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A few days ago, Eric S. Raymond (ESR), developer and writer, suggested that we're nearing the last phase of the desktop wars. The winner? Windows… running on Linux.  He's on to something. I've long thought that Microsoft was considering migrating the Windows interface to running on the Linux kernel. Why? Raymond argues that "WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) allows unmodified Linux binaries to run under Windows 10. No emulation, no shim layer, they just load and go." Indeed, you can run standard Linux programs now on WSL2 without any trouble.  That's because Linux is well on its way to becoming...

Starting next month, users trying to access certain websites will see IE refuse to load the URL and automatically open the site in Edge instead. This forced IE-to-Edge behavior is part of Microsoft's Internet Explorer deprecation plans. Microsoft has been gradually rolling out the feature for testing purposes for some Windows users since the release of Edge 84 this summer. However, with the release of Edge 87, scheduled for next month, Microsoft plans to enable the forced IE-to-Edge action for all IE users. At the core of this new feature is a new DLL file that Microsoft has been silently...

One question: Why Redmond, why? Ah, you need to meet developers wherever they are... Microsoft has delivered on its threat to inflict Chromium Edge on Linux. Completist tendencies aside, one would be forgiven for wondering, "Why?"Click to enlarge Edge on Linux had been lurking behind the bushes before its announcement at September's Build event. Indeed, Microsoft insiders had whispered to us that it had been running for a while, but booting it out of the door was not a top priority for the team. A good few months later and here we are: a Dev Channel version of Edge can...

Steady as she goes for Microsoft as Edge turns up and Start gets a buffing Good news for Windows fans, the October 2020 Update is here, for some people at least, and the known issues list isn't as bad as the last one.After lurking in the beta and release preview channel of the Windows Insider program for what seemed like an age, the Windows 10 October 2020 (aka 20H2) has arrived, bringing with it Microsoft's new Chromium-based Edge browser and, frankly, precious little else.The glorified update follows the pattern established in 2019, where a major update hit during the spring,...

Redmond urges folks to apply update ASAP – plus more fixes for Outlook and software from Adobe, Intel, SAP, Red Hat Patch Tuesday Microsoft's Update Tuesday patch dump for October 2020 has delivered security patches that attempt to address 87 CVEs for a dozen Redmond products.Nadella's security crew has identified 22 remote code execution (RCE) CVEs though the most worrisome looks like CVE-2020-16898, Windows TCP/IP RCE, which is rated 9.8 out 10 in severity. It affects Windows desktop and server systems.According to Microsoft, the Windows TCP/IP stack doesn't properly handle ICMPv6 Router Advertisement packets. Thus someone could send a vulnerable...

Don't worry, there are some useful features in the update too Microsoft has bequeathed new capabilities to both the released and the preview versions of Windows Terminal, a feature-laden alternative to the command prompt.It's the features that now appear in the released version that are most interesting. Windows Terminal – as found in the Microsoft Store – has reached version 1.2, with enhancements including focus mode, always on top, command palette and more. The preview version has been bumped to 1.3 with a new tab switcher, tab search, and some other tweaks.By default the Terminal offers much more than the...

Mozilla has been watching the user share of its flagship Firefox web browser shrink for a while, so it was hardly a surprise last week when the company announced it was doing some belt tightening that would result in another round of layoffs. What was a surprise were the numbers involved: The company is laying off about 250 employees, for a staff reduction of 25%, and is completely closing its operations in Taipei, Taiwan. In addition, 60 employees will be shifted to new jobs, and the company will reduce spending on such things as developer tools, internal tooling and platform...

The website of Notepad++ is banned in China as of Monday, “obviously due to” its release of editions named “Free Uyghur” and “Stand with Hong Kong,” the source code and text editor announced on Twitter.First released in 2003 by France-based developer Don Ho, free-to-use Notepad++ operates on Windows and supports some 90 languages. In his release notices for the two editions, Ho openly voiced his concerns over “human rights” conditions, respectively in the Xinjiang autonomous region and Hong Kong.Tests by TechCrunch found that the Notepad++ ban only applies to its Download page — which showcases the special editions and thus...

Microsoft’s services will drop support for IE11 in a year Microsoft will end support for Internet Explorer 11 across its Microsoft 365 apps and services next year. In exactly a year, on August 17th, 2021, Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported for Microsoft’s online services like Office 365, OneDrive, Outlook, and more. Microsoft is also ending support for Internet Explorer 11 with the Microsoft Teams web app later this year, with support ending on November 30th.While it’s still going to take some time to pry enterprise users of Internet Explorer 11 away, Microsoft is hoping that the new...

