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Browsers: Google Chrome | Opera | Safari | Firefox / Google Issues ‘Critical’ Chrome Update For All Windows Users

« Last post by javajolt on April 27, 2024, 05:07:37 PM »

If you are a Windows user with Chrome installed on your PC, then this latest warning will impact you—you must update your browser as soon as you can…

Another critical Chrome update has just been issuedNURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

Another Chrome security update has just been issued, with the Stable channel updated to 124.0.6367.78/.79. This release includes a critical fix to the underlying graphics engine of the type that has allowed attackers to execute code on target machines in the past—albeit no news yet as to any exploitation this time around.

The update also includes two high-severity memory fixes—the kind typically seen in such updates. Google has acknowledged that such memory vulnerabilities in its core engine are the most frequently discovered and exploited. As usual, there is no further information “until a majority of users are updated with a fix.”

Given that Google has designated the first fix—essentially a vulnerability to potential code manipulation—as critical, it seems highly likely it’s a credible threat. And once the fix becomes public, users must update as soon as they can—the clock is ticking for any exploitation.

Usually, a critical fix might have been the biggest Chrome news of the week, but not this time. The other news is that the death of Chrome’s dreaded tracking cookies has been delayed once again—this time into early 2025, at least.

The issue is Google’s need to balance the privacy of its users with the seemingly fair treatment of its advertisers, especially when it essentially plays both gamekeeper (as owner of the browser) and poacher (as the world’s largest ad machine).

“We recognize that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers,” Google said in a post mid-week, “and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem.”

That’s a critical update of an entirely different kind.

The update comes as Google’s ongoing engagement with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) tries to carve a path through this messy situation. “We will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4,” Google confirmed. “Assuming we can reach an agreement, we envision proceeding with third-party cookie deprecation starting early next year.”

Google is in something of a bind here, given its unique role in the industry. As web users become ever more privacy savvy, the gap between where Chrome is today and Apple’s Safari remains too wide. Chrome is an excellent browser, and its users rightly want to see it line up more closely with the alternatives.

Google seems to agree—notwithstanding its awkward Incognito Mode stumble—but it needs to find a compromise that doesn’t kill its ad model as well as those cookies.

Meanwhile, the bigger open question is around AI, of course, and just what this will mean for browser searching and advertising in the coming years. All told, by the time these cookies finally disappear, we may be in new territory anyway.

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Microsoft / Microsoft Warns Windows Users Of Ongoing Russian Hack Attack

« Last post by javajolt on April 27, 2024, 09:58:01 AM »

Microsoft says Russian hackers exploiting Windows print spooler vulnerabilityNURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

Researchers at Microsoft Threat Intelligence have issued a warning that Russian state-sponsored hackers have been targeting Windows users with a custom tool used to steal credentials and even install backdoors.

APT28 Fancy Bear Hackers Behind Newly Reported Windows Attacks

The hackers, more commonly identified as APT28 or Fancy Bear but tracked by Microsoft as Forest Blizzard, are known to be affiliated with Military Unit 26165, which is part of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.

Microsoft said that it has seen Forest Blizzard/APT 28 using the post-exploitation tool, dubbed GooseEgg, against government, education, and transport sector organizations in the U.S., Western Europe, and Ukraine. “Forest Blizzard primarily focuses on strategic intelligence targets,” Microsoft said. It would appear, the Microsoft intelligence analysts said, that APT28 has been using GooseEgg since at least June 2020 and quite possibly as early as April 2019.

Unpatched Windows Vulnerabilities Lay A Golden Exploit Egg

What, in essence, appears to be a relatively simple launcher application, GooseEgg, is actually a very dangerous tool in the hands of attackers who are exploiting a long-since patched vulnerability in the Windows Print Spooler service. The vulnerability in question, CVE-2022-38028, was fixed as part of the October 2022 Patch Tuesday rollout, having been first reported by the National Security Agency. GooseEgg exploits an unpatched vulnerability by “modifying a JavaScript constraints file and executing it with SYSTEM-level permissions,” Microsoft said. The extent to which GooseEgg can aid the Russian hackers was laid bare by the Microsoft Threat Intelligence report: “GooseEgg is capable of spawning other applications specified at the command line with elevated permissions, allowing threat actors to support any follow-on objectives such as remote code execution, installing a backdoor, and moving laterally through compromised networks.”

