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Zoom isn't giving non-paying users end-to-end encryption because they could be criminals

Zoom's meteoric rise in popularity due to COVID-19 forcing more people to work from home led to a great deal of interest in the video conferencing tool's security and privacy. The lack of end-to-end encryption was a major concern for many users, but following the recent acquisition of Keybase, Zoom CEO Eric S Yuan said it would "help us build end-to-end encryption that can reach current Zoom scalability".

Well, end-to-end encryption is here. But only if you're a paying Zoom customer. Anyone using a free account is being left out in the cold. Why? Because, Yuan explains, "we also want to work together with FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose". Yuan is apparently of the impression that paying customers could not possibly be potential criminals.

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Make the Windows Package Manager WinGet easier to use by adding a GUI

With the recent launch of WinGet, Microsoft brought a Linux-style package manager to Windows 10, making life easier for system administrators and anyone looking to automate software installation.

But while the Windows Package Manager is undoubtedly useful, it's also a little intimidating for many people. The command line driven tool can appear very off-putting, so why not add a graphical front end to make it more approachable? We show you how to create software installation scripts without having to use the command line.

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How to schedule tweets from the Twitter website

While Twitter is used for sharing live news, real-time reactions and the like, it's also used for promotion -- and promotion means planning. There are numerous apps and services that you can turn to if you would like to be able to send a tweet at a date or time in the future, but now you can do it direct from the Twitter website.

The ability to tweet when you're not at your computer can be extremely useful, so here's what you need to know about scheduling tweets.

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How to disable Cortana in Windows 10 May 2020 Update -- or even uninstall it

With the release of Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Microsoft not only introduced a range of new features and options, but also took some away. One thing that has changed with Windows 10 version 2004 is that Cortana is now a standalone app rather than an integral part of the operating system.

Not that you would necessarily notice, that is. Although the digital assistant is now separate from Windows itself, it still automatically runs at startup – it is possible, however, to disable Cortana and stop it from running in this way, or remove it completely.

Windows 10 May 2020 Update isn't quite ready

Microsoft blocks Windows 10 May 2020 Update for some users with 'your device isn't quite ready' message

Last week, Microsoft started the staggered release of Windows 10 May 2020 Update, and many people are looking for ways to force the download before it is offered to them.

We already know that there are quite a few issues with the feature update, and Microsoft is also actively blocking the update for some people. Anyone for whom the update is blocked is being shown a message informing that that their  "device isn't quite ready" to receive the May 2020 Update.

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Microsoft finally gives credit to AppGet for inspiring its WinGet package manager

When Microsoft launched its Linux-style package manager WinGet, there were immediate comparison to the rival tool AppGet. While AppGet is an open source project, developer Keivan Beigi was unhappy that Microsoft had essentially copied much of his work, and failed to give him credit.

His accusations were not without basis, as he had met with a Microsoft manager to discuss "how we can make your life easier building appget". Now Microsoft has conceded that it did not credit the influence and work of Beigi, and has taken steps to remedy this.

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Twitter hides Trump tweet for violating rules about glorifying violence

Donald Trump's war with Twitter looks likely to heat up after the social media site hid one of the president's tweets for "glorifying violence".

Tweeting about people in people in Minneapolis protesting about the killing of George Floyd by a police officer, Trump referred to the protestors as "thugs". He then went on to say "any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts" -- and it was this phrase which fell foul of Twitter rules.

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How to force your computer to download the Windows 10 May 2020 Update

Microsoft just managed to release the Windows 10 May 2020 Update in May, and many people are eager to get their hands on it -- but not everyone is being offered it straight away.

For most people, a simple check of Windows Update will give them access to the update, but this is a staged rollout so it might take a while to appear for you. It is possible, however, to force your computer to download the Windows 10 May 2020 Update. Here's how to do it.

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You need to take action if you want to avoid being cut off from Zoom

Zoom has been one of the most used, yet most lambasted, contestants in the video conferencing arena during coronavirus-driven lockdown times, and much of the focus has been on privacy and security issues.

Having acknowledged that it had work to do, the company promised to take steps to improve its service and has issued numerous updates to its app in recent months. The release of Zoom 5.0 in April was a major step, and you only have days to upgrade or risk being cut off from the service completely.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 May 2020 Update -- here's how to download it now

As predicted earlier today, Microsoft has now released Windows 10 May 2020 Update. This latest update has been available to developers for a little while, but the proposed general release that had been scheduled for the middle of this month had been postponed.

But now Microsoft has decided the update is ready for public consumption. Here's what you need to know, and how you can get hold of it.

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Trump threatens to close social media platforms following Twitter spat

There have long been complaints from the right that online platforms censor conservative opinions because of a liberal bias. Now after being fact-checked by Twitter, Donald Trump has threatened to close down social media platforms.

In the last 24 hours, Twitter added a "Get the facts" link to a false claim made in a tweet by the president about mail-in votes. Clearly incensed, Trump tweeted that "we will strongly regulate, or close them down".

PowerShell

Microsoft implores you to stop using Cmd and switch to PowerShell

Rich Turner, a senior program manager at Microsoft, has taken to Twitter to practically beg people to move away from Cmd to PowerShell. Why? Well Cmd is an ancient hangover from the days of MS-DOS, for a start!

He explains that Cmd is in maintenance mode, and only continues to exist for the purpose of backward compatibility. Stating "PowerShell is the future", he states categorically that the old command line interpreter "should not be used for interactive shell work".

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Windows 10 May 2020 Update should be released today

There has been speculation about just when Microsoft would release Windows 10 May 2020 Update / Windows 10 version 2004 / Windows 10 20H1 after a bug delayed the launch earlier this month.

Rumors generally agreed that the release date would be somewhere between May 26 and May 28, and it seems the correct date is actually smack in the middle -- May 27. While the update is, at time of writing, yet to start rolling out, an update to the Windows lifecycle page of the Microsoft site appears to reveal that today is the big day.

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Apple releases macOS Catalina 10.15.5 with new battery extending feature

Apple has released macOS Catalina 10.15.5 which includes a new battery health management feature to help improve the battery life of MacBooks.

Much like the feature that has been available in iOS for a little while now, battery health management helps to improve longevity by reducing the peak capacity of a battery. In addition to this, the latest update to Catalina also improves the appearance of Pro Display XDR monitors, and fixes various problems including issues in FaceTime and Reminders.

Trump profile

Trump accuses Twitter of 2020 election interference after the platform fact-checks his false tweets

Donald Trump has lashed out at Twitter, accusing the site of not only interfering in the 2020 presidential elections, but also of standing in the way of free speech.

The accusations came after the site added a fact-checking link to a tweet Trump posted suggesting that mail-in ballots in California would be "substantially fraudulent". Twitter added a "Get the facts about mail-in ballots" to a pair of his tweets, causing the president to react angrily. The site, did not, however, censor or delete the tweets.

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