Windows 10 May 2021 Update (21H1) is now available -- here's what's new and how to get it
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Three weeks ago, Microsoft began preparing the Windows 10 May 2021 Update (21H1) for release, offering it initially to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel.
Today, the company makes the feature update available to non-Insiders, starting with those running Windows 10 version 2004 or later. As is the case these days, Microsoft is throttling availability so it may not be offered to you immediately, and compatibility issues could play a part in how long you have to wait.
Forget buggy Windows 10, Windows 7 2021 Edition is the Microsoft operating system we need!
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Microsoft finally stopped supporting Windows 7 at the start of last year, but the aging OS is still to be found on over 16 percent of Windows systems and many users prefer it to Windows 10 which seems to be plagued with a never-ending stream of buggy updates.
Although the software giant will be giving its new operating system a much needed makeover later this year with new icons, a scalable UI font, and other visual enhancements, it’s still unlikely to win over the hearts and minds of many of the Windows 7 faithful.
Watch Google's 2021 virtual I/O keynote live here
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Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Google cancelled its I/O developer conference last year, but it returns as a virtual event for 2021 and you can watch it right here today.
We’re expecting Google to show off Android 12, the next update for its mobile operating system, as well as cover other Google services, like Google Assistant and its range of Home/Nest smart devices.
Apple Music to offer Dolby Atmos and lossless audio at no extra cost
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I’m a big fan of Apple Music, and the good news for myself and other users of the service is the sound quality it offers is about to improve significantly.
Starting next month -- and for no extra cost -- Apple Music subscribers will be able to listen to more than 75 million songs in lossless audio (using ALAC -- Apple Lossless Audio Codec). The company will also be adding spatial audio with support for Dolby Atmos to the service, so you can enjoy improved clarity and multidimensional sound on thousands of songs from popular artists.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 21382 with HDR improvements for creative apps like Adobe Photoshop and CorelDraw
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Just in time for the start of the weekend, a brand new Windows 10 build arrives for those Insiders in the Dev Channel.
The big new addition in this build is HDR support in color managed apps, but there are plenty of other changes, improvements and fixes to be found in the flight.
Get 'Cybersecurity Fundamentals -- Risks, Procedures, & Integration' ebook for free
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The core of the Internet is getting weaker as we connect ever more of our lives -- phones, tablets, cars, refrigerators -- to it. Meanwhile, the attacks are getting stronger.
Cybercrime is a global pandemic. Cybersecurity is mainstream today because we’ve seen the repercussions personally, professionally and financially from not keeping our corporate and customer data secure.
Think Windows 10 is bad? Feast your eyes on Microsoft's macOS -- the desktop operating system we definitely don't want!
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If you’re a Mac owner, then you’ll be very familiar with macOS, Apple’s desktop operating system. Similarly, if you own a PC -- and it isn’t running a flavor of Linux -- then there’s a good chance it will have Windows 10 on it.
macOS and Windows 10, like other desktop operating systems, share lots of similarities, but they are also very different in their own ways. But what if they weren’t? What if Microsoft was making macOS instead of Apple?
Get 'Mastering Windows Security and Hardening' ($27.99 value) FREE for a limited time
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This is how the Apple iPad could take on Windows 10 PCs
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Apple has been positioning the iPad more and more like a credible laptop alternative over the past few years, especially with the introduction of the new iPad Pro.
Two years ago the tech giant made the decision to create a dedicated iPad version of iOS which it called, inevitably, iPadOS, introducing more features for the larger, more capable device, such as better multitasking and enhanced app switching. iPadOS 15 is due later this year but for now we know very little about the new features it will offer.
Fantastic news for Xbox users as Kodi 19 'Matrix' finally arrives for Microsoft's console
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Kodi started life as XBMC (XBox Media Center) and was designed to run on Microsoft's original Xbox. The software has since then enjoyed a meteoric -- and somewhat controversial -- rise, and is now available for most platforms, including Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux.
In 2010 the team announced that it would no longer be developing for Xbox, but finally relented and reintroduced an Xbox build three years ago. However, although Kodi 19 Matrix was released on most platforms in February, a lack of testing options meant it once again wasn't available for the Xbox. With the release of Kodi 19.1 that finally changes.
Kodi 19.1 'Matrix' is here and you should download it NOW!
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It’s been three months since the Kodi Foundation released the stable version of Kodi 19 'Matrix'. The latest iteration of the popular home theater software brought with it a wealth of changes, fixes and new features.
Of course no matter how much testing new builds undergo, there will always be bugs and issues that slip through the net.
How to force all web links to open in your default browser on Windows 10, not Microsoft Edge
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It’s no secret that Microsoft wants you to use its Edge browser in Windows 10. It’s tried a lot of ways to persuade users to switch from Chrome, Firefox or other browsers over the years, including advertising Edge in Windows.
The new Edge is genuinely good now, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it if you prefer another browser, like Chrome or Firefox.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 21376 with a new font for better scaling
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We usually see new Windows 10 builds for the Dev Channel arriving on a Wednesday, but this week the latest Insider build has slipped a day, but it’s worth the wait.
Build 21376 comes with an updated UI font, and other cosmetic tweaks.
Get 'LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies, 2nd Edition' ($16 value) FREE for a limited time
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Look at your LinkedIn profile: you know it could be a little better. Too many LinkedIn users are just posting a basic resume and hoping for the offers to come flooding in, missing out on the incredible opportunity the platform offers to properly showcase their talents, products, and services to 610 million professionals in over 200 countries.
LinkedIn is way more than a resume tool -- to display your professional past and present -- it’s also your career future and personal brand. Used to its fullest extent, it helps you demonstrate the unique value and culture you provide, the skills and aspirations that make you different, to get the outcomes you truly want. But how’s it done?
Google Arts & Culture's open source Woolaroo app uses AI to help preserve endangered languages
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There are thousands of different languages spoken around the planet, but a sizable number of these are at risk of disappearing.
In fact, of the over 7,000 native languages currently in use, some 3,000 are in danger, and on average, a language becomes extinct every fourteen days. Google Arts & Culture is taking action to help preserve these endangered languages.
Wayne's Bio
Wayne Williams is BetaNews' managing editor. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for over 20 years now. He’s written for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a fair few of them in his time also. If you like what you read, you can Buy Me a Coffee!
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