How To Mitigate The GooseEgg Attacks

Once again, this active cyber-espionage campaign by state-sponsored hackers highlights the importance of patching vulnerabilities as soon as possible. In addition to the CVE-2022-38028 Windows Print Spooler vulnerability, GooseEgg can also be used alongside exploits for PrintNightmare, which was first disclosed in 2021. Additional vulnerabilities known to have been targeted by the APT28 hackers include CVE-2023-23397, CVE-2021-34527 and CVE-2021-1675.

Microsoft urges organizations and users to apply the CVE-2022-38028 security update to mitigate this attack. It notes that Microsoft Defender Antivirus detects the specific Forest Blizzard capability as HackTool:Win64/GooseEgg.

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Patents, Software Patents, Patent applications / Microsoft files patent for a system that may help you get viral on social media

« Last post by javajolt on April 26, 2024, 04:49:05 PM »

Here's how

USPTO, the patent agency from the US government, has recently published a patent application from Microsoft that describes a system of tailored social media notifications based on engagement.

So, in other words, the Redmond company is developing a system for social media apps to send notifications, but they’re customized based on whether the receiver engages with the poster’s content a lot. The 22-page document‘s publication date is dated April 23, 2024, although Microsoft initially filed for it back in December 2022.

But what does it do? Well, when you follow people on social media apps, like Instagram, X, and YouTube for example, you can opt to get notified on their latest Insta post, tweet, or long video. This system is deemed as outdated because, truth be told, not everyone clicks on all of these “new post” notifications.

Microsoft wants to eliminate that. Even though you’ve followed or subscribed to these accounts, this system will only send you these notifications if you’re engaged with their content a lot (click, like, watch, etc.). Other than that, it will only send you occasional notifications. So, if you’re a content creator, you can use this information to create content that your audience likes a lot, lot better.

This method uses a “scoring system” called rAffinity, which measures how likely a content creator is to interact with a notification when a viewer engages with their content. It then guides content recommendations for content creators so that they know which content gets the most engagement.

It’s somewhat similar to what YouTube does by letting you get “all” or “personalized” notifications, but the difference is, that it’s the system itself that decides on the intensity of these notifications.

The USPTO has granted Microsoft this patent, just like the patent for a system that makes Bing’s reverse image search smarter, so we might see it in action soon. But it’s best to take this with a grain of salt: since most big social media apps aren’t Microsoft’s, except LinkedIn and Skype, they might have to work with other companies.

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Patch Tuesday| Updates | Security | Privacy | Anti-virus / New Brokewell malware takes over Android devices, steals data

« Last post by javajolt on April 25, 2024, 07:47:24 PM »

Security researchers have discovered a new Android banking trojan they named Brokewell that can capture every event on the device, from touches and information displayed to text input and the applications the user launches.

The malware is delivered through a fake Google Chrome update that is shown while using the web browser. Brokewell is under active development and features a mix of extensive device takeover and remote control capabilities.

Brokewell details

Researchers at fraud risk company ThreatFabric found Brokewell after investigating a fake Chrome update page that dropped a payload, a common method for tricking unsuspecting users into installing malware.

Legitimate (left) and fake (right) Chrome update pages ThreatFabric

Looking at past campaigns, the researchers found that Brokewell had been used before to target "buy now, pay later" financial services (e.g. Klarna) and masquerading as an Austrian digital authentication application called ID Austria.

APKs used for distributing Brokewell ThreatFabric

Brokewell's main capabilities are to steal data and offer remote control to attackers.

Data stealing:

• Mimics the login screens of targeted applications to steal credentials (overlay attacks).

• Uses its own WebView to intercept and extract cookies after a user logs into a legitimate site.

• Captures the victim's interaction with the device, including taps, swipes, and text inputs, to steal sensitive data displayed or entered on the device.

• Gathers hardware and software details about the device.

• Retrieves the call logs.

• Determines the physical location of the device.

• Captures audio using the device's microphone.

Stealing the victim's credentials ThreatFabric

Device takeover:

• Allows the attacker to see the device's screen in real-time (screen streaming).

• Executes touch and swipe gestures remotely on the infected device.

• Allows remote clicking on specified screen elements or coordinates.

• Enables remote scrolling within elements and typing text into specified fields.

