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Microsoft will stop providing security updates for Windows 7 computers on January 14 – Daily Mail

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Microsoft will stop providing security updates and support for Windows 7 computers on January 14 as the company pushes customers to upgrade to Windows 10

  • A full-screen notification will appear on Windows 7 PCs urging users to upgrade
  • Windows 7 users will be able to surf the web but won’t receive security updates
  • The company is pulling the plug on Windows 7 after more than 10 years

Microsoft is rolling out pesky full-screen pop-up notifications to Windows 7 users from mid-January in a bid to shift users off the soon-to-be defunct operating system.

From January 14, PCs running Windows 7 will still function but Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, software updates or security updates.

The notification, which will start appearing the following day, will urge Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10 – even going as far as advising its customers to buy a new PC in order to do so.

The company has been providing smaller pop-up reminders of the upcoming change since April this year, but will be supersizing these messages to full-screen to make them harder for Windows 7 users to ignore. 

Microsoft is pulling the plug on Windows 7 and thinks users should consider a new PC if they don't want to lose out on security and software updates

Microsoft is pulling the plug on Windows 7 and thinks users should consider a new PC if they don’t want to lose out on security and software updates

‘Your Windows 7 PC is out of support,’ the update will read.

‘Microsoft strongly recommends using Windows 10 on a new PC for the latest security features and protection against malicious software.’

The notification will remain on screen until users interact with it, giving them the option to ‘learn more’ or instead respond with ‘remind me later’ or ‘don’t remind me again’.

Microsoft introduced a smart assistant, similar to Siri, called Cortana to Windows 10

Microsoft introduced a smart assistant, similar to Siri, called Cortana to Windows 10

Microsoft introduced a smart assistant, similar to Siri, called Cortana to Windows 10

The message will appear on Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate editions of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 but will not appear on domain-joined PCs or PCs in kiosk mode.

The company has included the pop-up notification in its monthly software patch for December, but it does not come into effect until next month.

‘While you could continue to use your PC running Windows 7, without continued software and security updates, it will be at greater risk for viruses and malware,’ Microsoft explains in a blog post

Windows 7 will be pretty much obsolete from January 15 2020

Windows 7 will be pretty much obsolete from January 15 2020

Windows 7 will be pretty much obsolete from January 15 2020 

Windows 7 split opinion on Twitter

Windows 7 split opinion on Twitter

Windows 7 split opinion on Twitter

‘Sticking with Windows 7 after support ends opens a door to issues like computer viruses and you’ll no longer receive technical support from Microsoft.’

‘Going forward, the best way for you to stay secure is on Windows 10.’ 

Microsoft is also advising users to upgrade to a new Windows PC, saying ‘while it is possible to install Windows 10 on your older device, it is not recommended’.

Big and small businesses alike will have to spend effort and money to transfer to Windows 10 if they haven't already

Big and small businesses alike will have to spend effort and money to transfer to Windows 10 if they haven't already

Big and small businesses alike will have to spend effort and money to transfer to Windows 10 if they haven’t already

In preparation for the update, it recommends users back up their files, get tips on Windows 10 and ‘check out the latest PCs’.

The company is pulling the plug on support for Windows 7 from January 14, 2020, more than 10 years since it was made generally available.

The legendary OS introduced features to Windows users including pin folders to the taskbar, close thumbnail preview, battery notification messages, desktop slideshow and the ‘devices and printers’ interface.

Windows 7 was still being used by 26.86 per cent of Windows fans as recently as this November, according to NetMarketShare, with 53.33 per cent on Windows 10. 

Microsoft is also withdrawing support for WhatsApp on its only Mobile OS on Tuesday.

It has already been advising Windows Phone users to ‘get an Android or iPhone’ instead due to the lack of app support of Windows 10 Mobile. 

WHY DID MICROSOFT DISCONTINUE ITS WINDOWS PHONES?

Microsoft started gutting its phone business in 2016, making thousands of job cuts and the decision to drop the company’s mantra ‘mobile-first, cloud-first’.

One key problem for the company was the lack of apps on the mobile platform.

In April, Facebook deserted Windows Phones. Skype and WhatsApp had also withdrawn their services from phones run on Windows.

The operating system dipped to a 0.3 per cent of the market share by the end of Microsoft’s third financial quarter in 2016.

Critics have claimed that the apps available on Windows phones pale in comparison to their iOS and Android counterparts. 

In June 2019, it emerged that Microsoft advised Windows 10 Mobile users to switch to Android or iPhone. 

 

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Business

Payments tech company Lightspeed Commerce conducting strategic review of business

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MONTREAL – Lightspeed Commerce Inc. says it is conducting a review of its business and operations including talks relating to a range of potential strategic alternatives.

The Montreal-based payments technology company made the comments after reports concerning a potential transaction involving the company.

Lightspeed says it periodically undertakes a review of its business and operations with a view of realizing its full potential.

A strategic review is often seen by investors as a prelude to a sale by a company.

Lightspeed says its board of directors is committed to acting in the best interests of the company and its stakeholders.

Company founder Dax Dasilva returned to the role of chief executive officer earlier this year and has been working to return the company to profitability.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:LSPD)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Economy

Bank of Canada trying to figure out how AI might affect inflation, Macklem says

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OTTAWA – Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says there is a lot of uncertainty around how artificial intelligence could affect the economy moving forward, including the labour market and price growth.

In a speech in Toronto at the Economics of Artificial Intelligence Conference, the governor said Friday that the central bank is approaching the issue cautiously to get a better understanding of how AI could affect its job of keeping inflation low and stable.

“Be wary of anyone who claims to know where AI will take us. There is too much uncertainty to be confident,” Macklem said in prepared remarks.

“We don’t know how quickly AI will continue to advance. And we don’t know the timing and extent of its economic and social impacts.”

The governor said AI has the potential of increasing labour productivity, which would raise living standards and grow the economy without boosting inflation.

In the short-term, he said investment in AI is adding to demand and could be inflationary.

However, Macklem also highlighted more pessimistic scenarios, where AI could destroy more jobs than it creates or lead to less competition rather than more.

The governor called on academics and businesses to work together to shed more light on the potential effects of AI on the economy.

“When you enter a dark room, you don’t go charging in. You cautiously feel your way around. And you try to find the light switch. That is what we are doing. What we central bankers need is more light,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Tech

United Airlines will offer free internet on flights using service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX

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CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines has struck a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer satellite-based Starlink WiFi service on flights within the next several years.

The airline said Friday the service will be free to passengers.

United said it will begin testing the service early next year and begin offering it on some flights by later in 2025.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

The announcement comes as airlines rush to offer more amenities as a way to stand out when passengers pick a carrier for a trip. United’s goal is to make sitting on a plane pretty much like being on the ground when it comes to browsing the internet, streaming entertainment and playing games.

“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do on board a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” CEO Scott Kirby said in announcing the deal.

The airline says Starlink will allow passengers to get internet access even over oceans and polar regions where traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals may be weak or missing.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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