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Posts tagged "update"

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Windows 10 gets a fresh lock screen weather widget and bug fixes in new update
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Microsoft has dropped a new preview update (KB5034203), bringing an updated lock screen weather widget to Windows 10 alongside regular bug fixes. The update also comes with changes to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act – however, these changes are set to roll out gradually rather than all at once.

The update will bring more life to the weather experience on Windows 10, including more interactive weather updates, allowing you to hover your cursor over the widget on your lock screen to see more information about current weather conditions in your area. Clicking on the weather ‘card’ will then sign you into your device and open up Microsoft Edge with a full weather broadcast.

Alongside the updated widget, update KB5034203 comes with other fixes such as addressing issues that affect BitLocker data-only encryption, the failure of some apps in Windows 10 to respond to changed keyboard language, and a fix for an annoying bug that caused the Internet Explorer shortcut to become unresponsive for some users.

Optional, but still worth an update

In terms of compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Microsoft released a blog post directed to Windows Insiders back in November addressing plans to ensure Windows 11 and Windows 10 follow the set obligations.

The Digital Markets Act includes a wide range of requirements that Microsoft will have to adhere to within the EU – most notably, the ability for users to uninstall any Windows app, including Cortana and Edge. According to the blog post, Microsoft will “be updating Windows 10, version 22H2 and Windows 11, version 23H2 PCs in the EEA to be compliant by March 6th, 2024.”

So, we can expect more of these smaller-scale updates in the coming months to both Windows 10 and Windows 11. I'm pleased to see Microsoft continuing the effort to keep Windows 10 updated, considering many people are still quite hesitant to jump ship to Windows 11.

KB5034203 is an optional preview update at the moment, so you’ll have to install it manually if you’d like to check these features out yourself right now. Head over to the ‘Update and Security’ section of your setting and click the ‘Windows Update’ tab. There you’ll see a list of optional updates available and a link to download and install the update. Enjoy!

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Windows 11’s latest update reportedly fails to install for no reason, and some users are getting really frustrated
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Windows 11’s latest patch, the cumulative update for January, is failing to install for some users, and compounding the misery is that the reason for this spanner in the works can’t be discerned.

This is update KB5034123 and the trouble is that the installation process is failing, in some cases repeatedly, with the usual unhelpful error codes.

As Windows Latest pointed out, some of those include error ‘0x80188309’ and apparently more common is ‘0x800f081f’, although whatever string of characters happens to be spewed out, it’s unlikely to be of any use.

The only thing to be done with these stop codes is to search the web for them and see if there are any mentions of the specific issue in question, and possible workarounds or solutions, but in this case, there’s no apparent cause yet pinpointed.

There are reports of installation failure with Windows 11’s January update across Microsoft’s Feedback Hub and Reddit, and Windows Latest noted that it has received a bunch of reports from ‘many users’ claiming that it’s ‘nearly impossible’ to install KB5034123.

There are also some folks who are reporting that they are getting the same type of failure, namely that the update starts to download, reaches partway through (25% in many cases), and then Windows Update comes up with a failure message, offering to try again. However, retrying produces the exact same problem, and that’s pushing the boundaries of patience for some people, as you might imagine.

As a final note, some of those who are successfully installing the January update are finding that the patch is causing audio to stutter and glitch, and Windows Latest itself encountered this problem when viewing Netflix and playing games.

This might be a more isolated issue, though we have seen a scattering of complaints elsewhere about bugs with audio, graphics corruption, and mouse-related hiccups with KB5034123. Until they are reported with more prevalence, though, take them with a pinch of salt.

Analysis: A possible solution?

As a possible workaround, Windows Latest advises trying an in-place upgrade of Windows 11 (using the Media Creation Tool). Following that, whatever issue is buried in your OS might be fixed, so patch KB5034123 may then install successfully.

However, as this is a clunky and somewhat involved process, with no guarantee it will work in the end, it seems a drastic step to us. Rather than go this route, we’d recommend hanging on for now to see what Microsoft has to communicate on this issue – speaking of which, we’ve got in touch with the company to find out. If we hear back, we will of course update this article.

While it’s far from ideal to be without a cumulative update – mainly because you’re lacking the latest security fixes – it’s probably the lesser of two evils right now. As opposed to messing with in-place upgrades and hoping, rather blindly (let’s face it), that this may fix whatever issue is triggering the installation failures.