• Simulates physical button presses like Back, Home, and Recents.

• Activates the device's screen remotely to make any info available for capture.

• Adjusts settings like brightness and volume down to zero.

New threat actor and loader

ThreatFabric reports that the developer behind Brokewell is an individual calling themselves Baron Samedit, who for at least two years had been selling tools for checking stolen accounts.

Tools sold on the threat actor's website ThreatFabric

The researchers discovered another tool called "Brokewell Android Loader," also developed by Samedit. The tool was hosted on one of the servers acting as command and control server for Brokewell and it is used by multiple cybercriminals.

Interestingly, this loader can bypass the restrictions Google introduced in Android 13 and later to prevent abuse of Accessibility Service for side-loaded apps (APKs).

This bypass has been an issue since mid-2022 and became a bigger problem in late 2023 with the availability of dropper-as-a-service (DaaS) operations offering it as part of their service, as well as malware incorporating the techniques into their custom loaders.

As highlighted with Brokewell, loaders that bypass restrictions to prevent granting Accessibility Service access to APKs downloaded from shady sources have now become common and widely deployed in the wild.

Security researchers warn that device takeover capabilities such as those avaialble in the Brokewell banker for Android are in high demand among cybercriminals because it allows them to perform the fraud from the victim's device, thus evading fraud evaluation and detection tools.

They expect Brokewell to be further developed and offered to other cybercriminals on underground forums as part of a malware-as-a-service (MaaS) operation.

To protect yourself from Android malware infections, avoid downloading apps or app updates from outside Google Play and ensure that Play Protect is active on your device at all times.

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Linux, gOS, Harmony OS, Moblin, Ubuntu, OpenSuse / Meta’s massive OS announcement is more exciting than a Meta Quest 4 reveal

« Last post by javajolt on April 25, 2024, 07:17:50 PM »

(Image credit: Meta)

Meta has announced that its Meta Horizon OS will no longer be exclusive to its Quest headsets (such as the incredible Meta Quest 3), and this might be the most important news we’ll see in the XR space this decade.

It’s an announcement I’ve been expecting for years – for reasons I’ll outline below – but the short version is Meta has started to turn its Horizon OS into the Windows of the spatial computing era; it’s even complete with a rival Apple OS (the Apple Vision Pro’s VisionOS) and a dash of irony given one of the first three non-Quest systems will be Xbox branded (Xbox is Microsoft’s gaming department for those not in the know).

This means big things for us users, hardware makers, and VR game and app creators alike. But while this announcement is likely bigger than any Quest hardware announcement Meta could make – like a Meta Quest Pro 2 or Meta Quest 3 Lite reveal – it might end up being a double-edged sword.

Windows, Android, Meta Horizon OS

To get you up to speed, a Meta blog post has revealed that three third-party companies are working on devices built using Meta Horizon OS. Those are ASUS, Lenovo and the aforementioned Xbox.

From this announcement alone it sounds like we’re getting three very different pieces of hardware, with a “performance gaming headset,” “mixed reality devices for productivity,” and a more Quest-like headset being promised by the three companies respectively.

For me, this is the best thing about Horizon OS being opened up to third-parties: hardware diversity. Rather than having to put up with the two Quest types – which are the regular budget-friendly line, and the high-end, productivity-centric Pro line – other brands can explore different types of headsets to suit a broader range of needs while still offering access to the Horizon OS: the best standalone XR headset OS.

I say that because of Horizon OS’ amazing selection of virtual and mixed reality games and apps, as well as its solid feature set, and its general ease of use. Compared to others I’ve tried from the likes of HTC and Pico, Horizon OS is a clear cut above.

Take your Quest 3 games with you to other headsets (Image credit: Meta)

There’s also an advantage in the form of you now getting a cross-hardware library. Currently, if you want to transition to a new VR headset from a different brand you’ve previously had to say goodbye to your game and app collection.

Now, if you pick up a Quest headset and decide you want to get a more specialist gaming machine you could opt for Asus’s upcoming high-end VR gaming hardware without the risk of losing your digital library – instead, you can kickstart your new gaming experience with a whole suite of your favorite titles.

It also makes it easier for VR software creators to get their apps into more players’ hands. Rather than having to devote resources to several different OS’, they can build one Horizon OS build that can be enjoyed by a huge selection of players across a range of different devices – similar to how one Android app can be downloaded on a whole host of different phones.

