1 844.742.7448

Email Us

Remote Support

Contact

Posts tagged "update"

  1. Home
  2. Posts tagged update

Microsoft fixes latest Windows 11 update – but some unlucky users have found their taskbar is now broken
  • No Comments

Microsoft has quietly rolled out a fix for a recent Windows 11 patch (KB5039302, a preview update) in a bid to correct a bug that caused some PCs to enter a reboot loop, a problem so serious that the update was paused.

However, this new fix has led to more issues, as there are now reports of the taskbar not working properly.

Microsoft is aware of the taskbar glitches plaguing some Windows 11 users – in fact, the June 2024 preview update may lead to the taskbar not loading altogether. It's claimed that this issue is only “expected to occur if you are using a Windows N edition” or if you manually disable the Media Features toggle in the Control Panel. 

Previous to this new problem, some Windows 11 users were experiencing reboot loops as mentioned, making their system potentially unusable. This only appears to have affected machines where nested virtualization is enabled. As the name implies, this feature allows users to run virtual machines, and it's utilized more in business and enterprise settings than by your everyday consumer.

The only fix discovered for the previous 'reboot hell' bug is to manually remove the update from the Advanced Startup menu, we're told. 

It's worth underlining that Windows 11 update KB5039302 is optional, so you can avoid it altogether, and it's probably best to do so for now – even though most folks won't be affected by the new glitch. Later in July, this update will become the full release for Windows 11, at which point you can't avoid it (for long, anyway). By then, hopefully Microsoft will have fixed this new bug, too.

The problems continue for Windows 11

Microsoft has been having some serious issues with Windows 11 throughout the first half of 2024. As well as the increased level of advertising – with the likes of Xbox Game Pass ads now blighting the Settings app – and instability problems, there's also been a bug with the operating system telling users they've changed their location. Another recent bug has led to distorted videos in Google Chrome and Microsoft's own Edge browser as well.

So yes, Windows 11 hasn't had the smoothest ride this year, or indeed since it was launched. To see the taskbar, of all things, not loading in or working correctly is certainly an oddity, even if that issue is still far preferable to a PC which is stuck in boot loop hell. We'll keep an eye on this one and update you when Microsoft fixes this new bug.

Via Windows Latest

You may also like…

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

The latest Google Lens update might bring Circle to Search to many more phones
  • No Comments

Google seemingly has plans to expand its Circle to Search feature to other Android phones via Google Lens. In a recent deep dive, news site Android Authority found clues to the update within the recent Google app betas files and compiled them all together. 

What’s particularly interesting is they managed to get the tool working on a smartphone, possibly hinting at an imminent release. According to the report, they even managed to get a popup notification informing users that the update would appear.

It tells people to hold down the home button to access Circle to Search, much like the experience on the Galaxy S24. Upon activation, a three-button navigation bar appears at the bottom, and an accompanying video shows the tool in action as it looks up highlighted portions of the Play Store on Google Search. The UI looks, unsurprisingly, similar to how it does on Galaxy phones, with search inquiries rising from the bottom.

Clashing with Gemini

You may notice that the rainbow filter animation is gone, having been replaced by a series of dots and lines. Well, that’s the old beta, and the newer version has the animation and the Translate button, which shows up in the lower right hand corner next to the search bar.

At a glance, it seems Circle to Search on Google Lens is close to launching, although it is still a work in progress with a few issues to iron out. For example, how will it work on a smartphone housing the Gemini app as holding down on the home button launches the chatbot? Google might give Circle to Search priority in this instance, so long pressing opens the tool rather than the AI. However, at this point, it’s too early to tell.

New navigation option

Android Authority also found “XML files referring to pill-based gesture navigation.” If you don’t know what that is, it’s the oval at the bottom of Android displays. The shape lets you move between apps with basic gestures. Google Lens could offer this option, allowing users to ditch the three-button navigation bar, but it may not come out for a while as it doesn’t work in the betas.

Circle to Search on Google Lens will most likely stick to the three buttons, though. The original report has a theory about this, as they believe implementing the pill navigation would systemic OTA (over-the-air) updates to millions upon millions of Android smartphones, which may or “may not be feasible.” So, to get Circle to Search out sooner to people, the navigation option will have to be pushed back a bit. The three-button solution is easier to implement.

