Microsoft will support Internet Explorer for one more year -- but now is the time to move on

Internet Explorer on a laptop

The move by Microsoft to replace Internet Explorer with Edge has been a slow and torturous journey. Edge is already in its second major iteration, and is now based on the Chromium engine, but the specter of Internet Explorer is still hanging heavy.

Microsoft has already announced that support for the browser is going to come to an end, and today is the start of a year-long countdown to the day this happens. But if you are hanging doggedly onto Internet Explorer, there's no need to wait another 12 months; now really is the time to move on.

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Microsoft Xbox Mini Fridge can keep your Mountain Dew or underwear cold for long gaming sessions

Gamers drinking Mountain Dew is sort of a cliché, but it is based on reality. People that play video games often drink that soda due to its high caffeine count. Taking things even further, many gamers chug energy drinks these days too. Why do they do this? So they can both stay alert and stay awake longer -- it allows them to play their games well into the the night.

Believe it or not, I have also heard of some gamers refrigerating their underwear. This is done in the summer months as a way to keep cool during gaming marathons. When they are feeling particularly sweaty in their crotch area, they can change into chilled underpants for relief.

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What we want to see in Windows 11

Rainbow 11 balloons

It's no secret that Microsoft is due to reveal details of the next version of Windows later this month. On June 24, the company is holding an event at which we'll learn a lot about Windows 11 (as the name is almost certainly going to be confirmed to be), but with a week and a half to go, there is still plenty of time to talk about what we hope to see in the operating system.

Microsoft seemingly learned quite a lot from Windows 8 and made vast improvement with Windows 10 -- but it also made its fair share of slip ups and mistakes and did plenty to annoy users. This latest update is a chance to put things right, make people happy, and really move Windows into the future. Here's what we'd like to see in Windows 11.

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Google reins in the madness and brings some sanity to Chrome's address bar

Cartoon Chrome logo

Over the years Google has made sweeping changes to Chrome, introducing all manner of features and options. The constant stream of Beta, Dev and Canary builds of the browser are proof of the constant development that is going on, and some of the work has been rather controversial.

One move that was widely opposed was the decision to stop showing full URL of a web page in the address bar (or Omnibar if you want to use Google's nomenclature). Introduced almost a year ago, Google said the experiment was an attempt to help people spot spoofed URLs, but it caused widespread annoyance and confusion. Now the company has seen sense and is opting to show full addresses once again.

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Microsoft releases out-of-band KB5004327 update for Windows 10 to fix 0x80073D26 and 0x8007139F errors

Microsoft building logo

Microsoft has issued an off-schedule update for Windows 10 that addresses 0x80073D26 and 0x8007139F errors in versions 20H1, 20H2 and 21H1 of the operating system.

The KB5004327 update is aimed at systems that have experienced problems installing or opening Xbox Games Pass Games. Anyone affected by the issue is redirected to the Microsoft Store page for Gaming Services when the errors occur.

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How deep learning can deliver improved cybersecurity [Q&A]

Traditional cybersecurity isn't necessarily bad at detecting attacks, the trouble is it often does so after they have occurred.

A better approach is to spot potential attacks and block them before they can do any damage. One possible way of doing this is via 'deep learning' allowing technology to identify the difference between good and bad.

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A decade of Chrome OS: What do you think of it?

Let me get this out of the way first, lest I be called a Microsoft hater (I’ve been called both that and fanboy). I have Windows computers and I use them for some things, just not for my regular, daily routine. I started with a Chromebook early on when Google itself released the HP Chromebook 11 G1 back in 2013. 

Chrome OS was announced in 2009 and an actual "Chromebook" shipped in 2011, but it took a couple of years from then for the platform to pick up steam. 

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KB5003637 update is causing printer problems and breaking the taskbar in Windows 10

Frustrated woman at laptop

This month's Patch Tuesday updates are proving problematic once again. Yesterday we wrote about KB5003637 causing problems for apps accessing event logs, and now it appears that this very same update is causing problems with not only printing, but also the updated taskbar in Windows 10. Affected users complain of broken, vanishing and corrupt icons in the taskbar and notification area.

If all of this sounds a little familiar, it's because it is very much the same problem caused by KB5003214 last month. There's a key difference this time around, however. While KB5003214 was an optional update, KB5003637 is one that is automatically installed.

