CachyOS February 2025 release is here to make Arch Linux more accessible
CachyOS fans, get ready -- this first release of 2025 (download ISO here) was definitely worth the wait. The team held off until NVIDIA’s latest driver was available to make sure users with Blackwell-based 50xx series GPUs had a seamless experience. Now, with the 570 driver in place, Blackwell support is fully integrated.
For those unfamiliar, CachyOS is an Arch Linux-based distribution that focuses on performance and optimization. It builds on the power of Arch while adding aggressive compiler optimizations, a user-friendly setup, and custom tweaks designed to get the most out of modern hardware.
Here’s how Google is celebrating Black History Month
Black History Month is officially here, and Google is kicking things off with a major celebration of Black creators, artists, and innovators across its platforms. From YouTube and Google TV to the Play Store and Chrome, the search giant is making it easier than ever to explore Black culture all month long.
On YouTube, Google is shining a spotlight on rising Black stars and legendary voices in music, TV, and social media. YouTube Music is serving up playlists dedicated to regional dance genres like Chicago House and NOLA Bounce, while artwork from Stonie Blue will bring even more energy to the platform throughout February.
StarTech.com unveils 4-port 240W USB-C charger with GaN technology
StarTech.com has introduced a high-capacity charging solution designed for professional environments. The 240W Multi-Device USB-C Charger is built for IT professionals, offering multiple charging ports, security features, and flexible mounting options. With four USB-C ports supporting up to 140W per port and a total output of 240W, it is intended for workstations, meeting rooms, and shared spaces.
According to StarTech.com, the charger can power MacBook Pro models with M3 or M4 chips, as well as tablets and smartphones. The company states that in-house testing shows a MacBook Pro 16 with an M3 Max or M4 Pro/Max can reach 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. The device uses gallium nitride (GaN) technology, which StarTech.com says helps it run cooler and maintain power output over extended use.
Transform Windows 10 or 11 into Windows 7 in just five clicks
If you’re running Windows 11 or Windows 10 but miss the look and feel of Windows 7, there’s a simple yet brilliant way to transform your newer OS into the older one.
This process, which takes just five mouse clicks, brings back all the features you may have missed, such as Windows Media Center, Windows Gadgets, and, of course, those classic Windows 7 games. The familiar, fuss-free Start menu also returns. This transformation works on all versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, up to 24H2.
Ransomware victims increased by 26 percent in 2024
Nearly 5,300 ransomware victims were reported last year, a 26 percent increase from the previous year, according to new analysis.
The Cybernews team looked at data from the Ransomlooker tool, which monitors the dark web and other hidden areas of the internet, and found that the number active ransomware gangs also grew over the previous year.
Newegg RTX 50 Series launch shows gamers will pay anything for the latest GPU
Newegg’s launch of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs was nothing short of a frenzy, with stock selling out in minutes as gamers rushed to secure the latest tech. The retailer has promised restocks as more inventory becomes available, encouraging customers to stay tuned to its social media for updates.
The demand was off the charts. Newegg reported that 18 of its top 25 most-viewed product pages belonged to the RTX 50 Series, proving just how eager buyers were. Searches for “RTX 5080” and “RTX 5090” skyrocketed, making up 9 of the top 10 search terms on the site. Compared to the previous week, searches for these GPUs spiked 25 times. The rush also caused a massive traffic surge, with site visits increasing by as much as 10 times during the launch window.
The challenges of managing non-human identities [Q&A]
Non-human identities (NHIs) outnumber human identities by between 10 and 50 times, but the industry lacks solutions to properly address this hole in the security perimeter.
Traditional IAM solutions and best practices aren't sufficient when it comes to managing NHIs, as evidenced by some recent breaches that have stemmed from exploitation of NHIs.
IT industry today faces same issues that aggravated 1990s manufacturing: How can we take a cue from history?
Until the late 1990s, manufacturing reigned as the lifeblood of the global economy -- leading in productivity, employment, growth, and investments across all points of the world. However, once we neared the close of the 20th century, manufacturing found its Achilles heel in the compounded complexity accrued from outdated processes, an over-reliance on human labor that simply couldn’t meet its extreme needs, supply chain disruptions, and rising costs.
I fear that today, the information technology industry finds itself at all-too-familiar cross-roads. Why is this?
Microsoft expands its Surface for Business Copilot+ PC lineup with new Intel Core Ultra-powered Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7
Microsoft has today announced two additions to its Surface for Business Copilot+ PC family, with new versions of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop that, instead of using Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X CPUs, will be powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2), giving buyers a choice.
Microsoft says the Surface Pro 11 for Business is designed to deliver high performance, versatility, and security. The device offers up to 28 percent more overall performance, 98 percent better graphics performance, and double the battery life during Teams calls, compared to the Surface Pro 9. The 13-inch PixelSense display features optional OLED technology with better color accuracy, and anti-reflective properties for improved visibility, even in direct sunlight.
Inside Pluton -- Microsoft's security processor that's coming to a PC near you soon
Microsoft first announced its Pluton security processor as far back as 2020 and more recently has said it will be enabled by default on all Copilot+ PCs as part of the company's commitment to Secure by Design.
Today the company is releasing more details about Pluton and how it operates. Operating directly on dedicated hardware on the CPU system-on-chip (SoC), Pluton helps provide additional protection for sensitive assets like credentials and encryption keys, using a combination of hardware, firmware and software
Deepfakes, workforce fraud and phishing incidents on the rise across businesses
Half of businesses have reported a growth in deepfake and AI-generated fraud, alongside rising biometric spoofs and counterfeit ID fraud attempts, according to the 2025 State of Identity Fraud Report, released today by AuthenticID.
The report analyzes internal proprietary data anonymized from AuthenticID's identity verification and fraud detection technology. When paired with insights from annual fraud surveys of both fraud and technology professionals as well as consumers in North America, the report offers a comprehensive view of the fraud landscape.
Remote employees work longer hours
In findings that rather seem to contradict the wisdom of President Trump's return to office mandate for government employees, a new report from Cloudbrink shows that 'work from anywhere' employees actually put in longer hours than their nine to five counterparts.
Analysis of usage data from thousands of users of Cloudbrink's Personal SASE service shows heavy transfer of data on Fridays and heavy usage starting at 7:00 am and continuing to 7:00 pm. The report concludes that employees are working quite a bit outside the office, but could be even more productive if technical challenges could be reduced.
I asked ChatGPT and DeepSeek to generate some random lottery numbers -- what happened next defied all odds [updated]
For a bit of fun, I thought I would ask ChatGPT to generate a set of numbers for the EuroMillions draw on Friday. Then, seconds later, I asked Chinese upstart DeepSeek to do the same.
My plan was to play both sets of numbers and see which, if any, of the two AIs could win me money. The result was not at all what I expected.
Microsoft releases KB5050094 update to fix audio issues caused by earlier update
When Microsoft released the January security updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 earlier this month, there were soon complaints from users about audio issues. Having only recently acknowledged a link between the update and the problems, Microsoft has now issued a fix.
The release of the KB5050094 update will give those who are willing to install preview versions of updates the chance to get their audio devices working again. The way in which this problem is being address is not ideal, and will raise questions from many people.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.88.0, killing off Video Conference Mute to make way for a new utility
With the v0.88 release cycle for PowerToys, Microsoft says that it will be focusing on “new features, stability, and improvements”. And the release of PowerToys v0.88.0 gets things off to a good start with the arrival of a new tool.
But this release also sees Microsoft giving with one hand and taking with the other. The arrival of the new ZoomIt module is balanced by the departure of Video Conference Mute which has been deprecated and removed from the suite of Windows utilities.
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