There is no word on when the update will arrive, but we hope it’s soon, as it is a great feature and currently a highlight for the Galaxy and Pixel devices that have it. 

While you're here, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

The latest ChromeOS update delivers several accessibility improvements
  • No Comments

It’s been a big day for the Chrome platform. Not only has the mobile app received an update to its search function, but Chromebooks are receiving a patch in the form ChromeOS M126. It's not a major refresh, but it does introduce several quality-of-life improvements that collectively aim to make the system more accessible. There isn’t a specific focus on anything in particular, as multiple features are being updated.

Starting from the top, the Chromebook Camera app is obtaining Super Resolution. This gives the laptop’s camera the ability to zoom in on objects if they don’t have a built-in optical motor. However, on certain “high-performance Chromebooks,” Super Resolution can visually enhance the photos it captures. Exactly which models will get this is unknown.

Next on the visual updates is the Magnifier tool integrating into Select to Speak. Now, whenever Select to Speak reads words aloud, Magnifier will automatically follow and enlarge text as it goes along “so you never lose your place.” Google states you’ll need both tools enabled to see the feature. Additionally, you can zoom in further by pressing the Ctrl, Alt, and Brightness Up keys. Replacing the last key with Brightness Down lets you zoom out.

People who are photosensitive or have cognitive differences can also turn the blinking cursor rate for a more comfortable user experience.

Extra tools

The rest of the patch moves away from accessibility updates and more towards offering users extra tools. Quick Start, for example, is now available on Chromebook and allows users to connect their Android smartphone to their computer as a fast way to migrate Wi-Fi and Google Account login information when setting up a Chromebook for the first time. It will let you set up a Chromebook without entering a single password – pretty handy. 

Parents will appreciate these next set of changes, as the company is splitting “permissions for sites, extensions, and apps” to offer more granular parental control options. Supervised accounts also need to ask for approval before they can install an extension.

A new system option has been added to the Settings menu to turn off the swiping gesture when navigating between pages. Last but not least, Google is launching multi-calendar support to let you view events from multiple sources via the Google Calendar app.

ChromeOS M126 will be rolling out over the coming days, so watch for the patch when it arrives. Do note that your device may not be immediately “eligible.” We reached out to Google for clarification on what would make a Chromebook ineligible, and we'll report back if we hear back.

In the meantime, check out TechRadar's list of the best Chromebook in 2024.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Microsoft pauses Windows 11 update as it’s sending some PCs into an infinite reboot hell
  • No Comments

Windows 11 just got its latest update, but Microsoft has put it on hold following the discovery of a bug that’s seriously bad news.

This is the KB5039302 update, which is an optional download for Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, so it’s still in preview, ahead of its release as the cumulative update for July 2024 next month.

The showstopper of a bug puts affected PCs into what’s known as ‘reboot hell’ whereby the PC keeps failing to start, rebooting, failing again, then rebooting, and so on ad infinitum – well, until the user intervenes and tries to initiative a recovery. (Or in some cases, unplugs their PC out of frustration, no doubt – never do this if you can at all avoid it, we should add, as cutting power at the wrong time can be bad news for your system drive, as it could corrupt files potentially).

What’s the root cause here? Well, it appears to have something to do with PCs using virtual machines (running another OS inside the current operating system, essentially).

Neowin noticed that in its release health dashboard, where this gremlin has been flagged up, Microsoft tells us: “This issue is more likely to affect devices utilizing virtual machines tools and nested virtualization features, such as CloudPC, DevBox, Azure Virtual Desktop. We are investigating to determine the precise conditions under which this issue can trigger.”

While that investigation is taking place, Microsoft has paused this update, so it won’t be offered to Windows 11 home users or businesses.

Unhappy millennial male employee work online on laptop at home office frustrated by gadget error or mistake. Angry young Caucasian man stressed with computer operational problem or breakdown.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / fizkes)

Analysis: Room for doubt

Clearly, given that having a PC trapped in a reboot loop is a dire scenario, it’s a good idea that Microsoft has pulled this update until the firm can work out what’s really going on here. This is an optional update anyway, so it’s not like KB5039302 is crucial, or even finished – which is why this flaw is present, no doubt.