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Linux Foundation Public Health prepares global COVID-19 passport as Linus Torvalds encourages vaccine uptake

COVID-19 vaccine

As the world battles the coronavirus pandemic, governments around the globe are taking different approaches to tackling the problem. While COVID-19 remains a somewhat divisive topic, there's one thing that most people can agree on: vaccinations are going to play a major role in getting things under control.

This is why the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds, has spoken out telling people to "get vaccinated" and "stop believing the anti-vax lies". For anyone who believes "the crazy conspiracy theories" he has a simple message: "SHUT THE HELL UP". Meanwhile, Linux Foundation Public Health has launched the Global COVID Certificate Network (GCCN), described as "an initiative to enable interoperable and trustworthy verification of COVID certificates between jurisdictions for safe border reopening".

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Act fast: Samsung Galaxy Book Go Windows 10 laptop available now for only $349!

Want to know a secret computer manufacturers don't want you to know? Look, don't tell anybody this, but... most consumers don't need to spend $1,000 on a computer. Hell, most folks don't even need to spend $500. Because let's be honest, the majority of home users only open a web browser and do all their computing on the web. Yes, for most people, modern home computers largely exist as a way to run a web browser. If you don't think that is true, you are fooling yourself.

This is why Chromebooks are so popular these days. But what if you want an operating system a bit more capable than Chrome OS, such as Windows 10? Well, there are plenty of inexpensive laptops running that OS too. For example, earlier this month, we told you about the super-affordable Galaxy Book Go -- a low-cost ARM-powered laptop from Samsung. Well, as of today, you can finally buy it!

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The need for speed: Why faster threat detection is imperative for today's enterprise

Speedometer

Cyberattacks are happening more frequently and with greater sophistication. As a result, rapid threat detection and response is critical to finding threat actors and minimizing their impact on the enterprise. This task is easier said than done. Information security teams are understaffed and the digital infrastructures they must protect continue to increase in complexity. Time is also of the essence.

Every passing second dangerously prolongs a threat actor’s presence within the network, creating additional backdoors, pilfering critical data and assets, and increasing their chances of absconding with the crown jewels. In those especially urgent moments, when the security team is literally all hands-on deck, there isn’t time to run queries through a number of different tools and wait for results to come back. Security teams need real-time insights they can act upon quickly.

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Update Chrome now, it has a zero-day exploit

Zero Day

We’re much more used to security flaws now after years of being conditioned to hearing about them from various sources. Some software makers handle vulnerabilities better than others of course, but remember, software is inherently complicated and it’s being written by flawed humans so mistakes are inevitable. 

Today Sergei Glazunov of Google Project Zero reports on a new flaw in Google Chrome, the sixth zero-day affecting the browser this year. Very little information has been released on the vulnerability, but from what we can learn it seems to be in the Javascript engine that powers Chrome. 

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Microsoft wants to calm you down with meditative versions of its Windows 95, XP, and 7 startup sounds -- yes, really

It’s not long now until Microsoft takes the wraps off the next version of Windows, and there’s a lot of debate going on already with regards to what it might be called. The smart money is on Windows 11, but Windows Sun Valley is also a popular choice.

If you’re excited for the grand reveal, Microsoft has come up with a way to keep you calm while you wait -- and that’s to listen to startup sounds from previous versions of Windows, slowed down by 4000 percent!

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Microsoft warns that KB5003637 update for Windows 10 may prevent apps accessing event logs

Gold Microsoft sign

It is only a couple of days since Microsoft released KB5003637 update for Windows 10 on this month's Patch Tuesday. But the company has already issued a warning that after installing this particular update "apps accessing event logs on remote devices might be unable to connect".

The problem stems from apps that make use of legacy Event Logging APIs, and Microsoft says that the behavior is entirely expected. It also provides details of how to fix issues with accessing event logs.

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Why enterprises are struggling with their digital transformation projects [Q&A]

Digital transformation

We recently reported on research from value stream platform Digital.ai into digital transformation projects, which should make worrying reading for many enterprises.

The study showed that many organizations feel they're not getting the most from their transformation projects. We talked to Gaurav Rewari, chief technology officer at Digital.ai to find out why this is happening and what can be done about it.

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