Note that these Windows 11 installation problems were first observed just after the January update was released (two weeks back), but they were very scattered in nature – and now they are distinctly more commonplace. Hopefully Microsoft will be investigating the matter as we type this.

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Windows 11 24H2 update rumored to arrive in September, ushering in huge changes for the OS
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Microsoft’s major update for 2024 will be Windows 11 24H2, we’ve again heard, but it’ll be a big old drop of multiple features – plus foundational changes – that’s expected to arrive in September.

That’s the latest from Microsoft rumor-monger Zac Bowden of Windows Central fame, a generally reliable source for all things Windows.

Bowden has previously asserted that Microsoft is going to keep Windows 11 and push out a 24H2 upgrade later this year – rather than launching Windows 12, or whatever an all-new version of the OS might be called – so this concept is nothing new.

Also fully expected is that the update will be heavily focused on next-gen AI experiences (for those AI PCs Microsoft keeps banging on about), and we’re told by Bowden that the 2024 Update will be a much larger affair than 23H2 (which was pretty minor, so again, that’s no surprise).

However, according to Bowden, 24H2 will represent a seriously big change in direction, and will be built on a new version of the Windows platform that’ll usher in various performance and security updates alongside a raft of new features.

What new features? Well, given the mentioned weight on the AI side of the equation, obviously there’ll be upgrades for Copilot. We’re told the desktop assistant will enhance the Windows interface and find ways to boost productivity in terms of apps, search, and more besides.

Bowden doesn’t go into any real specifics that haven’t been mentioned before, but in short, Copilot will help you do more stuff in a swifter and more convenient manner in Windows, as well as all the existing Bing Chat-style chops the AI has.

The leaker does expand on one point, though: that Microsoft is planning a Copilot timeline/history feature that’ll allows users to locate any file, image, app, basically anything that has been previously opened on their PC, using the AI. A history-based super-search, in other words, that’ll likely allow you to do things like request ‘that file where I wrote about Nvidia’s new RTX Super graphics cards’ or similar more natural language-based requests than traditional search. (We’ve heard rumors along these lines before).

We’ve already seen other incoming features in test builds of Windows 11 such as the new ‘energy saver’ capability and AI-powered Snap Layouts to pick out a couple of examples.

All the stuff you see in testing in early channels is likely to be for 24H2, and there are other additions coming, too. For example, Phone Link improvements are inbound, including being able to use your smartphone as a makeshift webcam for the PC (pretty nifty).

Windows 11 desktop on an all-in-one PC

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Analysis: Possible twists in the tale

Some still believe that this will be Windows 12, or some incarnation of next-gen Windows (Windows AI?) rather than just a 24H2 update for Windows 11. That’d make sense in some ways, given that this is Windows built on an entirely new platform (called Germanium) and it’s a big thing coming alongside those AI PCs we keep hearing about.

Bowden thinks a full name change is unlikely, though, and still maintains this will be the 24H2 update even though it ushers in extensive changes.

One reason Microsoft may not want Windows 12 is that it would fragment the user base into Windows 10, 11, and 12, which could be confusing for users, and a pain for Microsoft to handle in terms of development and patching. Remember, Windows 10 isn’t dead anymore, and Microsoft recently reversed the decision to freeze new features coming to the older OS, and is now piping fresh functionality across – including, most importantly, Copilot.

All of this is just speculation, mind, and even Microsoft itself may not have made the final decision as to whether this will be another update for Windows 11, or an all-new next-gen Windows.

Bowden lays out the development timeframe and as mentioned, the projected release for the theoretical 24H2 update is currently September (though it could be later in the year).

There’s a slight twist, though, in that the platform it’s built on, Germanium, will apparently be ready in April, after which work on finalizing the Windows 11 2024 Update will begin. It’s possible that new AI PCs with 24H2 on board could appear as soon as July, but the upgrade won’t come to existing Windows 11 installations until September at the earliest.

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Windows 10 gets security boost and bug fixes in Microsoft’s first big update of 2024
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Microsoft might be pushing forward with integrating AI into as many aspects of Windows 11 as possible, but it’s not totally forgotten about Windows 10 users. The older version of Windows continues to be very popular among Windows’ user base, and fortunately for them, Microsoft has just released update KB5034122 for Windows 10 that brings an array of bug fixes and serious security upgrades. 