Although you’d really have hoped Microsoft would have picked up on such a calamitous bug before the final preview release of the update – but at least it’s being fixed now. This also goes to illustrate why it’s always a risk to download an optional update for Windows 11 – we’d recommend steering clear of these in case there is a last-minute showstopper, just like this glitch.

Granted, as Microsoft observes: “Users of Windows Home edition are less likely to experience this issue, as virtualization is less common in home environments.”

Even so, some Windows 11 Home users will use virtualization features, no doubt, and Microsoft isn’t 100% clear about the bug not affecting other PCs either. The language used is that the problem is “more likely” to hit PCs using virtual machines in some way, leaving room for doubt that it could affect other systems too. This is likely why the update has been retracted, for now, we’d wager.

The crucial thing is that Microsoft fixes this one up, or at least pushes the feature or code that’s caused the problem aside, before the full release of the July 2024 cumulative update, clearly enough.

You might also like…

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Meta Quest 3’s next update steals the Vision Pro’s best productivity feature… kinda
  • No Comments

The Meta Quest 3 looks set to be taking yet another step towards being an Apple Vision Pro that doesn’t cost $ 3,499 / £3,499 / AU$ 5,999, by taking yet another feature from the Apple headset for itself.

This time it's a new window layout style, though it’s not really fair to say Meta is stealing this idea from Apple, merely improving its current approach. Rather than simply having three 2D apps docked side by side in fixed positions (which is what is currently possible on the Meta Quest 3 and other Meta headsets), you can now have three windows that are freely placeable anywhere in your virtual home office, and another three docked – making a total of six.

The experimental setting has been unlocked as part of the HoizonOS v67 update which is currently in beta for members of the Meta Quest Public Test Channel. Clips of people testing it out also show users switching the windows between curved and flat, as well as a feature that can lower the brightness of 2D environments – though this doesn’t work if you’re using the windows in mixed reality with passthrough.

See more

While this does bring the Quest 3 closer to matching the Vision Pro’s approach to 2D apps in a 3D space, it’s not quite one-to-one yet. The biggest difference is if you stray too far from a window it returns to its default docked position on the Quest 3 – whereas on Vision Pro you can leave windows in their custom floating positions indefinitely like they’re real objects.

That said, it’s also worth noting the Meta Quest 3 only costs $ 499.99 / £479.99 / AU$ 799.99, so it’s forgiven for not being a direct copy.

A closing gap

The Apple Vision Pro will always be better than the Meta Quest 3 on a technical level with its vastly better displays and chipset. But Apple hasn’t done enough to leverage its advantages in ways that matter, but that was probably always going to be the case.

The Vision Pro with its eye-tracking, laptop-level power, focus on less active XR experiences, and approach to hand-tracking offers app developers a vast array of tools to create interesting software for the device. 

However, what makes the headset unique is also its downfall – it’s too dissimilar to its rivals. If you make a VR app that takes full advantage of the Vision Pro it probably won’t be well suited to other platforms (and vice versa). So if you’re weighing up your options, making a non-Vision Pro app just makes more financial sense as it can run on more popular platforms; that is, unless Apple is offering some kind of financial incentive.

A Meta Quest 3 user throwing a giant die onto a virtual medieval tabletop game board full of castles, wizards and knights

Demeo is great, but the Apple Vision Pro needed more than this (Image credit: Meta)

Some classic VR games and apps have started to get Vision Pro ports, but they are in small numbers and have trickled in months after the headset launched and the hype has died down.

Instead, most of the apps that it can run are XR versions of iPad and Mac apps which begs the question of what you really gain from buying a Vision Pro – especially as you likely already have those other gadgets, or could buy them for less than the cost of Apple’s headset.

Meta on the other hand has continued to fund exciting exclusive apps – we’re getting a bonafide Batman: Arkham game to name a recent example. At the same time, it's rolling out monthly major software updates that have only narrowed the gap between the Vision Pro and Quest 3.

