Microsoft is showing ads for Edge in the Windows 10 Start menu if you search for rival browsers
Microsoft is certainly no stranger to using Windows 10 to promote its own software; there have been numerous instances of the company advertising products within the operating system.
Now, if you use the Start menu to search for a web browser such as Firefox or Chrome, you'll see an ad recommending Microsoft Edge. While with previous in-Windows ads there have been simple steps you can take to avoid or disable them, this time around it seems there is nothing you can do about it.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivers ‘You Will Prevail’ commencement speech to the Class of 2020 on YouTube
Graduation ceremonies and associated commencement speeches are generally very boring. Graduating students and their families sit through them out of obligation, but for the most part, no one really wants to be there. This year, because of COVID-19, these ceremonies are largely canceled across the USA. Even though people are acting upset about that, they are probably secretly happy — you know it is true.
With planned commencement speeches being scratched, many people are instead delivering them online to a wider audience — anyone that is willing to watch and/or listen. Today, Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivers a virtual commencement speech to the Class of 2020 on YouTube.
Microsoft is now pushing out Chromium-based Edge to all Windows 10 users
It is a while since Microsoft adopted the Chromium engine for the new version of Edge, and reception to the browser has been broadly positive.
Until now, Microsoft has given Windows 10 users the choice between whether they what to use the new Chromium-based Edge, or stick with the old legacy version. But now that's changing. The company is pushing out the browser via Windows Update to Windows 10 versions 1803, 1809, 1903, 1909, and 2004 -- and it is not possible to keep using old Edge, however much you want to.
Apple has a new open source project to help improve password security
Apple has launched a new open source project designed to promote collaboration between the developers of password management software to help improve security for users.
The Password Manager Resources project has been created to make it easier for the developers of password managers to work together to ensure interoperability with websites, and to create a better experience for users. The aim is to integrate the strong password generating capabilities of the iCloud Keychain platform into password management apps.
How to free up disk space after installing Windows 10 May 2020 Update
With Windows 10 May 2020 Update now available, many people are rushing to install it. We already know that the update contains various bugs and problems, but even if you've had a problem-free installation, you may be surprised at just how much disk space you've lost.
This is particularly true for anyone with an SSD, which tend to be smaller, but there are steps you can take to claim back this space and free up several gigabytes. Here's what you need to know.
More tech companies issue statements about George Floyd's death and the continuing protests
Obviously, unless you've just returned from hiking the Appalachian Trail, you know the current events in the world. If you haven’t been absent from society then the news has been hard to avoid.
Now two more tech companies have added their voices to the incident in Minneapolis that involved four law enforcement officers and one citizen, George Floyd, and resulted in his death. Protests, some peaceful others violent, have broken out in cities across the US, including in small towns not accustomed to such events. They have even somewhat spread to other parts of the world, including London and Paris.
Zoom isn't giving non-paying users end-to-end encryption because they could be criminals
Zoom's meteoric rise in popularity due to COVID-19 forcing more people to work from home led to a great deal of interest in the video conferencing tool's security and privacy. The lack of end-to-end encryption was a major concern for many users, but following the recent acquisition of Keybase, Zoom CEO Eric S Yuan said it would "help us build end-to-end encryption that can reach current Zoom scalability".
Well, end-to-end encryption is here. But only if you're a paying Zoom customer. Anyone using a free account is being left out in the cold. Why? Because, Yuan explains, "we also want to work together with FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose". Yuan is apparently of the impression that paying customers could not possibly be potential criminals.
Chromebook owners get Android versions of DOOM and DOOM II for free -- Here's how
Chromebooks are wonderful computers. In fact, the underlying Linux-based Chrome OS is arguably the most secure desktop operating system on the planet. Yes, it is more secure than Windows or macOS. If you have to access a website for banking information or other sensitive data, a Chromebook is probably the safest way to do so.
With all of that said, they aren't just good for surfing the web or education, but for fun stuff too. Not only can you enjoy streaming media on a Chromebook, but you can actually do some light gaming too -- thanks to Android support and the Google Play Store. Two classic games -- DOOM and DOOM II -- are on Play Store for $5 a piece, but if you own a Chromebook, you can get both for free!
Make the Windows Package Manager WinGet easier to use by adding a GUI
With the recent launch of WinGet, Microsoft brought a Linux-style package manager to Windows 10, making life easier for system administrators and anyone looking to automate software installation.
But while the Windows Package Manager is undoubtedly useful, it's also a little intimidating for many people. The command line driven tool can appear very off-putting, so why not add a graphical front end to make it more approachable? We show you how to create software installation scripts without having to use the command line.
How to schedule tweets from the Twitter website
While Twitter is used for sharing live news, real-time reactions and the like, it's also used for promotion -- and promotion means planning. There are numerous apps and services that you can turn to if you would like to be able to send a tweet at a date or time in the future, but now you can do it direct from the Twitter website.
The ability to tweet when you're not at your computer can be extremely useful, so here's what you need to know about scheduling tweets.
LibreOffice 7.0 Beta 1 arrives with ODF 1.3 document support
The Document Foundation has released the first public beta of its upcoming LibreOffice 7.0 office suite for Windows, Mac and Linux. Users are encouraged to download and test the software -- which installs alongside any existing production release -- ahead its final release, expected to be in August.
The new release doesn’t boast any major new features, but does update ODF support to 1.3, plus unveils improvements both major and minor to the suite’s major components -- in particular Writer.
IBM launches innovative encryption toolkit for MacOS and iOS
Usually files are encrypted while in storage or in transit but are decrypted in order to be used, providing a window of opportunity for hackers to access the information.
The technique of fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) solves this problem by allowing the manipulation of data by permissioned parties while it remains encrypted, therefore minimizing the time it exists in its most vulnerable state.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-eighty-nine 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.
The new feature update for Windows 10, version 2004, is rolling out slowly. You can check out the removed or deprecated features here, and find out what the "your device isn't quite ready" message means exactly.
SoftMaker Office 2021 is a genuinely viable alternative to Microsoft Office
We may only be halfway through 2020, but SoftMaker Office 2021 is already here. After a period of beta testing, the office suite is ready for a full release on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Available either as a one-off purchase or on a subscription, SoftMaker Office 2021 is pitched squarely as an alternative to Microsoft Office. The office suite makes bold claims about competing with Microsoft's famous suite of tools, but the claims that more than stand up to scrutiny. This is an impressive selection of programs that has much to offer.
Are cyber attacks really as advanced as we think? [Q&A]
When organizations suffer a cyberattack it's often described by them as 'advanced'. But just how good does an attack need to be to breach defenses?
We spoke to Matt Walmsley, head of EMEA marketing at threat detection and response platform Vectra to find out about the attack landscape, how most attacks aren't all that advanced at all, and how companies can better defend themselves.
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