Wayne Williams

Kodi 21 'Omega' hits a major development milestone -- download it now! [Updated]

Woman watching Kodi

Kodi 21 -- codenamed 'Omega' -- is the next version of the hugely popular home theater software. The Kodi Foundation released the first beta version of the program two months ago, introducing a number of new features, fixes, and cleanups.

Today, a brand new build arrives, which will be much more appealing to those users seeking greater stability from the software.

Continue reading

Get 'Software Architect' (worth $24) for FREE

Software-Architect

In Software Architect, veteran enterprise and solution architect Michael Bell delivers a hands-on playbook of best practices for aspiring and practicing software architects, seeking to improve their software design, integration, communication, presentation, and knowledge acquisition skills.

The book explores the career enablement, career planning, self-training, and self-improvement topics you’ll need to increase your ability to offer powerful and effective business and technological solutions.

Continue reading

Wikipedia reveals its most popular articles of 2023

Wikipedia-2023

Wikipedia, the world's largest free online encyclopedia, has unveiled the most popular articles of 2023. The list provides a unique snapshot of the global events, personalities, and trends that captured the world's attention throughout the year.

The data, released by the Wikimedia Foundation, reveals a diverse range of topics that were most sought after by the site's billions of users worldwide.

Continue reading

Watch Windows 12 (2024) being installed

Win12-4

There's been a lot of talk about Windows 12, Microsoft's inevitable successor to Windows 11. Most recently, my colleague Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson reported that Microsoft plans to release the new operating system in June 2024, to ride the AI PC wave.

Two months ago, Intel let slip about Microsoft’s 'Windows refresh' plans, believed to refer to Windows 12. If you’re wondering what the new OS might look like, we have an idea.

Continue reading

Microsoft Bing's new Deep Search feature uses AI to 'disambiguate' complex search queries

Artificial-Intelligence

Microsoft is introducing AI into most of its products and services, and its search engine, Bing, is one of the tools that benefits the most from this addition.

Today, the search giant takes things a step further still, with the introduction of a new AI-powered feature in Bing called, Deep Search. This addition aims to provide more relevant and comprehensive answers to complex search queries, boosting the existing web search rather than replacing it.

Continue reading

Get 'Mastering Windows 365' (worth $39.99) for FREE

Mastering-Windows-365

Written by experts from the Windows 365 product group and a seasoned Microsoft MVP, this book offers a unique perspective on the features, functionality, and best practices of Windows 365.

Drawing from their extensive professional experience and insight, the authors provide invaluable knowledge for those eager to learn about the next generation of cloud computing.

Continue reading

Win10Privacy 5.0 gives you complete control over your privacy in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Win10Privacy

When it was first released, Windows 10 famously spied on users and shared all sorts of information with Microsoft. Over the years, the software giant has reigned in this behavior and introduced a wealth of privacy controls to let you manage what you share.

That said, these controls are scattered throughout the OS and finding them isn’t always easy. This is where Win10Privacy can help.

Continue reading

Get 'AI & Data Literacy' (worth $14.99) for FREE

AI-Data-Literacy

AI is undoubtedly a game-changing tool with immense potential to improve human life.

This book aims to empower you as a Citizen of Data Science, covering the privacy, ethics, and theoretical concepts you’ll need to exploit to thrive amid the current and future developments in the AI landscape. The book explores AI's inner workings, user intent, and the critical role of the AI utility function while also briefly touching on statistics and prediction to build decision models that leverage AI and data for highly informed, more accurate, and less risky decisions.

Continue reading

Experimental new Windows 11 feature aims to significantly boost PC battery life

energy-saver-1024x812-1

Microsoft has released a new Insider build for testers in the Canary Channel. Build 26002 includes changes to the taskbar and system tray, but the standout feature is a new Energy Saver tool.

This experimental inclusion offers an "easy way to extend battery life and reduce energy use by trading off some system performance."

Continue reading

Windows 11 Build 23595 moves the Copilot icon to where it always should have been

kid smart lightbulb brain idea

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Build 23595 for those Insiders in the Dev Channel. This new flight comes with the usual selection of changes, improvements and fixes, including shifting the location of the Copilot AI icon.

Microsoft has taken the wise decision to relocate the icon from its current position next to the search box, to the right side of the system tray on the taskbar. The reason for this it to "make the entry point to Copilot more clear and easily accessible by being closer to where the Copilot pane opens."

Continue reading

Apricorn Aegis NVX: A rugged, super-fast, hardware-encrypted solid-state drive that fits in your pocket [Review]

product_page_aegis_nvx_carousel2__42573.1682638265

If you have personal files that you want to be able to access when on the go, there are a couple of concerns you may have. Firstly, you may not fully trust cloud providers to keep your files safe and secure. Secondly, you might be worried about the risks associated with storing your files on a USB memory stick, as it could be easily lost or stolen. Fortunately, there is a solution that addresses both of these concerns: the Aegis NVX.

This rugged, 256-bit AES XTS hardware encrypted USB drive offers the best of both worlds for accessing personal data while maintaining security. Unlike cloud providers, you have complete control over your files as they are stored directly on the internal NVMe SSD, eliminating the need to rely on third-party services.

Continue reading

Get 'Cybersecurity All-in-One For Dummies' (worth $30) for FREE

Cybersecurity-All-in-One-For-Dummies

Cybersecurity All-in-One For Dummies covers a lot of ground in the world of keeping computer systems safe from those who want to break in.

This book offers a one-stop resource on cybersecurity basics, personal security, business security, cloud security, security testing, and security awareness. Filled with content to help with both personal and business cybersecurity needs, this book shows you how to lock down your computers, devices, and systems -- and explains why doing so is more important now than ever.

Continue reading

Download Microsoft's new Windows XP Bliss wallpapers for mobile, desktop, or Teams

Bliss_OGPhoneWallpaper

This holiday season, Microsoft has gone back in time to create an "ugly sweater" based on its iconic Bliss wallpaper from Windows XP.

If you like the look of it, the software giant is making the sweater available to buy (in limited quantities) for $69.99. That’s not all though. The company has also produced four stylish Bliss wallpapers for phone, Teams background, or desktop.

Continue reading

Microsoft goes back to Windows XP for this holiday season's ugly sweater -- here's how you can get one

Thumbnail2_Sweater_FishEye_1080x

Every holiday season, Microsoft brings out an "ugly sweater" and this time it’s going way, way back with a special XP-themed Bliss design.

This sweater, which features the iconic Bliss backdrop from Windows XP, (originally a photo of a pretty blue sky and rolling green hills taken in Sonoma County, California) has been created in part to support The Nature Conservancy.

Continue reading

Play Windows PC games on your Android phone for free using Winlator 3

Call-of-Juarez-Gunslinger

It's easy enough to get Android games running on your PC. You can use third-party emulators like Bluestacks or NoxPlayer, or you can make use of the built-in Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11.

If you want to do the reverse and play Windows games on your Android device, that's a little harder, but it can be done. For this you'll need Winlator. We’ve covered this Android app before, but it’s just been updated to improve compatibility and performance, and fix a number of problems.

Continue reading

BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.

© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.