We’ll have to wait and see how things continue the rest of the year and beyond, but my advice remains the same as it always has: if you want to try VR then get a Quest 3 or Quest 2 – there’s no good reason to get a Vision Pro instead.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

YouTube’s Stable Volume is now on Android TV devices – here’s everything you need to know about the update your ears may love
  • No Comments

Weird audio mixing is a really annoying problem. How many times have you watched a video or movie where the audio sounds fine only for the dialog to be super quiet? 

Google is helping audiences out by expanding YouTube’s Stable Volume feature from the mobile app to “Android TV and Google TV devices.” It's a handy tool that automatically adjusts “the volume of videos you watch,” all without requiring you to pick up your remote, according to 9To5Google.

That story explains that 'Stable Volume' ensures a consistent listening experience “by continuously balancing the volume range between quiet and loud parts” in a video. After installing YouTube version 4.40.303 on their Android TV display, they discovered the feature. 

If you select the gear icon whenever a video is playing, you should see Stable Volume as an option within the Settings menu. It’ll sit in between Captions and the playback speed function.

Stable Volume on Android TV

(Image credit: Google/9To5Google)

It’s turned on by default, but you can deactivate it at any time just by selecting it while watching content. 9To5Google recommends turning off Stable Volume while listening to music or playing a video with a “detailed audio mix.” Having it activated then could potentially mess with the sound quality. Plus, YouTube Music isn't on Android TV or Google TV hardware, so you won't have a dedicated space specifically for songs.

We should mention that the official YouTube Help page for Stable Volume states it isn’t available for all videos, nor will music be negatively affected. We believe this note is outdated because it also says the tool is exclusive to the YouTube mobile app. It’s entirely possible the versions on Android TV and Google TV could behave differently.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the patch when it arrives. It joins other YouTube on TV features launched in 2024 such as Multiview and the auto-generated key moments.

Check out TechRadar's list of the best TV for 2024. We cover a wide array of models for different budgets.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Claude’s big update makes it the best ChatGPT rival so far – and you can try it for free
  • No Comments

Anthropic's Claude AI chatbot has long been one of the best ChatGPT alternatives and now a big update has taken it to another level – including beating OpenAI's GPT-4o model in some industry standard benchmark tests.

Like Google Gemini, Claude is a family of three different AI models. The new Claude 3.5 Sonnet (which takes the baton from Claude 3 Sonnet) is the company's mid-tier AI model, sitting in between the Claude 3 Haiku (for smaller tasks) and the larger 'Opus' model, which is more like GPT-4.

This new Sonnet model now powers the browser-based Claude.ai and the Claude iOS app, both of which you can use right now for free. Like ChatGPT, there are Pro and Team subscriptions available for Claude that let you use it more intensely, but the free version gives you a taste of what it can do.

So what's new in Claude 3.5 Sonnet? The big improvements are its ability to handle vision-based tasks – for example, creating charts or transcribing handwritten notes – with Anthropic calling it “our strongest vision model yet”. The company also says that Sonnet “shows a marked improvement in grasping nuance, humor, and complex instructions”.

The upgraded Claude is also simply faster and smarter than before, edging out ChatGPT's latest GPT-4o model across many benchmarks, according to Anthropic. That includes setting new benchmark high scores for “graduate-level reasoning”, “undergraduate-level knowledge” and “coding proficiency”.

This means Claude could be a powerful new sidekick if you need help with creative writing, creating presentations and coding – particularly as it now has a new 'Artifacts' side window to help with refining its creations.

Ultimate homework assistant?

Another handy new feature in Claude 3.5 Sonnet is its so-called 'Artifacts' side window, which lets you see and tweak its visual creations without having to scroll back and forth through the chat.

For example, if you ask it to create a text document, graph or website design, these will appear in a separate window alongside your conversation. You can see an example of that in action in the video above, which shows off Claude's potential for creating graphs and presentations.

So how does this all compare to ChatGPT? One thing Claude doesn't have is a voice or audio powers – it's purely a text-based AI assistant. So if you're looking to chat casually with an AI assistant to brainstorm ideas, then ChatGPT remains the best AI tool around.

But Claude 3.5 Sonnet is undoubtedly a powerful new rival for text-based tasks and coding, edging out GPT-4o in benchmarks and giving us an increasingly well-rounded new option for both creative tasks and coding. 