This Horizon OS announcement feels like a big win for VR accessibility, and giving people access to the hardware they actually crave rather than forcing them to make do with what’s out there.

But why is Meta sharing its OS after years of exclusivity?

Cash is king

Well, the short answer is money, and while I’m not personally invested in Meta’s financial performance (and I expect many of you aren’t either) Quest users do have a reason for caring about the profitability of Meta’s Reality Labs division.

It’s an open secret that Reality Labs has been hemorrhaging cash. In the most recent earnings report at the time of writing, Meta said its Reality Labs had an operating loss of $4.65 billion (via CNBC) – and in total it’s lost over $42 billion since the end of 2020 which is when figures became publicly available.

Its AI smart glasses could be Meta's focus unless things improve (Image credit: Meta)

While Mark Zuckerberg, and Meta executives seem to have faith that virtual reality is the future – and appear to be banking on these current losses turning into profits and market domination down the line – there’s only so long that shareholders will be content with the poor performance of some Meta divisions hampering the dividends they receive.

Combine that with AI and other seemingly more profitable ventures rearing their heads, there’s a non-zero chance that Meta could scale back Reality Lab’s XR development, or even scrap it altogether to focus funds in other areas – which would kill Quest hardware and the metaverse for good.

By licensing its Horizon OS to other companies for a fee, Meta and Reality Labs can start to scale back these losses – buying the division more time in the eyes of shareholders and keeping Quest hardware alive for a little longer.

Obviously, it’s yet to be seen if this tactic will work. It could backfire and kill Quest anyway if a different hardware uses Horizon OS with a more exciting piece of VR hardware, but frankly, that's a Meta issue – if we’re getting great VR headsets, who cares who’s making them?

However, that’s not to say Meta’s Horizon OS sharing won’t backfire for us in other ways.

The ugly side

Do we want a ‘Windows’ of the XR space?

Windows is one of the most – if not the most – despised pieces of software out there. Just look at our Windows 11 coverage and you’ll see article after article complaining about issues with the software. And Windows issues have existed for generations of the OS, yet we keep buying Windows machines – as of March 2024, 72.52% of desktop computers and laptops use Windows.

Windows 11 is bad, but what's the alternative? (Image credit: Microsoft)

Because what’s the alternative?

Sure you could jump ship to MacOS but it’s not perfect itself with its own occasional bugs, pricey hardware, and inability to run lots of popular software. Chrome OS also runs into those same software incompatibility issues, and others like Linux and Ubuntu are far from approachable if you’re not tech-savvy.

The lack of competition brought about by Windows’ domination has undoubtedly played a part in the OS’ problems and a general lack of truly exciting innovation in the computer OS space. As more and more hardware makers partner with Meta, we might see Horizon OS adopt this ugly side of Windows.

Apple’s Vision Pro, the Samsung XR headset (which I expect Google to handle the OS side of things for given it's announced as an official partner for the headset), and HTC’s standalone VR devices are just some of the brands that should serve as competition to Horizon OS – not to mention PC VR hardware from the likes of Pimax and others – and hopefully they’ll help to keep things exciting.

But only time will tell if Meta will follow Microsoft's Windows and mimic its issues, or dodge its failings.

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Office Builds |Office 2021| Office 2019 / Microsoft reminder: Support for Office 2016 and 2019 ends next year

« Last post by javajolt on April 25, 2024, 07:02:02 PM »

Older versions of Office apps and servers will no longer get security updates as of October 2025 — when Windows 10 also reaches end of support.

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft is reminding customers that support for its Office 2016 and Office 2019 suites and related productivity servers will end on Oct. 14, 2025.

Microsoft issued a reminder this week that applications in the two Office suites — including versions of Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and others — will no longer receive security fixes, bug fixes, and technical updates after the support date passes.

That’s also true for Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, as well as Skype for Business Server 2015 and 2019, Microsoft said in a blog post Monday (Oct. 14, 2025 also happens to be the same date for Windows 10 support to end.)

Using these products after the end of support leaves business users vulnerable to “potential security threats, productivity losses, and compliance issues,” said Mariana Prudencio, senior product marketing manager at Microsoft.

