DefenderUI — Windows Defender is great, when turned on fully

FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

By Deanna McElveen

Microsoft’s first attempt at antivirus software was Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), released in 2009 to Windows XP and later to Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Then it was replaced by Windows Defender.

MSE was not great. It updated just three times a day. Although its 2009 certification from AV-TEST was a big win for Microsoft, the certification was lost in 2012. That’s probably because it tagged Google Chrome as a virus in 2011, a memorable day at our computer shop. To make things even worse, in 2013 it received the lowest score possible for an antivirus product. It wasn’t until 2018 that MSE was able to win a top score, with an 80% detection rate from AV-TEST.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.31.0, 2024-07-29).

Want to watch the Olympic coverage from other countries?

This is when your VPN use comes in handy. Want to watch bbc coverage?  Choose a UK based VPN and you can watch it here. Want to watch it direct from the hosting country of France? Change your VPN to France and watch it here.

So far the early reviews for the Opening ceremony was that it was … well…. weird.

I’m trying out the BBC coverage tonight because I find the folks on American shows just talk over everything and are slightly annoying.

What about you? Are you streaming the Olympics this year?

Mastering the art of screenshots

MICROSOFT 365

By Peter Deegan

We should all know how to capture screen images from our devices.

The ability to capture such images — screenshots — is built into nearly every computer, regardless of brand, size, or type. Screenshots are especially useful in support situations, in which one image of a problem or of a system’s error message is more helpful than a verbal description or a written explanation.

A picture is, quite literally, worth a thousand words.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.30.0, 2024-07-22).
This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

Powerful humanoid robots will take all blue-collar jobs

PUBLIC DEFENDER

By Brian Livingston

The day when robots in human-like forms take over most unskilled jobs has arrived sooner than you may have thought possible.

Robotics experts are agog over new artificial beings that appear to move about by themselves, learn skills by imitating humans, and are cheaper to employ than human workers by an order of magnitude.

A company based in Shenzhen, China — Astribot Inc. — has sparked awe and wonder through the release of a video that shows a remarkable new mechanical servant. Known as the S1 robot, it demonstrates skills beyond the capabilities of most human beings you probably know.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.30.0, 2024-07-22).

ARM is really important for Windows 11

WINDOWS 11

By Mary Branscombe

Microsoft is pushing people to Windows 11 to get AI features. Today, that means Windows 11 on ARM — even though the AI isn’t ready yet.

When Microsoft announced the generative AI features in Windows 11 that Satya Nadella claimed would change the whole PC experience, the first thing that struck me about Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs was how very far Windows on ARM has come. The new flagship devices that will run controversial, premium new Windows features such as Recall — and are supposed to make us think of Microsoft as “the AI company” rather than “the Windows company” — are, at least initially, powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors. Those are ARM architectures.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.30.0, 2024-07-22).

The resources you need for a secure computer

ON SECURITY

By Susan Bradley

With over a year left before Windows 10 stops being supported in its current fashion, are you reviewing its health and well-being?

Just the other day, I came across a home computer that was not a happy camper. Its C (boot) drive was too full. Upon review, I found that it also had a D drive with room for data, so I went into storage settings and moved 30GB of photos from the pictures folder to the D drive.

Why was this important? Because the PC was not installing updates. Clearing out space on the C drive provided the room for updates, and soon the PC was acting normally. Now we can wait to see how it responds to the constant pull of AI — and decide its future later, perhaps next year.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.30.0, 2024-07-22).

Bad antivirus definition triggers shutdowns

By Susan Bradley

It was a really bad day for IT admins.

Late Thursday night, the security protection company CrowdStrike sent a bad antivirus definition file to its entire customer base. Because this faulty data file inserts itself into the Windows kernel, Windows does what it was designed to do — it goes directly to the blue screen of death (BSOD).

Most of us can rest easy. CrowdStrike is not a product for the consumer or for a very small business. It’s an enterprise product, and thus its impact was widely seen in very large companies, triggering service interruptions for airlines, banks, healthcare providers — worldwide.

Read the full Plus Alert (21.29.1, 2024-07-20).

AutoAudioRecorder — Record any audio playing on your PC

FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

By Deanna McElveen

My daughters made a video of themselves singing a song they’d created when they were little. I wanted to grab the audio from it for a family project. Free software to the rescue!

AutoAudioRecorder by AutoClose was exactly what I needed for my own purposes, but it has so many neat abilities that I decided to share it with you as well.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.29.0, 2024-07-15).
This story also appears in our public Newsletter.