Wayne Williams

Here’s an interesting story for the weekend -- it seems as if Microsoft has pulled the recently released November Update (aka Threshold 2) from both the Media Creation Tool and Windows Update.

That means if you don’t currently have the update on your Windows 10 device, you won’t be able to download it directly now.

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Because I have a super-fast PC with a large SSD as the system drive, Windows 10 boots up really quickly for me. The days of waiting 5 minutes or so for Windows to get to a usable state -- as was sometimes the case in the past -- are long gone, thankfully.

But if you find Windows 10 is taking too long to boot up for you, there’s a setting you can apply which can speed things up significantly. Even if you have no complaints with how quickly Windows 10 loads, it’s still worth applying this (if it isn't on already) because it will make a difference.

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I first started using Windows back in 1992, shortly after the release of Windows 3.1, and I’ve used every iteration since, including both the good (Windows XP, Windows 7) and the bad (Vista, Windows 8). Every time a new version was released, I upgraded pretty much immediately. I might own various Apple devices, and dip into Linux products from time to time, but for me there will only ever be one desktop operating system of worth, and that’s Windows.

Today is a huge milestone for the operating system that popularized home computing, and changed the world in so many ways. Microsoft Windows 1.0 was released on 20th November 1985, two years after it was first announced, and for the first time PC owners were able to control things using a mouse, rather than just typing in commands in DOS.

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One of the best ways to protect your online accounts is by using two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible. With this activated, logging into a site requires the use of both a password, and a code sent to your mobile phone. Since most of us have our smartphones within easy reach 24/7, this isn’t as much of a chore as it could be, and it certainly delivers a useful layer of additional security.

Not all sites offer this feature however, Amazon being a prime example (pun intended). However, from today that all changes, as the retail giant has quietly introduced the option to set up two-factor authentication on your Amazon account. This means that even if your password falls into the wrong hands, no one will be able to get into your account and go shopping at your expense. This is what you need to do:

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I keep the magnetic charger for my Apple Watch next to the charging dock for the iPhone on my bedside table, and power up both devices overnight. But while the Apple dock I use to charge my iPhone looks quite nice, the supplied charging connector for the Apple Watch is a bit rubbish. It does the job, and lets me balance the wearable on its side (so I can make use of the new Nightstand mode), but a proper dock would be preferable.

Thankfully, Apple today has launched an official dock which charges the Watch in either a flat position, or on its side, and it looks quite nice. Like a small saucer.

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With tablets it’s usually true that you get what you pay for. The more you can afford to spend on a device, the better the product you’ll end up with. That said, there are some decent, very affordable tablets available. Take the new Amazon Fire, for example, which is a pretty good 7-inch tablet for just $49.99.

The Hisense Sero 8 Pro is a little more expensive -- £108 from Ebuyer -- but for that you get a larger screen, 7.85-inches, with "Retina" graphics (2,048x1,536), that offers excellent color, contrast and detail and is hard to fault. The tablet also packs a quad core ARM Rockchip processor running at 1.61GHz, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. There’s a microSD slot so you can boost capacity by 32GB should you require more space.

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Running commands and launching built-in Windows tools is very straightforward in Microsoft’s new operating system. Just click on the Start button and type whatever you’re looking for, then select the item to launch it.

There is another way to do this though, and that’s through File Explorer. This can actually prove really useful. If, as an example, you’re browsing your hard drive and suddenly decide to defragment it, you can take action without having to switch your focus.

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As you might have seen on other news sites over the past few days, hacktivist collective Anonymous has declared war against Islamic State following the massacre in Paris last Friday. The BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones has an interesting interview with one of the members which is worth reading here.

While Operation Paris -- which has the aim of tracking down members of IS -- is a new venture, Anonymous has actually been engaged in a cyberwar with the terrorist organization since February through its continuing #OpISIS campaign. A new video, posted today by the group behind that operation, Anonymous Red Cult, reiterates its aims, and reveals how you can join the fight.

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Microsoft pushed out its first major Windows 10 update earlier today, but if you’re not currently seeing it, be patient. These things take a while to make their way to all users.

If you’ve been holding off upgrading a Windows 7 or 8.x PC, waiting for the November Update (aka Threshold 2) to arrive, now is the time to take action. The easiest way to upgrade is by using Microsoft’s free media creation tool which now offers Build 10586 (which is the current version you’ll get after installing the November Update).

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Windows 10 users have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Threshold 2, or the November Update to give it its official name, for a while. Well, today that wait is over. Windows Insiders on the Fast and Slow rings received the update previously in the form of Build 10586, but now it's automatically being pushed to everyone.

This is a huge update, packed with new features, improvements and of course bug fixes. If updates weren't already mandatory I'd be telling you to go update your copy of Windows 10 right now (you can of course hurry things along by going to Settings > Update & Security and clicking/tapping on Check for updates.) With so much to cover, I'll keep the intro here to a minimum and crack on with talking about all the cool new stuff.

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Noise-canceling headphones do a great job of filtering out unwanted background sounds, such as the rumble of traffic or the chatter of crowds. It’s a clever technology, and one that Ford is set to implement in its vehicles, starting with the all-new Ford Mondeo Vignale.

The car giant’s Active Noise Control tech emits sound waves that cancel out engine, transmission, and wind noise, resulting in a much quieter journey. No need to crank up your music to drown out unwanted external sounds.

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There’s no question that Microsoft’s new Surface Book laptop/tablet hybrid has divided opinion. Some people love it, while others remain unconvinced, especially with regard to the high price and unconventional hinge. It’s very much designed as a rival to the MacBook Pro, and during its launch Microsoft made this clear by declaring its new device to be twice as fast as Apple’s offering.

So is Apple worried about the competition? Not so much. The company’s CEO Tim Cook took a swipe at the device earlier today while talking to students at Trinity College, in Dublin.

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At the Future Decoded event, which kicked off today at London’s ExCel Center, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took to the stage to talk about his firm’s mobile first, cloud first strategy.

During his speech he announced that Microsoft plans to offer commercial cloud services from the UK. Azure and Office 365 will be available from local data centers in late 2016, followed by Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online shortly afterwards.

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The major Threshold 2 update for Windows 10 was released to Fast ring Insiders last week, and moved on to the Slow ring yesterday in preparation for pushing to all users of the new OS in a couple of days' time.

With that branch of development done and dusted, Microsoft has switched its attention to the next big update, codenamed Redstone. This will bring some much needed improvements to Windows 10 -- including extensions in Microsoft Edge -- when it arrives sometime in 2016.

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I’ve got to be honest, I don’t get the appeal of "smart" versions of luxury Swiss watches. Buy an analog Rolex, or Omega, and you’ve got a quality timepiece that will last for years, decades even. I have an Omega Seamaster that’s serviced every few years or so which looks exactly how it did the day I bought it, and keeps perfect time. There’s a lot of skilled craftsmanship that goes into making an analog watch, and whipping out those innards and replacing them with a digital interior immediately cheapens the watch for me, and makes it feel like a bit of a knock off.

TAG Heuer Connected, is the first Android Wear powered product from the fabled Swiss watchmaker, and if you’re a fan of TAG Heuer’s stylings, then the Connected has a lot to offer, including a titanium case and signature vulcanized rubber strap in seven striking colors -- green, blue, orange, red, white, black, yellow.

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