Microsoft ends free upgrades from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 11

Windows 11 upgrade notice

The number of paths for upgrading to Windows 11 for free has just been reduced. Microsoft has officially removed the option to upgrade from both Windows 7 and Windows 8 to Windows 11 without paying.

This should not really come as a surprise, as the ability to upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10 and then 11 free of charge is not something that was meant to last. Microsoft originally said that these upgrade routes would remain available until mid-2016, but the company either "forgot" to disable the option or decided to leave it open to get as many people onto its newer operating systems as possible. But now this changes as explained in a sneakily quiet announcement by Microsoft.

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Score a massive discount on Sabrent's 4-drive NVMe SSD to PCIe adapter

In a landscape where digital hoarding is becoming more of a norm than a novelty, storage solutions are increasingly becoming crucial for both casual users and hard-core tech enthusiasts. Sabrent, a name synonymous with robust and reliable storage solutions, has a new 4-Drive NVMe SSD to PCIe 3.0 x4 adapter card (EC-P3X4). And guess what? It's now available at a discounted price on Amazon, slashing 20 percent off its typical price tag, bringing it down to a tempting $143.99 from $179.99.

This petite powerhouse is engineered to effortlessly add up to four NVMe SSDs to your computing rig without needing setting adjustments in the BIOS. Simply slide in 4x SSDs into the PC-P3X4, and you are ready to roll. The adapter is tailor-made for M-Key 2280 SSDs and can nestle comfortably in x4/x8/x16 PCIe slots, making it a boon for legacy machines craving for a storage facelift.

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Google unveils Fitbit Charge 6

With the unveiling of the Fitbit Charge 6, the boundaries of fitness tracking technology have been pushed once more. This gadget is not just a fitness tracker; it’s a personal health companion aimed at providing a wholesome understanding of your body’s functionality. Available for pre-order today, the Charge 6 comes with a wealth of features that effortlessly blend into your daily routine, making it easier to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The Charge 6 claims to have the most accurate heart rate tracking system among all Fitbit trackers, courtesy of a revamped machine learning algorithm, inheriting innovation from the Pixel Watch. This feature is especially crucial during intensive workouts like HIIT, spinning, or rowing, where heart rate tracking is up to 60 percent more accurate. This means you get precise data on calories burnt, Active Zone Minutes, Daily Readiness Score, and Sleep Score. Furthermore, the ECG app on your wrist allows you to assess your heart rhythm for atrial fibrillation, providing high and low heart rate notifications to keep you informed about your cardiovascular health.

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Mayo Clinic embraces Microsoft 365 Copilot

In a contemporary twist of healthcare meeting technological innovation, Mayo Clinic, a global pacesetter in medical care, has initiated the deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot, setting a new hallmark in enterprise productivity.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a generative AI service, which marries the prowess of large language models (LLMs) with organizational data harvested from Microsoft 365. At its core, this service is engineered to morph mundane tasks into streamlined processes, thus freeing up critical personnel to focus on pivotal ventures.

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Three-quarters of organizations struggle with remote work challenges

The shift to remote and hybrid working models has magnified IT operational challenges for 75 percent of organizations.

A new study by Forrester Consulting for HP surveyed over 300 IT and security decision makers and finds the main challenges companies face when managing remote endpoints are ensuring data security (60 percent), keeping software on remote devices up to date (55 percent), and maximizing the accuracy of asset databases (55 percent).

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Senior managers are more likely to click on phishing emails

Executive social media

Senior executives are 60 percent more likely to click on malicious links than their employees, making them a vulnerable target for hackers, according to a new report.

However, data from SoSafe also reveals that senior managers are more likely to report a suspicious email (20 percent) than employees (eight percent) are, which shows that security awareness among top management is rising.

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Get 'Project Management All-in-One For Dummies' (worth $24) for FREE

Perform Be Agile! Time-crunch! Right now, the business world has never moved so fast and project managers have never been so much in demand -- the Project Management Institute has estimated that industries will need at least 87 million employees with the full spectrum of PM skills by 2027.

Project Management All-in-One For Dummies is your ultimate go-to project management bible

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Bezel 1.0 enables real-time mirroring of iPad and iPhone displays on the Mac

Dutch developer NonStrict EU has released Bezel 1.0 for Macs running macOS 12.0 or later. The app is a tool to mirror USB-connected iPhone, iPad and iPhone touch displays on macOS screens in real time.