Two of the bugs that the update addresses are to do with smart card usage and an issue with scroll bars. Maybe not the most thrilling updates, but this is pretty in line with Microsoft’s messaging about Windows 10. 

According to the tech titan, it’s more or less closed up shop when it comes to working on significant new features for Windows 10 and users shouldn’t expect to see any major changes in the future. Update KB5034122 serves as evidence of this with it being mostly maintenance and fixes from Microsoft, but let’s not forget that Microsoft’s shiny new all-in-one AI assistant, Windows Copilot, was made available to Windows 10 users last year. We’ll have to see if Copilot will see upgrades and improvements in Windows 10 considering that its current functionality is fairly limited.

Microsoft Teams copilot

(Image credit: Microsoft Teams)

What's new in update KB5034122

This update tackles security issues, as well as a quality upgrade to Windows 10’s servicing stack, the Windows component that enables users to install Windows updates. Microsoft also gives more details about the bug fixes that are included in this update: 

You can find a full rundown of what this update addresses on Microsoft’s Support blog, and it does make note of some known issues that still exist in this version of Windows 10 and gives suggested workarounds with instructions. It follows up each workaround for each presently-existing problem with the following statement to reassure Windows 10 users: 

We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.

KB5034122 should be prompted for install on Windows 10 devices automatically because it’s a security update, but if for whatever reason your Windows 10 device has not downloaded it already, you can download it manually. You should definitely do this as it’s important to have the most up to date security fixes no matter what Windows version you use, and you can get it from the Microsoft Update Catalog. 

Good for Microsoft for keeping an eye on Windows 10 and recognizing that it remains a fan favorite. However, it’s clearly determined to get as much use out of its investment and collaboration with OpenAI, utilising GPT technology however it can.

Recently, Windows watchers have spotted that Notepad is getting a ChatGPT-powered writing assistant and text editing AI tool, with some users expressing that they’d rather Notepad stayed the simple, straightforward app that it came to be known as. Perhaps as Microsoft goes down the path of ramping up AI integration, Windows 10 will be a refuge option for those that want their operating system and apps to be a little less intelligent. 

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HP leaks Windows 11 2024 update with new Wi-Fi 7 and Copilot 2.0 capabilities… but where’s Windows 12?
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If Windows 12 (or whatever Microsoft ends up naming it) exists, hardware manufacturer HP is keeping its lips sealed, but it has given us a peek at the next version of Windows 11 it seems.

We thought that we might have seen the last major update to Windows 11 last year, version 23H2, but it looks like that’s not the case. HP has published new documentation that makes references to “Windows 11 2024 Update” and “24H2”, which has Windows enthusiasts buzzing.

HP released spec sheets for its newest Spectre laptops and 2-in-1 PCs, and makes several mentions of the Windows 11 2024 Update, suggesting that it exists and it's coming soon. 

According to Windows Latest, these references suggest the update will bring support for the next iteration of Microsoft’s new artificial intelligence tool, Windows Copilot 2.0, along with cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. Windows Copilot is being branded as the all-purpose digital assistant that will change how we engage with our devices, so it’ll be interesting to see what new features arrive with this update. 

Screenshot of Windows Copilot in use

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Looking at the specifics in the specs

You can have a look at HP’s new specification documents for yourself, but here are some major takeaways: 

According to the documentation, “Windows 11 2024 Update” will be required to be able to use the Spectre devices’ Wi-Fi 7 (802.11BE) functionality, alongside their new Intel Core or Intel Core Ultra processors. Of course, a new Wi-Fi 7-compatible router will also be required. Windows Latest also points out that Wi-Fi 7 will be backwards compatible with devices that have older 802.11 specifications.

While HP has mentioned the Windows 11 2024 update in other documents, Microsoft itself has not officially announced it, so while these references by HP seem legitimate (and likely included by accident), we don’t fully know all of the new features that Microsoft is planning.

However, the updates mentioned by HP certainly hint at a major Windows 11 update, and the upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 is particularly exciting. These are pretty sizable updates and the advancement of the HP devices’ Wi-Fi specs is notable, but we don’t know for sure if we’ll see Windows 12 in the first half of the year or the second. What we do know is Microsoft is making some pretty big steps, especially in the development of Windows Copilot, and I expect this will be the case for most of this year, at least up till the release of Windows 12 and devices with these new specifications.

