Forget Windows 10, it's Windows Vista -- 2018 Edition we want!
People have often said that Microsoft operating systems follow a pattern, with good and bad versions alternating -- Windows 95 (bad), Windows 98 (good), Windows Me (bad), Windows XP (good), Windows Vista (bad), Windows 7 (good), Windows 8.x (bad), Windows 10 (good -- now at least).
It’s mostly true, although if Windows Vista had been given the same length of life that Windows 10 has enjoyed to date, there’s a good chance a large portion of Windows users would still be using it today. Vista wasn’t bad as such, just very unfinished. If the aging OS had a modern makeover, could it win over Windows 10 users? I suspect so. Feast your eyes on the Windows Vista -- 2018 Edition and make up your own mind.
New Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta 2 arrives -- download it now!
It’s exciting times for fans of Kodi, as there’s a new, major release of the insanely popular home theater software in development. Two weeks ago, the Kodi Foundation rolled out the first, stable beta release, giving users the chance to try out the new version without fear that it might trash their systems.
Today, a new, even more stable release arrives, and you can -- and should! -- download it now.
Microsoft's Your Phone app can now view, send, and receive SMS messages from Android, on your PC
Microsoft’s new Your Phone app lets you sync content directly from a phone to a Windows 10 PC. The original release, which was first available just for Windows 10 Insiders, then -- accidentally -- for all, and then for Insiders once more, only allowed Android users to access their phone’s photos on Windows 10, but it’s now been updated to make it much more useful.
Released as part of the new Fast ring Insider Build 17755, the updated app lets you do much more, and there is finally some love for iOS users too.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17755 to the Fast ring
We’re getting ever close to the end game for the next big feature update for Windows 10. Redstone 5, or the October 2018 Update to give it its official name, is nearly done and the Insider updates still rolling out now are mostly focused on fixing problems.
Build 17755 corrects some issues with the OS, but also makes big improvements to the Your Phone app.
Save money on these two great smart locks
Locking and unlocking doors with a key is so last century. Smart locks are the future, but they can often be a little pricey.
If you’ve been thinking of getting a smart lock for your home or office, but have been put off by the price, we have sizable savings on two great products -- the Yale Real Living Assure Lock SL HomeKit Enabled Key Free Touchscreen Deadbolt, and the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect, from Wellbots.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18234 to Skip Ahead
While work is continuing apace to polish up the Windows 10 October 2018 Update prior to its release next month, Microsoft is also hard at work on the following feature update due next spring.
Today the software giant releases Build 18234 for that update to Insiders in the Skip Ahead ring, and it offers a large number of new features and improvements.
Microsoft extends Windows 7 support for businesses, but will punish them for taking too long to upgrade to Windows 10
The end of extended support is looming for Windows 7. Microsoft is set to stop supporting the aging OS on January 14, 2020, but is aware that many businesses may take longer than that to make the switch to Windows 10.
As a result, the company has today announced that it will offer paid Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) through to January 2023. These will be available for all Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise customers in Volume Licensing, and there will also be a discount available to those with Windows software assurance, Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 10 Education subscriptions. There is a catch, however.
Amazon announces all-new Fire HD 8 with Alexa Hands Free
Amazon updates its own hardware products on a regular basis, often with little fanfare. There are no major press events, or hyped launches. Today, the retail giant announces another product update that likely won’t thrill the world, but will prove to be another big earner for the company.
The new Amazon Fire HD 8 with Alexa Hands-Free is what you’d guess from the name. An 8-inch HD Fire tablet with added, always ready, Alexa support.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17754 with a ton of fixes
The next big feature update for Windows 10, Redstone 5, or the October 2018 Update, as it's now officially known, is getting ever closer to being finished.
Microsoft is rolling out builds to Fast ring Insiders on a regular basis, and today’s new release, Build 17754, fixes lots of problems with the OS update.
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Windows 10 edges ever closer to overtaking Windows 7 -- could it happen this month?
Depending on which market share monitoring service you trust, Windows 10 either overtook Windows 7 back in December 2016 (Microsoft), in February this year (StatCounter), or is still trailing its predecessor, but catching up quickly (NetMarketShare).
NetMarketShare’s latest round of usage figures show Windows 10 putting on a burst of growth in August, while Windows 7 lost more users than expected in the same time frame.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17751... and the watermark has gone!
Earlier today, Microsoft confirmed what most people already knew -- that Windows 10 Redstone 5 would be called the October 2018 Update.
That means that the OS update will start rolling out to users at some point in October, and as we’re only at the end of August now, Microsoft still has some time to spend on polishing the update and hopefully removing as many bugs as possible.
Microsoft confirms the upcoming Windows 10 Redstone 5 release will be called the October 2018 Update
Speaking at the IFA 2018 keynote in Berlin, Roanne Sones, corporate vice president, Microsoft, has confirmed what most of us already knew -- the next big feature update of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 5, will be the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Don't all yawn at once.
The name is no surprise given that it was expected to begin its rollout in October, and its predecessor was the April 2018 Update released in April.
NordVPN finally launches a dedicated Linux app -- here's how to install and use it
A VPN is pretty much essential these days if you want to protect your privacy and beat annoying geographic restrictions put in place by websites and services. There are plenty to choose from, including some very good -- but usually limited -- free options.
NordVPN is one of the best paid VPNs, with apps for all of the major platforms. The one platform it hasn’t directly supported up until now is Linux, but that changes today.
CCleaner update offers improved privacy controls, renames elements to stop users freaking out, adds bundleware
It’s fair to say, CCleaner has experienced a lot of problems since Avast acquired it last year. We’ve seen issues with malware, bundled software, and popup ads, and most recently the company was embroiled in a privacy controversy, which led to it pulling the last update.
Today, Avast rolls out a new update to CCleaner which adds a number of privacy settings, and sees certain monitoring features being renamed. Avast also takes the opportunity to once again try to install its antivirus software on your PC. Yes, seriously.