Microsoft releases KB4598479 update to fix 'Reset this PC' bug in Windows 10
The option to "Reset this PC" has long given users a quick and easy way to restore their computer to its factory settings. But ever since the release of Windows 10 version 1607, users have been complaining that the feature is not working, with the message "There was a problem when resetting your PC. No changes were made" being displayed.
Now Microsoft has finally got round to fixing the problem. The company has released the KB4598479 update as part of the first Patch Tuesday of 2021.
Microsoft gives users greater control over speech recognition privacy
Microsoft has announced that it is rolling out an important update relating to voice data collected during speech recognition. The changes give users more control over how their data is used, and comes in response to privacy concerns about the use of private data.
The update means that users will now be able to give or deny consent for Microsoft to manually transcribe the contents of voice clips for the purposes of improving the accuracy of speech recognition.
Bob's 2021 tech predictions: What a difference a pandemic makes
This is when I typically generate a list of technology predictions for the coming year. The challenge this year isn’t coming up with predictions, it’s finding a moment of calm to share them when people are most likely to read. With a pandemic rolling along and the nation in political and economic crises to boot, such a moment of clarity isn’t likely to ever arrive, so I’ve decided just to write the damned columns and see what happens.
This is the column in which I’ll review my predictions from 2020 to see how I did and whether it is even worth your while to read further. Having done this for over 20 years, historically I’m correct abut 70 percent of the time, but this year could be a disappointment given that I’m pretty sure I didn’t predict 390,000 deaths and an economy in free-fall. We’ll just have to see whether I was vague enough to get a couple right.
Serious Windows 10 flaw could corrupt your hard drive if you open a folder
A security researcher has revealed details of a strange bug that could result in an NTFS hard drive becoming corrupt in Windows 10, as well as the unsupported Windows XP. What makes the bug so serious and unusual is that it can be triggered without the user having to open a file.
The bug -- which has been shown to have been around for three years or so -- can cause a hard drive to be corrupted if a user simply views the contents of a folder that includes a specially crafted file. Although Microsoft is aware of the issue affecting the $i30 NTFS attribute, a fix has yet to be produced.
Over half of organizations suffer malware incidents on remote devices
According to a new report from mobile security specialist Wandera 52 percent of organizations experienced a malware incident on a remote device in 2020, up from 37 percent in 2019.
The report is based on captured data from Wandera's global network of 425 million sensors across both corporate-owned and BYOD assets, making it the world’s largest and most insightful mobile data set.
Cloud forecast 2021: Planning, focus and agility remain keys to success
After an extraordinary year, businesses around the world are anxious to embrace 2021 as a year of renewed focus and a return to normalcy. But businesses must continue to focus on best practices and investments that will enable them to navigate the path ahead.
Much uncertainty remains in the coming year as the impacts of the global pandemic linger. Many of the workplace changes we adopted in 2020 will, by necessity, continue this year.
Get two years of AVG Ultimate 2021 for just $29.99 to protect, maintain and boost performance across all your household's devices
As its name implies, AVG Ultimate 2021 is the crème-de-la-crème of AVG’s product range, providing a suite of tools to boost security, privacy and performance across all your household’s computers and mobile devices, from Windows PCs and Macs to Android and iOS phones and tablets.
Your household’s PCs and Macs are blanket covered by four applications. Core security comes in the form of AVG Internet Security 2021 -- complete protection for your family’s PCs and Macs courtesy of antivirus with anti-ransomware, shopping and banking protection via browser tools that block unsafe or compromised websites, firewall and webcam security.
Happy Birthday Wikipedia -- 20 today
The world's biggest free encyclopedia turns 20 years old today. It has more than 55 million articles that can be accessed in over 300 languages, for free, all created by volunteers.
The Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia's volunteer communities are involved in developing tools and programs to expand the quantity and diversity of Wikipedia content as well as modernizing its technology to meet the needs of the future and enhancing volunteers' ability to combat disinformation with better resources and insights.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Four-hundred-twenty-one in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.
Wayne published a helpful guide this week about viewing and recovering Wi-Fi passwords on Windows devices.
The costs of 2020: What have we learned about IT spending?
To say 2020 was a year of change is probably an understatement, and that’s no different for IT leaders. Pressure to optimize costs while simultaneously maintaining key operations to ensure survival (or even growth) has led to a lot of re-evaluation and, hopefully, reflection for the industry.
Technology now sits at the heart of almost every organization, but managing technology costs has become incredibly complex due to things like the flexibility of cloud, proliferation of the use of SaaS applications and increased investment in IT by business units outside of IT.
Run Windows apps on Linux with Wine 6.0
It used to be, people would scoff at the idea of switching to a Linux-based operating system due to a lack of software. While that is still true for some folks -- especially business users -- it is less of a concern these days. Why? Well, so many things are done through the web browser nowadays, lessening dependence on Windows software. For many consumers, just having the Google Chrome browser on, say, Ubuntu, is more than enough to accomplish their wants and needs. Not to mention, there are many quality Linux apps like GIMP and DaVinci Resolve.
But OK, lets say you really want to use a Linux-based operating system, but there's some Windows-only software that you absolutely cannot live without. Thankfully, you may still be able to ditch Windows and upgrade to something like Fedora or Linux Mint. How? Thanks to the excellent Wine. This compatibility layer (don't you dare call it an emulator), can sometimes enable you to run Windows software on Linux. Today, version 6.0 is released.
Samsung unveils the Galaxy S21 and S21+ -- its (more) affordable flagship devices
At this year’s Samsung Unpacked event, the South Korean tech giant introduced its latest S Series of flagship smartphones. The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ sport a new design, advanced processors, and upgraded cameras.
The Galaxy S21 has a light design and compact 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display (2400x1080, 421 ppi) with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, while the Galaxy S21+ sports an expanded 6.7-inch screen (2400x1080, 394 ppi) and larger battery.
Over 22 billion records exposed in breaches in 2020
From January through October 2020 there have 730 publicly disclosed events resulting in over 22 billion records exposed worldwide according to a new report from Tenable's Security Response Team (SRT).
Of breaches analyzed 35 percent were linked to ransomware attacks, resulting in major financial cost, while 14 percent of breaches were the result of email compromises.
Why testing is vital to securing modern enterprises [Q&A]
Security testing has gained in visibility in recent years and can undoubtedly help improve the security posture of a business.
But cybercriminals frequently shift tactics and develop new ideas, so testers can’t afford to stand still and must keep up with and anticipate trends.
Add Wi-Fi 6E to any desktop with the ASUS PCE-AXE58BT PCIe adapter
The Wi-Fi 6E revolution is upon us, and very soon, the market will be flooded with routers that utilize the new standard. If you aren't familiar, Wi-Fi 6E is notable for utilizing a 6GHz band. Of course, only Wi-Fi 6E devices can take advantage of this new technology, so not only will you need a router, but in the case of laptop and desktop computers, new Wi-Fi cards too.
While Wi-Fi 6E USB dongles are sure to hit the market eventually, desktop owners would be wise to instead opt for a PCIe card for maximum performance. Thankfully, at CES 2021, ASUS announced such a card and it looks incredible. Called "PCE-AXE58BT," it plugs into a PCIe 1x (or larger) slot and utilizes an external antenna base which, thanks to its cable, can be moved around for optimal placement. This is superior to cards that come with antennas that connect directly to the card.
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