Wayne Williams

It’s good to keep Windows up to date, as it ensures you’re safe from the latest security threats, and you might benefit from other improvements. However, you shouldn’t always blindly install every patch that comes along.

Case in point are the infamous snooping patches KB2952664 (for Windows 7) and KB2976978 (for Windows 8.1), which today get yet another outing.

Continue reading →

Windows 10 Creators Update is scheduled to arrive in April, and Microsoft is putting the finishing touches to things now, with not one, but two new builds arriving last week. The desktop watermark found on previous Windows Insider builds has been removed now, indicating just how close we’re getting to release.

While the Creators Update introduces a lot of new features, including 3D content, Game Mode, Game Broadcasting, Edge improvements, more Cortana functionality, and improved control over privacy and updates, Microsoft has also removed or deprecated some features from the OS. Here’s what’s missing.

Continue reading →

Windows 10 Insider Preview builds have been coming thick and fast as Microsoft gears up to release the Creators Update next month.

Three days ago, Microsoft rolled out Build 15046 for PC, and today -- in time for the weekend -- the software giant releases Build 15048 for PC and Build 15047 for Mobile.

Continue reading →

If you're looking for a way to master Linux shell scripting (in any Linux distro or Windows 10), then this ebook from Packt Publishing is an essential read.

The book, which covers Bash -- GNU Bourne Again SHell -- usually retails for $36, but for a limited time you can download the full ebook version for free.

Continue reading →

Yesterday, I reported on how Windows 10 usage had fallen in February according to the latest figures from NetMarketShare.

Today, Steam releases its hardware survey for February, and that shows that Windows 10 usage has fallen on the gaming platform too, and not for the first time. Usage in January was also down from the month before. Is it the start of a downward trend?

Continue reading →

Windows 10 Creators Update is expected to launch in April, and will deliver a wealth of new features and improvements. While a lot of the focus is on 3D creation, gaming enhancements, and security, Microsoft has also made a lot of welcome changes to the user experience.

Michael Fortin, CVP of Windows and Devices Group Core Quality, reveals today that the Creators Update will give users much greater control over privacy, security, and updates.

Continue reading →

One of the most requested Windows 10 features to find its way into the forthcoming Creators Update is the ability to pause updates. That means if Microsoft pushes out a bad update, you don’t have to simply accept it any more.

The Creators Update will let you pause updates for up to 35 days, but there’s an option that gives you much greater control over what -- and when -- updates get installed. The intriguing thing is, this isn't visible to everyone, and even if you manage to get to see it, it may suddenly vanish the moment you look away. Here's what it does, and how to enable it.

Continue reading →

If you’re thinking of joining the Windows 10 Insider program, or you just want to do a clean install with an up to date version of Windows 10, the good news is Microsoft has released a new ISO image.

The image, for Build 15042, is available to all, and you can download it now. This build rolled out to Insiders on the Fast ring last Friday. It's not the very latest release -- that would be Build 15046, which Microsoft released yesterday -- but it includes a lot of important bug fixes, and some welcome additions to Edge and Cortana.

Continue reading →

According to NetMarketShare, in January, Windows 10 hit a big milestone. The new OS managed to grow by nearly one percentage point, to give it over 25 percent of the market. That’s pretty good going.

However, in February, Windows 10 went back into reverse gear, losing share, and not for the first time.

Continue reading →

In addition to launching some new tablets, Samsung also used MWC 2017 to tease us about its forthcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone. The tech giant even released a little video announcing that the eagerly awaited flagship will be unveiled on March 29.

If you’re wondering what the new device will look like, and what changes it will deliver, the good news is you don’t have to wait until the end of the month to see the new phone in all its glory.

Continue reading →

Work continues apace on the next big update to Windows 10, and Microsoft has rolled out a new build to the Fast ring a mere four days after the last one.

Build 15046 for PC (no new Mobile build yet) adds some additional functionality and tweaks to the OS, as well as squashing plenty of bugs.

Continue reading →

The Raspberry Pi Foundation launched the $5 Pi Zero in late 2015, and it sold out immediately. Every time new batches of stock arrived, they were snapped up in minutes of going on sale.

Launched to coincide with the original Raspberry Pi's fifth birthday, the new Raspberry Pi Zero W is likely to suffer from similar demand. It’s essentially a Pi Zero with the addition of the two features many people have been requesting -- wireless LAN and Bluetooth.

Continue reading →

Like buses, you wait over a week for a new Windows 10 Insider Build… and then two come along at once.

In this case, there are two distinct builds -- Build 15042 for PC, and Build 15043 for Mobile. We’re edging ever close to the release of the Creators Update, and so while a lot of the changes in these releases are about squashing bugs and fixing issues, Microsoft has still managed to introduce some new features.

Continue reading →

If you own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, and run Windows 10, we’ve got some good news for you.

From April, which is when it’s anticipated that Microsoft will be rolling out the Windows 10 Creators Update, you’ll be able to unlock any Windows 10 device by using your phone… and that’s not all.

Continue reading →

Microsoft is currently working hard on the next big update to Windows 10, which it’s calling the Creators Update. This will be the second release on the Redstone branch (Redstone 1 being the Anniversary Update).

There is yet another release from the Redstone branch planned for later this year, and although Microsoft has yet to name it, work is already underway internally.

Continue reading →