Tech News Weekly: Issue 42
About money, control, user privacy and pros and cons of buying refurbished
Next week, I will be visiting Edinburgh and may have a little bit less for writing the weekly news summary. Weather looks truly Scottish, so this may give me some time to prepare the post..
News
Operating Systems
Microsoft revealed this week that Windows 11 version 23H2 will be a smaller update that will install similarly to the Windows 10 version 21H2 to 22H2 update. While that is refreshing to hear for system administrators, it also means that users should not expect a whole new array of features or improvements.
Linux Mint 21.2 is now available. The release introduces several visual changes, support for AVIF/HEIC and more in the release that is supported until 2027.
Mobile
TikTok users on iOS may now use Passkeys for logins. Passkeys are generated on the local device and used for authentication. They do not require a password anymore and are considered more secure because of that (and other features).
Android 14 will ship with a new feature for app stores that allows them to claim ownership over application installs. If such an app is updated using other means, e.g., by sideloading or using a different store, a prompt is displayed to the user to verify this.
WhatsApp accounts may be deactivated by anyone using a simple email. All that is required is the account’s linked mobile phone number.
Browser
Mozilla’s Firefox web browser is now beating Google Chrome at its own game: speed. The latest performance benchmarks using Speedometer show that Firefox surpassed Chrome for the very first time. Speedometer is a popular browser benchmark that measures Web performance.
Google has released Chrome 115 to the Stable channel. It fixes 20 security issues, none exploited in the wild, rolls out new side panel tools (Search and Read Mode), and more.
Google is pushing its Privacy Sandbox in Chrome that gives it even more control over advertising. Privacy Sandbox is an euphemism, as its main purpose is to continue tracking users, albeit on the group level now, instead of the individual user level.
Chrome users may turn off the Privacy Sandbox in Chrome right now.
Privacy and Security
All organizations and businesses who create new developer accounts on Google Play, and in the future existing accounts as well, will have to acquire a D-U-N-S ID for verification going forward. Google hopes that the move will reduce spam and malicious activity on Google Play further. Non-business developers do not need this, however.
Researchers at Cisco have discovered thousands of malicious drivers for Windows that fake their timestamps to bypass protections introduced in Windows 10 version 1607.
AdGuard ran an interesting experiment to find out if ChatGPT version 4 is better at ads-blocking than humans. The makers of AdGuard looked at the capabilities of the Chrome extension GPT-AdBlocker.
Software Releases and Updates
Nvidia released driver 536.67 for its video cards this week. The new driver version adds support for the GeForce RTX Ti 16GB, DLSS 3 support for Portal: Prelude RTX and Ratched & Clank: Rift Apart, and DLSS 2 support for Remnant II.
Bing Chat supports Visual Search now. Announced by Microsoft on its official blog, the new feature lets users upload images to Bing Chat to find related content on the web. Bing Chat can “understand the context of an image, interpret it, and answer questions about it” according to Microsoft.
Google has launched Bard in Europe and Brazil officially. Google’s AI answer to Bing Chat may now be accessed without VPN from these regions. The update introduced support for more than 40 languages to Bard as well.
Microsoft is changing the default font of Microsoft 365 from Calibri to Aptos. Calibri remains available, but Aptos will be the default font once the change has rolled out to the entire customer base.
Gaming and Entertainment
DeepSID is an online SID player. SID was the audio chip of the Commodore 64, a popular home computer in the 80s. The online player offers access to some of the largest music collections for the C-64, including High Voltage’s SID collection, featuring music from games, demos and more.
The Internet Archive has updated its Flash emulation technology to support multi-swf Flash, mute/unmute and screen resizes based on the information provided by the animation. You can check out the library on the site here.
DirectStorage 1.2 in Ratched and Clank: Rift Apart allowed the developers to drop the SSD requirement on PC. The port of the PS5 game by Nixxes is one of the first, Nixxes claims it is the first, that utilizes DirectStorage 1.2 on PC.
Hardware
Corsair, creator of computer hardware and peripherals, has acquired Drop. Drop, established in 2011, is also selling a range of “peripherals and enthusiast products”, including “customized DIY keyboards, aftermarket designer keycaps, and desktop accessories”.
Logitech acquired Louepdeck, a Stream Deck competitor that develops editing consoles that streamers and creative professionals use.
Intel and ASUS have come to an agreement “to manufacture, sell and support the Next Unit of Compute (NUC) 10th to 13th generations systems product line, and to develop future NUC systems designs”. The agreement comes just a week after news broke that Intel decided to stop investments in Intel NUC.
