Wayne Williams

The other day I was chatting with a friend and she mentioned how Facebook was listening into personal conversations via her phone. It was the only possible explanation, she said, for how it could know she was in the market for a new sofa. Her husband was the only person (other than me) she’d mentioned this to and although she hadn’t yet got around to looking for a sofa online, her Facebook feed was full of ads for upholstered seating. I’ve heard this conspiracy theory before, of course, we all have. If it’s not Facebook listening in, it’s Google. But it made me smile.

When I go into Facebook (or Instagram), which is several times every day, I see stories from my friends and family, interspersed with 'targeted' adverts for products and services that I have no interest in -- such as the advert I saw today for a train company whose trains I’ve never been on because they don’t run anywhere near where I live or travel to. Judging by all the food ads Facebook shows me, it thinks I’m a staunch (and very hungry) vegan. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

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It’s been five months since the Kodi Foundation released Kodi 19.1 'Matrix'. The latest iteration of the popular home theater software brought with it a wealth of fixes and changes.

Now Team Kodi releases version 19.2 with more fixes and improvements.

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Windows 11 is currently rolling out to users with compatible hardware, but if you don't want to wait you can jump the queue. You can even install it on PCs without the TPM 2.0 requirement using this hack. Although it’s early days, a number of users have reported problems with the OS, which is to be expected.

If you upgrade to Windows 11 and encounter problems -- or decide it’s simply not for you -- you might want to go back to Windows 10, and wait until the new OS is a bit less buggy. The process is straightforward enough, although there are some downsides to be aware of.

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Although Microsoft would prefer it if people waited to be invited to install Windows 11 on compatible hardware, you can jump the queue now and install it in a number of ways, including by downloading the ISO file, or using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant.

Microsoft has warned against installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware but -- in the perfect display of the mixed messaging the company seems so adept at delivering when it comes to the new OS -- it’s also revealed the steps you need to take to do exactly that.

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Microsoft started to roll out Windows 11 yesterday -- a day earlier than originally stated -- and many users chose to immediately jump on the new OS, installing it via either the Media Creation Tool or the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. The latter is the method I used to painlessly upgrade both my desktop and laptop PCs.

For some users however, the process has been far from painless, with a number of eager upgraders reporting the installation stalling with error code '0x8007007f', despite their having compatible hardware.

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When Microsoft announced that Windows 11 would start to become available from October 5 it didn’t specify a time zone. That’s because its new operating system will be released in each country as the day begins.

That means, for some lucky users, Windows 11 is already available to install and users can start to buy new PCs with Windows 11 preinstalled on them from today.

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Tomorrow is a huge day for Microsoft as it’s when Windows 11 starts to roll out to the first batch of compatible systems.

Work continues apace on the new operating system though, and Microsoft today releases a new build to Insiders in the Dev Channel. Build 22471 is the lone build this week and comes with a large number of fixes.

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If you have personal files that you want to be able to access when on the go, but don’t trust cloud providers to keep them safe, and are worried about the dangers of storing them on a USB memory stick which could be easily lost or stolen, the best solution is to use a 100 percent hardware encrypted USB drive like the Aegis Padlock SSD.

This is a much more secure solution than using software encryption and is designed to meet NIST FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 Level 2 requirements. The SSD drive protects data as it’s being written with military grade 256-bit AES XTS encryption, and is small enough to fit comfortably in any pocket.

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Nine previous editions of this popular benchmark guide can’t be wrong! Whether you’re new to Linux and need a step-by-step guide or are a pro who wants to catch up with recent distributions, Linux For Dummies, 10th Edition has your back. 

Covering everything from installation to automation, this updated edition focuses on openSUSE and Ubuntu and includes new and refreshed material -- as well as chapters on building a web server and creating simple shell scripts. 

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Windows 11 is set to begin rolling out to compatible systems next week, but Microsoft is working on future incarnations of its new operating system

Today the software giant releases Windows 11 Build 22468 to Insiders in the Dev Channel.

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Microsoft has completely redesigned its forthcoming operating system, and Windows Insiders have been testing it out for months, ahead of its official launch on October 5.

The apps that come with the new OS have been updated also, and Insiders in the Dev Channel now have the chance to try out the all-new Paint tool, which Microsoft describes as a "modern spin on the classic app".

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Microsoft is set to begin rolling out Windows 11 next week. For the most part, any programs you run on Windows 10 should run just fine on the new OS, although there will be exceptions.

Antivirus and security solutions are not all certified yet and installing security software that hasn't been fully tested with the new operating system could prove disastrous. Don't worry though, as antivirus testing service AV-Comparatives has done the hard work for you and today releases a list of "approved" security software. Is yours on the list?

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Windows 11 is set to start rolling out to compatible systems from next month, but for many people, Microsoft’s operating system design peaked with Windows 7.

Will the brand new operating system win over the doubters? It’s too early to say, but Windows 7 2021 Edition gives us the best of both worlds -- the aged operating system we know and love, brought bang up to date with modern Windows 11 looks and features.

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All great coaches know how to ask good open-ended questions and how to give effective feedback. They keep a balanced and honest perspective that separates the person from the problem or issue; coaching to leverage their unique strengths and helping them improve weaknesses with a mindset focused on continuous improvement.

This ongoing coaching and development can be a "game changer" for all people and teams with access to it.  But what about the teams and players that aren’t empowered -- or even allowed -- to expand their roles? Or the team members whose careers don’t inspire or play to their natural gifts, talents, and strengths?

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At a special hardware event hosted earlier today, Microsoft unveiled a number of new Surface devices designed to run Windows 11.

Following that, the company rolls out Windows 11 Preview Build 22463 to Insiders in the Dev Channel. This flight fixes a lot of problems, including the issue impacting the Taskbar where icons appeared misaligned and/or cut off.

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