Wayne Williams

Windows 7 2022 Edition is everything Windows 11 should be, but isn't

Windows 11 adoption isn't happening as fast as Microsoft would like, but that’s partly down to the fact that Windows 10 suits most people fine; they know where they are with it, and it doesn’t have the same strict hardware requirements as the latest OS.

For a lot of people though, Windows 7 remains the best operating system Microsoft ever made. If you were wondering how it might look if it was released today, we have the answer.

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Microsoft adds a new interactive photo sharing feature to OneDrive

If you use Microsoft OneDrive to store your photos in the cloud you’re going to be thrilled to hear that the service is about to get a whole lot more useful.

The company today announces that it is releasing a public preview of OneDrive photo story, a new, interactive feature that "securely connects your favorite moments to the people who matter most."

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Windows 11 uptake remains slow

If you recall, two months ago we reported how Windows 11 growth was still glacially slow, as users appeared to be opting to stay with Windows 10, rather than upgrading to the new OS.

Although it didn’t report on Windows 11’s share last month, AdDuplex has returned with figures for June, and if you were expecting a sudden surge of upgrades, well we’ve some bad news for you -- and Microsoft.

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Raspberry Pi Pico W is a $6 wireless-enabled microcontroller for IoT projects

A year ago, the Raspberry Pi Foundation unveiled the Raspberry Pi Pico, a $4 microcontroller designed for physical computing projects. Easily programmed using MicroPython, it was designed for tasks like controlling lights, buttons, sensors, motors, and even other microcontrollers.

Today, after having sold nearly two million Pico boards, the Foundation announces the Raspberry Pi Pico W which adds 802.11n wireless networking to the platform.

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Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 25151 with useful fixes for annoying problems

Windows 11 laptop

Last week's new Windows 11 flight for Insiders in the Dev Channel -- Build 25145 -- introduced a number of new features, including a OneDrive storage alert, subscription management in Settings, and a Local Administrator Password Solution ("LAPS").

Build 25151, released today, is much less exciting but does offer a set of fixes designed to improve the overall experience for users.

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Upgrade nag screens coming to Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 update

Microsoft took a huge gamble with Windows 8, betting big that touch screens would replace the mouse as the primary way of interacting with the operating system. The company replaced the Start menu with a Start screen, which a LOT of people hated. It was one of the main reasons Microsoft's attempt at reinventing Windows flopped so badly.

With Windows 8.1, the software giant reintroduced the Start menu, and made a number of other changes that made it more acceptable to users, but even so, few people will list that OS among their all-time favorites.

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Get 'Leading from the Middle' ($15 value) FREE for a limited time

Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization delivers an insightful and practical guide for the backbone of an organization: those who have a boss and are a boss and must lead from the messy middle.

Accomplished author and former P&G executive Scott Mautz walks readers through the unique challenges facing these managers, and the mindset and skillset necessary for managing up and down and influencing what happens across the organization.

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Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 25145 with new features and fixes

Windows 11 laptop

Sometimes new Windows 11 builds released to the Dev Channel introduce new features, and other times the focus is just on fixing problems. Today’s new Insider release, Build 25145, comes with both a selection of new features and also some important fixes.

In particular, this release comes with a fix for an annoying problem that caused Surface Pro X devices to hit a black screen when attempting to resume from hibernation.

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Legally download $866 worth of paid software from AnyViewer, IObit, Ashampoo, AOMEI and more -- for FREE!

Who doesn’t like to get something for free, especially in these challenging times? There are always bargains to be had if you shop around, but why save money when you can avoid paying out anything at all!

Remote access company AnyViewer is giving away a year’s worth of its AnyViewer Professional software for free, a saving of $118.80, but it has also persuaded 15 other software firms to be equally generous. The result is a giveaway which makes it possible to download the likes of AOMEI Backupper Pro, Advanced SystemCare 15 Pro, Ashampoo Home Design 7 and VideoProc Converter for free.

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Get 'The Art of Writing Efficient Programs' ($31.99 value) FREE for a limited time

The great free lunch of "performance taking care of itself" is over.

Until recently, programs got faster by themselves as CPUs were upgraded, but that doesn't happen anymore. The clock frequency of new processors has almost peaked, and while new architectures provide small improvements to existing programs, this only helps slightly. To write efficient software, you now have to know how to program by making good use of the available computing resources, and this book will teach you how to do that.

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Microsoft Defender for individuals now available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android

Microsoft has been working on a new security tool for a while now to help protect you and your family’s data and devices against online threats, such as malware and phishing attacks.

Three months ago it made a preview build of Microsoft Defender available for Windows Insiders to try out, and today it announces the tool's official availability for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers.

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Gateway debuts a new line-up of affordable notebooks

Gateway is as well known for its cow-spotted boxes as it is for its computer products. First started way back in 1985, the company is launching a new lineup of affordable Ultra Slim notebooks powered by 12th Gen Intel Core processors.

The new notebooks, available in a variety of screen sizes and colors, sport a modern, lightweight chassis and a hinge keyboard that can be elevated for comfort. They all come with Windows 11 pre-installed.

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Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 25140 with ISOs for a clean install

Windows 11 laptop

Wednesday isn't typically the most exciting day of the week, unless you happen to be a Windows Insider in the Dev Channel, as that’s when -- provided everything goes according to plan -- Microsoft rolls out a new Windows 11 build.

Today’s release, Build 25140, comes with another good set of fixes designed to improve the overall Windows 11 experience. There are also ISOs available for this flight, which can downloaded here, that can be used for a clean install.

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Microsoft retires Internet Explorer after 27 years -- here's what happens next

Internet Explorer was once the dominant web browser, boasting a 95 percent market share in 2004. The arrival of better and faster browsers like Firefox and Chrome, along with the rise of smartphones, slowly destroyed its ubiquity and from today it is now officially retired and out of support.

While few people will mourn its passing, the browser is still used by many businesses and individuals who simply haven’t bothered to switch from what they know. For those users, Microsoft’s solution will be a predictable one.

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Get 'Excel 2019 All-in-One For Dummies' ($24 value) FREE for a limited time

Excel 2019 All-In-One For Dummies offers eight books in one! It is completely updated to reflect the major changes Microsoft made to Office with the 2019 release.

From basic Excel functions, such as creating and editing worksheets, to sharing and reviewing worksheets, to editing macros with Visual Basic, it provides you with a broad scope of the most common Excel applications and functions -- including formatting worksheets, setting up formulas, protecting worksheets, importing data, charting data, and performing statistical functions.

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