The headline AI battle might be ChatGPT vs Google Gemini vs Meta AI, but if you want a fast, smart AI sidekick to help with a variety of tasks, then it's well worth taking Claude 3.5 Sonnet for a spin in its browser version or iOS app.

You might also like…

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Chrome on Android can now read the internet as a new update improves app accessbility
  • No Comments

Chrome on Android can now read as Google is rolling out a new accessibility feature called Listen to This Page to the mobile app, which gives the browser text-to-speech capabilities. 

According to the official Chrome help page, the tool can be accessed by tapping on the three-dot menu in the upper right hand corner and the new functionality can be found in the fourth section of the browser menu.

Activating the feature displays an audio controls panel at the bottom of the screen with a wide array of options. You have your standard set of tools like a progress indicator, a play/pause button, plus the name of the website and page at the top alongside extra controls that were seemingly inspired by YouTube. 

You’ll receive a 10-second rewind and a 10-second fast-forward option, plus the ability to change the playback speed. Users can slow things down to half speed or up to four times the normal playback.

Chrome on Android - Listen to This Page

(Image credit: Future)

You can push the audio player down to hide most of the controls. The only two things that remain onscreen are the play/pause button and the name of the website. Regarding the length of the playback, it depends entirely on the length of the article. 

For example, our recent article on DJI drones takes about 14 minutes, while our piece about The Lego Movie runs for almost seven minutes.

Overflowing with features

Everything so far is surface-level, but you’ll find more in the overflow menu. According to 9To5Google, this section allows you to disable the text highlighter and auto scroll functions. What’s more, it is where you change the speaking voice's language with 12 in total, including to pick from, including English, Spanish, Hindi, French, and Arabic. 

You can also alter the way it reads text to fit a certain style. For example, “Ruby” speaks in a mid-pitch and warm voice, “Moss” has a low-pitch, peaceful way of talking, while “Field” is more low-pitch and bright. 

The options deepen when you look at other dialects as well. With English, you have ten voices to choose from across four different accents. The American accent has the most options, with four voices on its own, while the rest just have two.

Availability

Listen to This Page will continue to work even if you go to other tabs as “the control bar will remain docked.” But, there is a limitation. This only works so long as Chrome is in the foreground. So, if you close the browser or return to the home screen, the text-to-speech function stops.

Listen to This Page flag

(Image credit: Future)

The feature is part of the latest Chrome on Android update, so be sure to install the latest patch. It’s possible you may not see the option in the browser menu. 

We didn't encounter it initially, although you can manually activate it. All you have to do is type in chrome://flags/#read-aloud into the URL bar and turn on the tool in the subsequent menu.

It's unknown if there are plans to expand Chrome's text-to-speech function elsewhere, but there is a chance Google will. A leak from September 2023 claimed Chrome on desktop will one day receive its own read-aloud feature.

Check out TechRadar's list of best Android phones for 2024 if you're looking to upgrade. 

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Google rolls out huge security update to Pixel phones, squashing 50 vulnerabilities
  • No Comments

June 2024 has been a big month for Pixel smartphones. Not only did Gemini Nano roll out to the Pixel 8a, but Google also released a huge security update to multiple models. 

It addresses 50 vulnerabilities, ranging in severity from moderate to critical. One of the more insidious flaws is CVE-2024-32896, which Tom’s Guide states “is an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability.” 

An EoP refers to a bug or design flaw that a bad actor can exploit to gain unfettered access to a smartphone’s resources. It’s a level of access that not even a Pixel owner normally has. Even though it’s not as severe as the others, CVE-2024-32896 did warrant an extra warning from Google on the patch’s Pixel Update Bulletin page, stating it “may be under limited, targeted exploitation.” 

In other words, it's likely bad actors are going to be targeting the flaw to infiltrate a Pixel phone, so it’s important that you install the patch.

Installing the fix

The rest of the patch affects other important components on the devices, such as the Pixel Firmware fingerprint sensor. It even fixes a handful of Qualcomm and Qualcomm closed-source components.