Not surprisingly, the company is pushing customers to cloud-based options. Microsoft recommends customers update to cloud-hosted versions of the software such as Microsoft 365 E3. Another option for Office 2016 and 2019 users is the Office Long-Term Servicing Channel, Microsoft said, which extends support into 2026.

Those who want to continue running the Exchange Server on-premises are advised to prepare to migrate to the upcoming Exchange Server slated to arrive in 2025 before the end of the support date. Microsoft recommends customers move to Exchange Server 2019 to ease this transition.

Businesses should be particularly wary of the looming end of support for Exchange servers, said Jack Gold, founder and principal analyst at J. Gold Associates.

A lack of security updates would expose them to “a lot of risk,” he said, “since a large portion of threats are targeted against email and email servers, and stolen identities pose a big risk here.” Businesses that continue to run Exchange on-prem tend to be smaller, so it might be more difficult or costly for them to migrate, said Gold.

“The larger companies have mostly migrated to online already,” he said.

End of support for the Office suites, on the other hand, is less problematic, said Gold, particularly for small business users. While security updates are important, smaller firms tend to run third-party antivirus and other security tools that can mitigate many potential threats.

Some smaller businesses will look to migrate to Microsoft’s cloud-based Office apps, but many will opt to remain on the outdated versions past the support date and update the software in line with upgrades of other equipment.

“And it is still possible to buy a standalone Office suite if you do not need back-end servers, as many smaller businesses don’t require, so you can update that way,” said Gold.

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Huawei / China's Huawei launches new software brand for intelligent driving

« Last post by javajolt on April 25, 2024, 06:46:52 PM »

A logo for Huawei is seen during the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe hosted by the Cloud Native
Computing Foundation (CNCF) in Paris, France, March 20, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

Chinese tech company Huawei unveiled on Wednesday a new software brand for intelligent driving, marking its latest push to become a major player in the electric vehicle industry.
The new brand Qiankun, symbolizing a combination of heaven and the Kunlun Mountains, plans to provide self-driving systems involving the driving chassis, audio, and driver's seat, Jin Yuzhi, CEO of Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solution (IAS) business unit, said during an event ahead of the Beijing auto show.

"2024 will be the first year for mass commercialisation of smart driving and the cumulative number of cars on road equipped with the Huawei self-driving system will top 500,000 by the year-end," Jin said.
He also expected within a year more than 10 car models adopting Huawei’s Qiankun system would hit the market.
The Shenzhen-based tech conglomerate launched its smart car unit in 2019 with the aim that it could become the equivalent of German automotive supplier Bosch of the intelligent EV era and supply software and components to partners.

Huawei said in November that the unit would be spun off into a new company that would receive the unit's core technologies and resources and take investment from partners such as automaker Changan Auto (000625.SZ), opening a new tab.
It has also unveiled seven EV models in partnership with Chinese automakers so far and they are selling well, Jin said.
They include three Aito brand models under a partnership with Seres, the Luxeed S7 sedan co-developed with Chery (CHERY.UL), two models with Changan Auto-backed Avatr, and one with Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC)-owned Arcfox.

On Tuesday, Huawei also unveiled the S9 sedan, the first model under the premium Stelato brand it launched with BAIC.
Its diversification into EVs comes amid an intensifying price war in the world's largest auto market, which is grappling with slowing sales momentum and deepening overcapacity concerns as more than 40 brands vie for consumer attention.
Earlier this month, Huawei-backed Aito offered discounts of up to 20,000 yuan ($2,760) on its new M7 SUVs until the end of April.

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Office Builds |Office 2021| Office 2019 / Office LTSC 2024, gets you Office without a subscription, is here in preview

« Last post by javajolt on April 24, 2024, 06:06:12 PM »

Microsoft Office

What you need to know

• Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 is now available in preview for commercial customers using Windows or macOS.

• Office LTSC provides access to Office applications, Microsoft Project Professional 2024, and Microsoft Viso Professional 2024.

• Cloud-based capabilities, such as real-time collaboration, AI automation, and cloud-backed security are not available with Office LTSC 2024.

• Office LTSC 2024 is intended for devices that need to stay "locked in time" or that cannot receive updates, such as medical
equipment or devices on manufacturing floors.