The absence of any mention of Windows 12 could be a sign that HP is being more careful with keeping secrets about a new operating system than about Windows 11 updates – but it could also hint that Windows 12 may be further off than many of us hoped.

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Windows 11’s next big update could arrive in February 2024, packing some nifty features – but it might miss some tricks too
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Windows 11 could be getting its next feature drop early in 2024, courtesy of what will be the fifth ‘Moment’ update for the operating system.

As you’re likely aware by now, a Moment is the name given to smaller feature updates that arrive outside of the big annual upgrade Microsoft pushes out for Windows 11 (which was 23H2 this year).

And we just heard from Windows Central (Zac Bowden) that Moment 5 should arrive in February (indeed its alternative name is the ‘February 2024 Moment’).

That said, the catch is that this will be the initial preview release, late in the month, so the full version of the Moment 5 update won’t actually arrive until March. On the second Tuesday of the month if the typical release cadence of Microsoft’s cumulative updates is adhered to – which would make the date to mark in your diary March 12.

What will this update pack in the way of new features? Well, don’t get your hopes up for anything too exciting, as we’re told this will be a more minor release compared to some of the previous Moments.

Even so, there will be a healthy dollop of tweaks and additions, and one smart piece of functionality is targeted at stylus users – namely the ability to write directly into text fields with their pen (something Microsoft has promised will eventually be an OS-wide capability in Windows).

Voice Access is also receiving some laudable attention, including support for multiple monitors, and powerful new voice shortcuts. The latter are customizable commands allowing for the opening of files, folders, or pasting a section of boilerplate text, for example (and they can be chained together for multiple steps).

Microsoft is set to make a bunch of minor tweaks – some of which are useful, like giving Notepad a character count, and being able to rename devices with the Nearby Share feature, to make them more easily identifiable at a glance (‘Darren’s PC’ for example) – but some of the work elsewhere is purely about complying with European regulations.

Specifically, these changes are bound up in compliance, and destined for the European Economic Area (EEA). They include the choice to uninstall the Edge browser from Windows 11, as well as the ability to strip Bing out of the taskbar search box (and instead have web results piped through from an alternative, like Google).

Enabling HDR in Windows 11

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Analysis: March of progress

Unfortunately, Windows 11 users outside of the EEA won’t get those latter options, but they will benefit from another move to let the user uninstall a larger number of default apps – like Photos, for example.

Furthermore, Microsoft is introducing an option to specify that the widgets panel contains just widgets, with users being able to remove the news feed. Interestingly, we’re also told that Microsoft will make it possible for other third-party services to be integrated into the panel – so you could infuse the widget board with Google news, if you wanted to.

These widget-related possibilities are coming for everyone, fortunately, not just the EEA – and we can keep our fingers crossed that the other mentioned Europe-bound changes will be rolled out more widely, too. Plenty of folks would like the ability to declutter Windows 11 a bit more by getting rid of Edge, no doubt.

Of course, we must bear in mind that these changes are all rumors, though we’ve seen all the mentioned features going through testing of late, so all of this makes sense. The release date of February (for preview) and March is the nugget of info that needs more salt applied, but Bowden is one of the more reliable sources out there for info from Microsoft. It’s always possible that an intended timeframe might slip a bit, mind.

From what we’ve heard, this could be the last Moment update before the next-gen version of Windows is launched later in 2024. Whether that will be Windows 12, or something else (Windows AI?), or if Microsoft might stick with Windows 11 (making the upgrade version 24H2), we don’t yet know, but the theory is this might be the last Moment before that next big move arrives.

As per another of Bowden’s recent rumors, Microsoft is supposedly set to switch away from Moments, releasing fewer of these updates going forward, and making more changes and feature additions in the big annual upgrade. (And yes – in short, this is returning more to the way things used to be).

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Microsoft Store update brings a useful way to more easily find Windows 11 apps and games you’ll enjoy
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Windows 11 users are getting a rejig for the Microsoft Store to make it easier to find apps or games that might be relevant or interesting.

As posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Rudy Huyn, Principal Architect for the Microsoft Store, there’s a holiday update inbound for testers.

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This means that the store will no longer show apps and games installed on your device – or at least, it won’t show nearly as many – and will instead favor new apps and games that you might enjoy based on your past download history.