Other
WordPress Playground runs entirely in the browser. It is available here and may be used without account. All changes are temporary in nature and everything is reset after a page reload.
Microsoft announced the price that Enterprise customers and businesses have to pay to gain access to Microsoft Office Copilot. Customers have to pay $30 per user and month on top of what they are already paying to access the feature.
Reddit has migrated its chat and messaging infrastructure recently. The company made the decision to migrate data from 2023 only, which means that many users have lost access to chats and messages from previous years. There is a way to regain access to this though, albeit only by requesting a data export or by using Reddit Old.
Article(s)
Refurbished Laptops: advantages and disadvantages
Buying a refurbished laptop can be an affordable way to get a functional computer, but there are both advantages and disadvantages to consider before making a purchase.
A refurbished laptop is one that has been used for some time before it was either returned or sold to a company that is specialized in refurbishing electronic devices.
Companies like Apple or Samsung offer certified refurbished devices, but there are also third-parties that specialize in refurbishing devices. The main difference between buying used and refurbished is that the latter usually includes inspection, repairs and testing, while the former does not.
The pros
On the plus side, refurbished laptops can offer significant cost savings compared to buying a brand new model. The lower price is often the biggest motivation for choosing a refurbished machine. Depending on the make, model, and condition, a refurbished laptop can cost hundreds less than a new one with similar specs. This makes refurbished laptops appealing for budget-conscious shoppers like students or anyone else looking for good value.
Along with the lower price point, refurbished laptops have often been inspected, tested, and repaired as needed by the retailer or manufacturer. So in some cases, they may actually be in better working order than a brand new laptop right out of the box. Many retailers also include a limited warranty with a refurbished laptop to provide some protection in case any issues pop up down the road. And there are options to add an extended warranty for further peace of mind.
There are also environmental benefits to choosing refurbished. By extending the usable lifespan of electronics that have already been manufactured, refurbishing and reselling prevents e-waste and reduces the demand for brand new resources to be used. So for environmentally-minded consumers, buying refurbished is a great way to minimize impacts.
The cons
However, there are some potential disadvantages that should also be weighed when considering a refurbished laptop. For one, the condition can vary substantially between different refurbished machines depending on age, usage, how it was refurbished, etc. While many refurbisher provide ratings, not all do. So it may be difficult to know what kind of shape it is actually in until you receive it. There is a risk of getting a laptop that has underlying problems or develops issues sooner than expected.
The specs and hardware may also be outdated on a refurbished laptop if it is an older model. So performance and capabilities may not be up to par with a newer machine. For users who need a computer for resource-heavy tasks like gaming, video editing, programming etc., an older refurbished laptop may not fit the bill. Limited upgrade capabilities could also restrict the long-term usefulness and lifespan of the machine.
A device’s battery, and to a lesser extent storage, can also be problematic in refurbished devices, especially if it can’t be replaced. Since refurbished devices have been used already, some batteries may have deteriorated already as a consequence.
There is also typically a shorter or more limited warranty from the manufacturer on refurbished laptops vs. new models. So if you do end up with a faulty device, there may not be as much recourse or support. Post-purchase maintenance and repairs can be more difficult and expensive, which diminishes some of the upfront cost savings of going refurbished.
And there is the stigma or perception by some that refurbished electronics are inherently flawed or inferior to new ones. So buying refurbished may hold less prestige or resale value down the line if you eventually want to sell or trade the laptop for an upgrade. Though functionally there is often little difference in real-world performance.
In summary, buying a refurbished laptop can be a smart money-saving strategy if you get a fully-functional device in good working order. But there are risks of getting an unreliable computer with limited support. Evaluating the retailer, warranty, specs, and condition first is advised. For the right user with realistic expectations on capabilities and lifespan, a refurbished laptop can certainly get the job done on a budget. But a new laptop may prove a better investment for those who can afford the higher initial cost and want maximum lifespan and peace of mind. Weighing your specific needs and priorities is key in determining if going the refurbished route is the right choice.
Links
'Breakthrough' geothermal tech produces 3.5 megawatts of carbon-free power
Hayao Miyazaki’s How Do You Live is a beautiful relic — and the end of an era
How food companies ‘sweetened the world’ – and increased the risk of disease
Numbers without which it's impossible to talk about weight loss
The shady world of Brave selling copyrighted data for AI training