Microsoft Office Long-Term Servicing Channel 2024 (Office LTSC 2024) just entered preview for commercial customers on Windows or macOS. Office LTSC 2024 provides a perpetual license to use Office applications and a variety of other tools without requiring a subscription. This commercial preview gives organizations a chance to test the latest version of Office that will run on a range of specialized devices.

Generally speaking, Office LTSC 2024 is for devices that either cannot or will not receive updates for several years. In many cases, organizations need to set a device up once and then have it run without updates for extended periods of time. Medical equipment, manufacturing floor devices, and regulated machines are among the most common pieces of hardware that run Office LTSC.

Office LTSC 2024 provides access to Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It also has new features when compared to the previous version of Office LTSC. The new version of Office LTSC has new meeting options in Outlook, several new Excel features, and improved security, performance, and accessibility. Microsoft outlined the new features and improvements in Office LTSC 2024 earlier this year.

Unlike previous versions of Office LTSC, Office LTSC 2024 will not include Microsoft Publisher, which is being retired. Microsoft Teams is not included either, as that is now available to download separately.

Microsoft emphasized several times that Microsoft 365 still provides the best experience for those who need cloud-based features. Real-time collaboration, AI-driven automation in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and cloud-backed security all require Microsoft 365. You also need Microsoft 365 to be able to subscribe to Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Office LTSC 2024 vs Microsoft 365

Office 365 on Razer laptop

If you're looking for the best price for Microsoft 365, there are often deals on the subscription. Office LTSC takes a different approach. Rather than a monthly or annual subscription, Office LTSC provides a perpetual license that receives security updates and is supported for five years. But Office LTSC isn't intended for cost-cutting. Instead, it's designed for devices that need to remain "locked in time" or that can't receive updates for a variety of reasons.

For example, a company likely would not want a medical device to be affected by a software update to an Office application. Office LTSC prevents that from being a risk since medical devices run embedded apps and need to stay locked in time. Regulated devices that cannot accept feature updates for multiple years also benefit from the setup of Office LTSC.

The version of Office LTSC that's now in preview is for commercial customers, not home use. Microsoft will announce a consumer version of a perpetual office license later this year. Office 2021 is the most recent consumer version of a perpetual Office license.

Microsoft 365 and Office LTSC 2024 don't compete with each other, at least not directly. That's especially true for the commercial version of Office LTSC 2024, which is intended for regulated devices and hardware that won't receive updates or that could be negatively affected by a change in software through an update.

"Microsoft 365 continues to deliver the most secure, productive, and cost-effective Office experience, and positions customers to unlock the transformative power of AI with Microsoft Copilot," explains Microsoft.

"And with device-based licensing and extended offline access, Microsoft 365 offers deployment options for scenarios like computer labs and submarines that require a solution other than a user-based, always-online service. However, Office LTSC 2024 will be a valuable upgrade for customers who need to keep their Office apps on-premises. "

Microsoft 365 is for those who need the latest features, apps, and services from Microsoft and that rely on cloud-based features. Office LTSC 2024 is for a different audience.

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Windows 11 / Windows 11 Start menu ads are now rolling out to everyone

« Last post by javajolt on April 24, 2024, 05:46:04 PM »

The app recommendations in the Windows 11 Start menu. Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is starting to enable ads inside the Start menu on Windows 11 for all users. After testing these briefly with Windows Insiders earlier this month, Microsoft has started to distribute update KB5036980 to Windows 11 users this week, which includes “recommendations” for apps from the Microsoft Store in the Start menu.

“The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps,” says Microsoft in the update notes of its latest public Windows 11 release. “These apps come from a small set of curated developers.” The ads are designed to help Windows 11 users discover more apps, but will largely benefit the developers that Microsoft is trying to tempt into building more Windows apps.

Microsoft only started testing these ads two weeks ago, so it’s surprising to see this “feature” progress from the Beta Channel to release in such a short period of time. At the time of initial testing I mentioned Microsoft “could decide to ditch these ads” if there was enough feedback that suggested they weren’t popular, but two weeks of feedback certainly isn’t long enough to determine that.

Luckily you can disable these ads, or “recommendations” as Microsoft calls them. If you’ve installed the latest KB5036980 update then head into Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.” While KB5036980 is optional right now, Microsoft will push this to all Windows 11 machines in the coming weeks.