Hopefully, this adjustment won’t take long to arrive with a broader rollout to Windows 11 users who aren’t testers.

Note that the Microsoft Store did already show apps you might want to grab, it’s just that the balance has shifted more towards displaying these, rather than installed software.

Analysis: Another (small) step forward

This is another useful move for the Microsoft Store, as it’s not much help to show the user what they’ve already got installed on their PC. While we’re not keen on Microsoft’s ‘suggestions’ throughout Windows, in the case of an app store, recommendations can be more useful to glance at than a list of what you already know about.

That said, this change alone is obviously not going to do much in terms of persuading folks to use the Microsoft Store if they don’t bother with it. The move is hardly a major selling point in itself.

Still, Microsoft has been doing a lot of work on the store of late, and those improvements are building momentum. The store now loads up way faster, and we’ve seen meatier chunks of work, too. Most notably the introduction of AI (it’s getting everywhere) in the form of a dedicated hub for AI software – and also AI-generated review summaries.

The latter could be pretty handy indeed, as wading through a bunch of reviews isn’t much fun, so it’s a useful task where AI can do the proverbial grunt work.

Via Windows Central

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Meta’s Quest Pro can track now your tongue, but it’s not the update the headset needs most
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The Meta Quest Pro has received an unexpected update – its face tracking can now follow your tongue movements.

One of the main hardware upgrades featured in the Meta Quest Pro is face and eye tracking. Thanks to inbuilt cameras, the headset can track your facial features and translate your real-life movements onto a virtual avatar. Because it's perfectly mimicking your mouth flaps, nose twitches, and eye movements, the digital model can feel almost as alive as a real human at times – at least in my experience with the tech.

Unfortunately, this immersion can break down at points, as the tracking isn’t always perfect, with one fault many users noticed being that it can’t track your tongue. So if you wanted to tease one of your friends by sticking it out at them, or lick a virtual ice cream cone you couldn’t – until now.

Meta has released a new version of the face-tracking extension in its v60 SDK, which finally includes support for tongue tracking. Interestingly this support hasn’t yet been added to Meta avatars – so you might not see tongue-tracking in apps like Horizon Worlds – but it has already started to be added to third-party apps by developers.

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This includes developer Korejan (via UploadVR) who develops a VR Face Tracking module for ALXR – an alternative to apps like Virtual Desktop and Quest Link, which help you connect your headset to a PC. Korejan posted a clip of how it works on X (formerly Twitter). 

All the gear and nothing to do with it 

Meta upgrading its tech’s capabilities is never a bad thing, and we should see tongue-tracking rolling out to more apps soonish – especially once Meta’s own avatar SDK gets support for the feature. But this isn’t the upgrade the feature needs. Instead, face tracking needs to get into more people’s hands, and there needs to be more software that uses it.

Before the Meta Quest 3 was released I seldom used mixed reality – the only times I did were as part of any reviews or tests I did for my job. That’s changed a lot in the past few months, and I’d go as far as to say that mixed reality is sometimes my preferred way to play if there’s a choice between VR and MR.

One reason is that the Quest 3 offers significantly higher quality passthrough than the Quest Pro – it’s still not perfect, but the colors are more accurate, and the feed isn’t ruined by graininess. The other, far more important reason is that the platform is now brimming with software that offers mixed reality support, rather than only a few niche apps featuring mixed reality as an aside to the main VR experience.

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

Mixed reality is great, and more can use it thanks to the Quest 3 (Image credit: Meta)

Even though they’ve been out for the same length of time on Meta hardware, there isn’t the same support for face tracking or eye tracking. That’s despite all the talk before the Quest Pro released of how much realism these tools can add, and how much more efficiently apps could run using foveated rendering – a technique where VR software would only properly render the part of the scene you’re looking at with your eyes.

The big problem isn’t that face tracking isn’t good enough – if it can track your tongue it definitely is impressive – it’s (probably) the Quest Pro’s poor sales. Meta hasn’t said how well or badly the Pro has performed financially, but you don’t permanently cut the price of a product by a third just four months after launch if it’s selling like hotcakes – it fell from $ 1,500 / £1,500 / AU$ 2,450 to $ 999.99 / £999.99 / AU$ 1,729.99. And if not many people have this headset and its tracking tools, why would developers waste resources on creating apps that use them when they could work on something more people could take advantage of?