Google’s patch is ready to download for all supporting Pixel phones, and you can find the full list of models on the tech giant’s Help website here. They include but are not limited to the Pixel Fold, Pixel 7 series, and the Pixel 8 line.

To download the update, go to the Settings menu on your Pixel phone. Go to Security & Privacy, then to System & Updates. Scroll down to the Security Update and hit Install. Give your device enough time to install the patch and then restart your smartphone.

Existing on Android

It’s important to mention that the EoP vulnerability seems to exist on third-party Android hardware; however, a fix won’t come out for a while. As news site Bleeping Computer explains, the operating systems for Pixel and Android smartphones receive security updates at different times. The reason for this separate rollout is that third-party devices have their own “exclusive features and capabilities.” One comes out faster than the other.

Developers for GrapheneOS, a unique version of Android that is more focused on security, initially found the flaw in April. In a recent post on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), the team believes non-Pixel phones probably won’t receive the patch until the launch of Android 15. If you don’t get the new operating system, the EoP bug probably won't get removed. The GrapheneOS devs claim the June update “has not been backported.”

Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best Android antivirus apps for 2024 if you want even more protection. 

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Your old photos are getting a 3D makeover thanks to this huge Vision Pro update
  • No Comments

With the unveiling of visionOS 2.0 for the Vision Pro at WWDC 24, Apple introduced many new features but left my wish to open up environments ungranted. Even so, aside from new display options for Mac Virtual Display and more control gestures, there is one feature that stands out from the rest.

When I reviewed the Vision Pro, I noted how emotional an experience it could be, especially viewing photos back on it. Looking at photos of loved ones who have since passed or even reliving moments that I frequently call up on my iPhone or iPad, there was something more about life-size or larger-than-life representations of the content. When shot properly, the most compelling spatial videos and photos give off a real feeling of intimacy and engagement.

The catch is that, currently, the only photos and videos that can be viewed in this way are videos that have been shot in Apple's spatial image format, and that's something you can only do on the 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max. 

However, in the case of photos, that's set to change with visionOS 2.

Make any photo more immersive

Apple Vision Pro – spatial photos visionos 2.0

(Image credit: Apple)

Photos that you view on the Vision Pro running the second generation of VisionOS will be able to be displayed as spatial photos thanks to the power of machine learning. This will add a left and right side to the 2D image to create the impression of depth and let the image effectively 'pop.' I cannot wait to give this a go, and I think it’ll give folks a more impactful experience with Apple's 'spatial computer.'

I also really like Apple’s approach here, as it won’t automatically present every photo as a spatial image – that could lead to some strange-looking shots, and there will also be photos that you’d rather leave in their original 2D form.

According to the visionOS 2.0 portion of Apple's keynote, the process is as simple as swiping through pictures within Photos and tapping a button to watch as machine learning kicks in, analyzes your photo, and adds depth elements. The resulting images really pop, and when viewed on a screen that could be as large as you want on the Vision Pro, the effect is striking.

I’ve already enjoyed looking at standard photos of key memories of my life with friends and family who are still here and some who have passed. Viewing it back on that grand stage is emotional, makes you think, and can be powerful. I’m hopeful that this option of engaging this 3D effect will make that impact even stronger.

It has the potential to greatly expand how much a Vision Pro owner actually uses the Photos app, considering that it’s a great way to view images on a large scale, be it a standard shot, ultra-wide, portrait, or even a panorama.

Mac Virtual Display expands, and improved gestures

Apple Vision Pro, Mac Virtual Display VisionOs 2.0

(Image credit: Apple)

While 'spatial photos' was the new feature that most caught my eye, it’s joined by two other new features in visionOS 2.0. For starters, Mac Virtual Display is set to get a big enhancement – you’ll be able to make the screen sizes much larger, almost like a curved display that wraps around, and one that will benefit from improved resolutions. That means more applications will run even better here.

Additionally, you can do more with hand gestures. Rather than hitting the Digital Crown to pull up the home screen, you can make a gesture similar to double-tapping to pull up that interface, while another gesture will let you easily access Control Center.

New ways of interaction are either overlaid in your reality, in an immersive one for Apple, or on Tatooine if you’re in Disney Plus.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More