use words like "delay" or "postpone", of course. In an update to an earlier blog post about the rollout of the feature, the company now says: " We are adjusting the release model for Recall to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community to ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security".
WhatsApp announces huge improvements to calling across all platforms
Whether you use WhatsApp on the desktop, or on your mobile device, there are a raft of changes and improvements coming to enhance the call experience.
Rolling out over the next few weeks, the changes include support for video calls with up to 32 people across all devices. There is also the arrival of sharing audio when screen sharing, and a switch to the new, more efficient codec means that you can expect higher call quality even when connectivity is poor.
Elon Musk announces that Likes are now private for all X users
Making good on a promise made earlier this year, X has confirmed that Likes have now been made private for all users on the social platform. Elon Musk says that that change has been made because it is "important to allow people to like posts without getting attacked for doing so".
Hiding Likes was something that was only previously available to paying X subscribers, but now it has rolled out to everyone. Musk is already claiming that there has been a "massive increase" in Likes since they were made private.
Microsoft announces deprecation of DirectAccess networking feature in favor of Always On VPN
Somewhat out of the blue, Microsoft has announced that DirectAccess is to be deprecated. This feature is used by remote workers to access company networks, but it has been superseded and is now considered outdated.
As is so often the case with the deprecation of Windows features, there is currently no precise timeline for removal, but Microsoft is advising users to make the move to Always On VPN. The company has also provided detailed instructions for how to migrate from DirectAccess to Always On VPN.
Microsoft brings new features to Windows 10 with KB5039211 update
Microsoft is far from giving up on Windows 10 or abandoning its users. With the release of the KB5039211 update, the company has not only fixed issues such as the lsass.exe memory leak, but is also bringing new features to the aging operating system.
The Snipping Tool receives a major update that will please Android users. The KB5039211 update also addresses a number of security problems with Windows 10, but a number of known issues remain.
Microsoft has quietly withdrawn Windows 11 24H2 after Recall privacy fiasco
When Microsoft announced the new Recall feature that is coming to Windows 11 later this year, privacy concerns were very quickly voiced by many.
In response to this, the company announced that Recall would not be enabled by default and would be made an opt-in feature. This PR move was made very publicly for maximum attention, but Microsoft has also withdrawn the build of Windows 11 which provided early access to Recall.
Microsoft is making it possible to access your smartphone from File Explorer in Windows 11
The way Windows 11 interacts with mobile devices -- and, in turn, the way it lets users interact with them -- has been a little odd for some time. The Your Phone / Phone Link app showed that using Windows to use or browse your smartphone was really something of an afterthought for Microsoft.
Continuing the piecemeal approach to mobiles, it looks as though the company is finally about to give File Explorer the ability to browse smartphone contents. The option has been unearthed in Windows 11, although we don't yet know when it will be released properly.
Apple commits to at least five years of security updates for iPhones
In order to comply with the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act in the UK, Apple says it will provide security updates for iPhones for a minimum of five years.
While Apple has not previously abandoned iPhone users and left them with insecure devices -- in fact, the company has been known to release updates for very old handsets in extraordinary circumstances -- it has never previously committed to any particular period of support.
DuckDuckGo AI Chat gives anonymous and private access to GPT-3.5, Claude 3, Llama 3 and Mixtral
For all of the excitement currently surrounding artificial intelligence, there are also a lot of concerns. Not only are people worried about the power of AIs, but there is also a great deal of apprehension about the privacy and security of ChatGPT and other tools of its ilk.
Stepping up with a solution is privacy-centric firm DuckDuckGo. With the newly launched DuckDuckGo AI Chat, it offers "anonymous access to popular AI models, including GPT-3.5, Claude 3, and open-source Llama 3 and Mixtral". There is also the promise that chats will not be used to train AI models.
NVIDIA overtakes Apple as AI boom propels company value over $3 trillion
With its market value rocketing to $3.1 trillion, NVIDIA has become the second most valuable company in the world. A five percent rise in share prices pushed the chipmaker ahead of Apple, and now there is only Microsoft which is worth more than NVIDIA.
The soaring value of the firm is due in no small part to its heavy involvement and investment in AI. Having started life in the 1990s as a minor player in the graphic chip market, NVIDIA has ridden the artificial intelligence tidal wave.
Google could delete your Google Maps Timeline data in the name of privacy, so take action now
For nostalgia heads, the Timeline feature of Google Maps is an enjoyable way to peek into the past. Previously known as Location History, Timeline works much like Facebook Memories, helping jog your memory about trips you've taken and places you've visited.
But there are big changes afoot. Google is moving away from storing location data in the cloud to storing it on mobile devices instead. While this is a privacy-boosting move, Google says that the change means that users could find their Timeline data is deleted unless they take action.
Microsoft officially deprecates NTLM and promotes Kerberos authentication
Several months after announcing its intention to do so, Microsoft has official deprecated the NTLM (NT LAN Manager) authentication protocol in Windows and Windows Server.
NTLM is now a very old protocol which has been superseded by the more secure and feature-rich Kerberos. It will still be possible to use NTLM until the next release of Windows and Windows Server, but Microsoft is keen for users to take action now.
Windows 10 may be in its death throes, but Microsoft has reopened beta testing
In something of an odd twist, Microsoft has announced that there will soon be a new beta version of Windows 10. Yes, Windows 10, not Windows 11.
There is a little over a year until Microsoft brings Windows 10 to end of service, meaning it will receive no more updates of any description. Despite this looming deadline, the reopening of the Windows 10 beta channel means that the first beta build of the operating system in three years is just weeks away. So what is going on?
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!
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.