Also: Visual Studio Code update, new toys for Kubecon, and 25 years of the Start Button In brief While eyes were on its new phone, Microsoft slipped out a pair of updates to the Insider version of Windows 10.The Beta Channel (formerly known as the Slow Ring) received a round of security updates as well as a UWP authentication fix for the 20H2 release of the operating system (due at some point in the back half of 2020).The Dev Channel, however, received that most rare of gifts in the form of build 20190: an update with some properly in-your-face user...

This is a rather long video, but it covers a subject that is quite important. Learn about the Shadow Government

TECH PING? I have been fighting with MS OUTLOOK and cannot get my contacts to import from OUTLOOK 365 to OUTLOOK 2019 Staples told me tough luck it is a MS problem, Microsoft keeps ingnoring me. Last year I had a bad computer crash. I had to run to Staples and port everything over to one of their instock HPs (what a dog!) and they told me that the 365 version of office would be a better bet at 99 dollars a year since I wassnt planning to keep the computer Well I had to keep the compututer so I...

They're emphasizing their ability to suspend all services and accounts of any user who violates their MS Services Agreement. A rather lengthy list, but this statement caught my attention: "Don’t engage in activity that is harmful to you, the Services or others (e.g., transmitting viruses, stalking, posting terrorist or violent extremist content, communicating hate speech, or advocating violence against others). I wonder who gets to define the above? What, exactly, will they consider hate speech?

Genealogy websites have become increasingly popular in recent years. These platforms are able to scour the web in search of documents and archival data, which can help users build historically accurate family trees. There’s also another side to genealogy websites that has attracted attention from privacy advocates: DNA testing. Websites like Ancestry.com can use DNA testing to find matches, but the fact that these platforms store this information on their end means that hackers could try and steal it. Tap or click here to see how Ancestry.com suffered a huge data breach. Since genealogy websites collect so much data, their...

Microsoft is currently in talks buy the U.S. operations of hit video app TikTok, according to The New York Times. The report comes shortly after Bloomberg reported that President Donald Trump plans to order Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, to sell its stake in the app on Friday. According to pool reports, Trump told reporters, “We’re looking at TikTok, we may be banning TikTok.” Microsoft did not immediately respond to request made by Digital Trends. We will update this story when we hear back. In a statement to Digital Trends, TikTok declined to comment on “rumors or speculation.” “We...

This rusty ol’ internet of ours sure has a lot to offer, but man, oh man, can it be annoying to use. From ad-infested websites to autoplaying videos and an endless array of pop-up provocations, it’s a wonder anyone makes it through the day without going completely berserk. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. With a little fine-tuning and some carefully considered additions, surfing the web can actually become—dare I say it—almost pleasant. All it takes is about 10 minutes of your time, and your desktop browser will be loaded up, tricked out, and ready to give you...

Hackers used malicious Office 365 apps to gain access to customer accounts, which they later used to orchestrate BEC attacks. Microsoft has obtained a court order this month allowing the company to seize control of six domains that were used in phishing operations against Office 365 customers, including in campaigns that leveraged COVID-19 lures. According to court documents obtained by ZDNet, Microsoft has targeted a phishing group that has been targeting the company's customers since December 2019. The phishers operated by sending emails to companies that hosted email servers and enterprise infrastructure on Microsoft's Office 365 cloud service. The emails...

Microsoft seems to be getting a kick out seeing users struggle to find Windows 10 features these days. After moving the Fresh Start feature in the latest version, 2004, and reducing the number of days Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education users can manually delay updates, the company is now experimenting with moving key Control Panel features, including System information, to Settings, Windows Latest spotted. It’s a change that some long-time Windows users might not take to easily. If you’re like me and have been using the Control Panel for decades, getting accustomed to this feature will be as arduous...

A Google bombshell last week gave users a great reason to quit Windows 10. Now serious new problems mean millions of Gmail users might want to join them. Gmail’s spam filter is sending possibly perilous messages direct to users’ inboxes Reported by both Windows Latest and MSPowerUser, Gmail users are discovering that Microsoft’s Windows 10 built-in Mail client is deleting their emails and/or sending them to spam automatically.

Microsoft emits a fix for those fearful of Registry tinkering While Microsoft was showing off its new OneDrive toys, the company also slipped out a fix for brave souls running Windows 10 2004 and finding Files On-Demand a little borked.Issues have been rumbling for a few weeks now as users of the new OS began complaining that "OneDrive cannot connect to Windows", rendering the Files On-Demand feature, which pulls data down from the cloudy bit barn when needed, broken.Some found that a Registry tweak would bring the process back to life. Others continued to struggle.Microsoft pointed to devices or apps...