Microsoft’s move to enable ads in the Windows 11 Start menu follows similar promotional spots in the Windows 10 lock screen and Start menu. Microsoft also started testing ads inside the File Explorer of Windows 11 last year before disabling the experiment and saying the test was “not intended to be published externally.” Hopefully, that experiment remains very much an experiment.

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Linux, gOS, Harmony OS, Moblin, Ubuntu, OpenSuse / RebornOS is a beautiful, user-friendly take on Arch Linux with desktop options

« Last post by javajolt on April 24, 2024, 05:24:27 PM »

RebornOS is built by a team of developers, artists, and other individuals with one important goal: to make Arch Linux as user-friendly as possible.

I can say, wholeheartedly, that the team has achieved that goal. RebornOS makes Arch Linux easy to use and, with the right desktop, an adventure in fun and elegance.

Did I say "right desktop?" I did. Why? During installation, you can choose from the following desktop environments:

• Cinnamon

• Budgie

• GNOME

• Xfce

• MATE

• Deepin

• UKUI

• LXDE

• LXQt

• Trinity

• Regolith

• Cutefish

• Enlightenment

• Openbox

• i3

Of course, not all desktops are created equally and from the above list, you'll find some environments to be more user-friendly and elegant than others. I opted to go with the Deepin desktop environment because it's one of the more aesthetic desktops on the market. I would also put Cutefish on that list, but I've had some issues with Cutefish-based distributions lately. So, Deepin it is.

For those who are curious as to what the hardware requirements are, here's the list of minimum/recommend:

• CPU - 1.2 GHz dual core/2.1 GHz quad core

• RAM - 2 GB/4 GB

• Storage - 20 GB/64 GB or more

Judging from the above, you shouldn't have any problem installing RebornOS on just about any computer purchased within the last 10 years.

As I said, RebornOS is based on Arch Linux but don't let that scare you away. Although Arch Linux itself can be a bit of a challenge, numerous distributions aim to simplify it. Some of those distributions succeed, while others seem to only go halfway. RebornOS goes all the way to the finish line with this task to create an operating system that anyone could start using and have next to no problems.

From the desktop, click the main menu to find all of the pre-installed applications, a searchable menu, the ability to list items by category or in alphabetical order, switch the menu from a pop-up to an overview-style, and even a right-click context menu so you can add items to favorites, send them to the desktop or the dock, set them to start at login, use a proxy, and even uninstall them.

The Deepin desktop menu makes locating your installed applications and controlling your machine a breeze.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET

The artists involved configured Deepin desktop to look fantastic out of the box. I was very pleased that they skipped the dark theme (as so many distributions seem to use as the default these days) and added the right amount of blur/transparency to make it all come together with a decidedly modern flare that isn't over the top.

As I said, you can install the desktop of your choosing but not every option found in RebornOS will be as beautiful as Deepin. The next closest options would be Budgie and Cutefish. Or, if you want something that's very straightforward and simple, go with Cinnamon, or MATE. If you want a desktop that offers more configuration options than you'll ever need, take a look at either Xfce or Enlightenment. If modern and minimal are your thing, go with GNOME. If you want tiling, there's i3. You get the picture… there's a desktop for everyone.

The only slight against RebornOS is the list of pre-installed software. You won't find an office suite, an email client, or an image editor. You will find apps like Calendar, File Manager, Firewall Configuration, MPV Media Player, Movie, and more. The good news is that there's the Pamac GUI app installer that makes installing/updating applications a breeze.

I did have a small issue with Pamac after the installation. When I tried to run the app, it refused to sync with the update databases and wouldn't show any applications available for installation. Fortunately, I knew how to update Arch manually (with the command sudo pacman -Syu). After running that command (and rebooting), I expected Pamac to behave exactly as expected. It did not.

Turns out, Pamac is fairly broken, so the solution is to install the bauh GUI with the command:

Code: [Select]

sudo pacman -Sy bauh
Once you've installed bauh, everything works as expected (except paman, which is a lost cause for the moment).

You can install any software found in numerous Arch repositories from bauh.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Outside of that one issue, RebornOS is a delight to use. Anyone looking for a desktop distribution that makes Arch Linux easy, offers a desktop environment for all types of users and can be installed and used for free, I would highly recommend giving this take on Linux a try. Just remember to skip pamac and go straight to bauh, otherwise you'll wind up frustrated over an app that should make installing software easy is broken beyond repair.

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