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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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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

X

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Kuwait bans ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’ video game, likely over it featuring Saddam Hussein in 1990s

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.

Kuwait has not publicly acknowledged banning the game, which is a tentpole product for the Microsoft-owned developer Activision and is set to be released on Friday worldwide. However, it comes as Kuwait still wrestles with the aftermath of the invasion and as video game makers more broadly deal with addressing historical and cultural issues in their work.

The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.

There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.

Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.

“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”

Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.

“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.

But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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