For face tracking to take off like mixed reality has it needs to be brought to Meta’s budget Quest line so that more people can access it, and developers are incentivized to create software that can use it. Until then, no matter how impressive it gets, face tracking will remain a fringe tool.

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Students take note: Windows 11 update reportedly has a bug that’s taking down Wi-Fi at universities
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Windows 11 just received a new cumulative update, but apparently Microsoft’s round of patching for December introduces a big problem for some students.

Windows Latest highlights reports from a number of students who are readers of the tech site – and universities themselves – about patch KB5033375 breaking Wi-Fi networks on campus.

Apparently, this isn’t happening to everyone by any means, but it is a serious glitch for some of those running Windows 11 who aren’t getting internet on their own laptop. As Brunel University London (UK), one of the affected unis, informs us, this isn’t happening with official university hardware, but BYOD notebooks (possibly because admins have already side-stepped the issue, perhaps?).

One theory from a system admin at a university, as Windows Latest points out, is that there may be a compatibility issue at play here (involving the Qualcomm QCA61x4a wireless adapter, and maybe others).

Another establishment to warn its students about the December update is the University of New Haven (Connecticut, US), which advises: “A recent Windows update released on 12/12/2023 has caused users to not be able to connect to the wireless networks. This update is known as KB5033375.”

Other reports are present on Reddit, with students in European countries being affected, and the issue seemingly pertaining to other Qualcomm wireless adapters.

Analysis: Update removal seems to be the only way forward, for now

In fairness to the December update, it does contain some useful fixes, including the solution to a longstanding problem with File Explorer randomly popping up on the desktop.

However, if you’re at university, any potential plus points here are likely to be outweighed by the danger of not being able to get on Wi-Fi, which is a nasty problem indeed.

A commonality here seems to be Qualcomm components, and the above mentioned Qualcomm QCA61x4a wireless adapter is a commonly used piece of hardware seen in notebooks such as the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3, Lenovo Yoga models, and many other laptops besides.

This problem also affects some business users, but for students, the only realistic way of resolving the bug is to uninstall the update, as the universities in question are recommending. (To do this, go to Windows Update in Settings, and click to view the Update History – that shows all the updates installed, and you can remove KB5033375 from here).

Hopefully Microsoft is looking into this one, and we’ve contacted the software giant to check if there’s an investigation underway. We’ll update this article if we hear anything back as to what’s going on here.

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Google Maps update to let you wipe out past searches and photos in one swoop
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Google Maps is getting a privacy update that gives users new ways to control their information on the platform. 

First, the app will begin collecting your recent activity into one central location where you can view places you’ve been to in the past, the date you went there, and the amount of time you spent visiting. You’ll be even able to “delete your searches, directions… and shares” in the same hub.

Looking at Google’s announcement, it appears you can delete each entry one by one or the whole thing altogether. A window will pop up on the screen letting you know what’s going to be thrown out. The data packet will include photos, reviews, feedback reports, saved lists, and more you’ve made about a location.

Tapping the blue dot on Google Maps will now bring up a settings menu for the Timeline and Location History features where you can see if either tool has been turned on as well as if the app has access to your device’s location. Timeline, if you’re not super familiar with it, uses data obtained from Location History to keep a record of all the places you’ve been to.

The deletion tool and the blue dot menu will start rolling out to Android and iOS phones over the coming weeks.

Saving the timeline

There is another update; however, it won’t come out until sometime next year. The upcoming feature allows people to save their Timeline recording directly onto their device instead of leaving it up on Google’s cloud. You are, of course, able to delete a part or all of your information at once, if you don’t want to leave a trace behind. Conversely, users can back up their data to the company servers at any time. Everything is encrypted, so no one, not even Google, can take a peek.

Location History is getting a small tweak. Its auto-delete function “will be set to three months by default” rather than 18 months as is currently the case. After that time passes, all saved information will be deleted. If you want to go back to the longer period, you can adjust at any time. 

It’s unknown exactly when the Timeline changes will roll out to Android or iOS in 2024, although Google states you will receive an account notification when it eventually arrives.

Google Maps is full of neat little tricks that most people are unaware of. If you want to know what they are, check out TechRadar's list of the 10 things you didn't know Google Maps could do.

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