The app, which is slick and so responsive that changes on the mobile device are reflected instantly on the Mac’s display, is aimed at those who wish to view, share or record their iPhone’s screen for whatever reason.

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Microsoft releases updated Text Extractor 2.0 as part of PowerToys v0.74.0

Tiled PowerToys icons

There is always a slight sense of disappointment when Microsoft says that the current release cycle for PowerToys is focused on stability and improvements, as it means there are not going to be any new utilities. This is where we find ourselves at the moment, but the pessimism may be misplaced as PowerToys v0.74.0 is packed with important changes and updates.

Key among them is a major update to the recently added OCR component Text Extractor. In the boost up to Text Extractor 2.0, there are important additions including a new overlay, table mode and more. But this is far from being the end of the story; PowerToys v0.74.0 includes improvements to just about every module.

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Microsoft unleashes a torrent of changes and new features with Windows Terminal Preview v1.19

Windows Terminal Channel logos

Having recently reaffirmed its commitment to PowerShell and Windows Terminal, Microsoft has shown that it is good to its word. The company has released new versions of Windows Terminal, and for those who like to play it safe, there is Windows Terminal v1.18.2681.0 which includes various new features such as the ability to pull tabs out of Terminal windows.

But for those who prefer to live on the edge, Windows Terminal Preview v1.19.2682.0 is a much more exciting release. The development team warns users to buckle up as this "might be a little more Preview than you've come to expect". And there is indeed an awful lot to explore in this preview channel version, including the fact that Windows Terminal is now able to browse the internet!

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Raspberry Pi 5 is the 'everything computer' -- out at the end of October

The Raspberry Pi Foundation launched the Raspberry Pi 4 four years ago now. It’s been quite the wait, but a new, much faster follow up is finally here.

The Raspberry Pi 5 is described as the "everything computer" and will run at 2-3x the speed of the previous generation. It’s built on silicon designed in‑house "for the best possible performance".

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Illuminate your Windows 11 experience with Dynamic Lighting

As technology continues to evolve, so do the ways in which we interact with our devices. The integration of "Red, Green, Blue" (RGB) lights within various gadgets has opened up a realm of personalization, allowing users to create unique environments that extend beyond the screen. Microsoft has recognized this trend and with its latest feature update, unleashes the power of Dynamic Lighting on Windows 11.

The Dynamic Lighting feature in Windows 11 embodies a step towards a more unified and interactive user experience. It finally grants users the liberty to control their RGB devices right from the Windows Settings -- something many of us have been waiting for. This means you can now extend your Windows accent color to the devices around you, synchronize RGB effects across devices from different brands, and have finer control over how apps manage your device’s lights.

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Meta uses AI to bring stickers and celebrity chat buddies to its apps

Today, at the Connect event, Meta unveiled a promising suite of AI experiences sprucing up its family of apps and devices, charting a thrilling course towards more personalized and interactive digital realms. The announcements encompass AI stickers, a new conversational assistant named Meta AI, 28 additional AIs with distinctive personalities, and tools for creators and developers to craft their own AI entities.

Starting with the whimsical, Meta is rolling out AI stickers that breathe fresh energy into your chats and stories. Emu, Meta's image generation model, along with technology from Llama 2, morphs simple text prompts into a variety of high-quality, bespoke stickers. This feature, soon to grace WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook Stories, is a delightful way to augment digital expressions.

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Linux Mint Debian Edition 6 is released with a troubling lack of new features

Today marks the release of Debian 12-based LMDE 6, codenamed "Faye." This new release brings with it a host of information regarding installation, locked root account procedures, and more. However, there is a growing concern about the apparent lack of new features announced.

Despite sharing some known issues and tips, there are absolutely no new features announced in the release notes. And so, there is a legitimate worry: what new does LMDE 6 bring to the table? While stability and reliability are core to the Debian base, users look forward to fresh and innovative features with each new release. This anticipation is tinged with disappointment as the details of LMDE 6 emerge without a showcase of novel functionalities.

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Microsoft begins rolling out its major Paint update, with AI-powered Paint Cocreator

Following on from yesterday’s Windows 11 update which saw the arrival of the AI-powered Copilot, Microsoft has today released a major update to its venerable Paint app.

The highlight of this new build is Paint Cocreator, an AI-powered feature that uses DALL-E technology to help users create stunning artwork simply by describing what they want in a few words.

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