Apple reveals iOS 14 -- here's what's new
Apple's WWDC 2020 event was held virtually, open to everyone around the world to view for free. Among the many announcements to come from the event was iOS 14 -- and there's a lot to look forward to for iPhone owners.
What can you expect? Major improvements and changes are being introduced to the home screen and the way app pages work, and widgets are getting a serious overhaul. Siri sees a number of improvements, as does messaging. There's also an entire new type of apps called App Clips. Let's take a closer look.
Adobe Flash Player dies this year and you'll be told to uninstall it
Adobe Flash Player has been a blight on the internet for more years than most people care to think about, but its days are finally numbered.
We've known for a number of years that the software is reaching end of life (EOL) at the end of this year, and Adobe will stop distributing it after this date. But Adobe is going further, and will soon start to prompt people to uninstall Flash Player from their computers.
How to deregister your phone number from Google RCS chat
With absolutely zero fanfare, Google has rolled out a system that lets you turn off RCS chat features to help avoid problems such as missing messages.
The simple form that has appeared online is very similar to the one used by Apple. The online system can be used even if you do not have your previous phone with you, so you can deregister your phone number from your computer.
How to watch Apple's virtual WWDC 2020 for free -- iOS 14 and new hardware expected
Later today, Apple will host its first virtual Worldwide Developers Conference. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, WWDC 2020 is an online-only event, and you can tune in to see all of the new announcements.
Things kick off at 10:00 AM PDT with a special event keynote speech from company CEO Tim Cook. As ever, we don't know for sure what will be revealed at the event, but we can expect to learn about iOS 14, WatchOS 7 and macOS 10.16, as well a new hardware including Arm-based Macs.
Microsoft pushes new Edge browser to Windows 8 and the unsupported Windows 7
Having already started to push the Chromium-based version of Edge to Windows 10 users, Microsoft is now doing the same for older versions of Windows.
With the KB4567409 update, Microsoft is bringing the new version of Edge not only to people who are still using Windows 8.1, but also those who are still on Windows 7 -- which is interesting because Windows 7 is no longer supported.
Microsoft releases Windows Terminal Preview 1.1 and it's packed with new features
It's only a month since Microsoft released the first completed version of Windows Terminal and just a week since the company published its roadmap for Terminal 2.0. Starting the journey towards version 2, a preview version Windows Terminal 1.1 is now available.
While this is only a x.1 version increase, Microsoft has actually added quite a lot to the utility with this update. In keeping with Microsoft's release schedule, assuming no problems crop up, all of the features found in this preview release will migrate to the main release version next month. So what is there to look forward to? Highlights include the ability to rename tabs, and support for a new batch of command line arguments.
Microsoft issues another (potentially problematic) fix for printer problems in Windows 10
Two recent updates for Windows 10 introduced printer problems for some users. After investigating the issues caused by KB4560960 and KB4557957, the company issued an out-of-band update for some versions of Windows 10.
Now the company has issued another update for the problem, this time for people who have Windows 10 version 2004 -- or Window 10 May 2020 Update. While this patch may fix printing problems, Microsoft warns that it may introduce problems of its own.
Facebook removes Nazi Trump ads while Twitter flags up 'racist baby' tweet
The Trump administration has been dealt a double blow on social media after Twitter flagged a tweet from the president as "manipulated media" and Facebook remove election ads that featured a Nazi symbol and called for Antifa to be declared a terrorist organization.
On Twitter, Trump retweeted a video labelled as depicting a "racist baby" and made to look like a CNN news clip. In the case of Facebook, an ad that violated the company's policies against organized hate was taken down.
Zoom relents and agrees to give free users end-to-end encryption
When video conferencing company Zoom acquired Keybase, there was a great deal of excitement about the impending arrival of the much-needed end-to-end encryption. But then there was disappointment when it was announced that only paying customers would be granted access to the extra security feature.
Zoom CEO Eric S Yuan said at the time that free customers were not getting end-to-end encryption "in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose" -- something many users found insulting. But now the company has backtracked, announcing that users of free accounts will in fact get end-to-end encryption... but there is a slight catch.
Microsoft issues advice for people with Storage Spaces problems in Windows 10 May 2020 Update
If you thought the problems associated with upgrading to Windows 10 May 2020 Update were over, think again. Microsoft has acknowledged an issue with some Storage Spaces configurations with Windows 10 and Windows Server version 2004 installed.
Microsoft says that some users may experience problems accessing Storage Spaces, and warns that partitions may show up in Disk Manager in RAW format. There is an important warning for anyone affected by the issue, as well as some advice about what steps to take.
Google teams up with Parallels to allow Chromebooks to run Windows apps
Initially derided as a limited modern take on netbooks, Chromebooks have gathered loyal followers over the years as app support grows. In addition to web apps, there is also support for Android and Linux apps, but Chromebook owners have long dreamed of the day they can run Windows software.
Thanks to a partnership between Google and virtualization specialist Parallels it will not be too long before Windows apps in Chrome OS becomes a reality. The bad news is that there is a slight caveat.
Microsoft releases off-schedule patch for printing problems in Windows 10
As we reported a few days ago, two recent Windows 10 updates started to cause problems with printing for many users. Following an investigation into the KB4560960 and KB4557957 updates, Microsoft has now released an out-of-band update to address the issues.
For now, Microsoft has published patches for versions 1909, 1903, 1809 and 1803 of Windows 10 with the promise that "other affected versions of Windows will have updates released in the coming days".
In Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Microsoft has moved the Fresh Start recovery tool
Windows 10 has always had a number of recovery options for when the time comes to reinstall the operating system. One of these is called Fresh Start, which gives you the option of reinstalling Windows 10 while retaining files and some settings and apps.
In Windows 10 May 2020 Update (Windows 10 version 2004), this handy recovery tool seems to have vanished. In fact, Microsoft has even updated its support pages to indicate that Fresh Start is only available in Windows 10 version 1909 and earlier. But the functionality of Fresh Start is still available -- you just need to know where to look.
How to stop PowerToys complaining about other applications running in administrator mode
The Windows 10 version of PowerToys has been available as a preview for a little while now, and Microsoft is gradually adding more and more handy utilities to it.
But something you may have noticed recently is the appearance of an error message when running certain apps or commands as administrator. Run an app with elevated privileges, and you may see a message that reads: "We've detected an application running with administrator privileges. This blocks some functionality in PowerToys". Here's what's going on and how to fix it.
Microsoft is looking into why Edge is running at startup for some users
Microsoft has acknowledged a problem with Microsoft Edge that sees the browser launching automatically when Windows starts.
For some users, Edge is running at startup regardless of whether it has been explicitly configured to do so. At the moment it is not clear what is causing the issue, and Microsoft is looking for help gathering information about what is going on.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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