ISSUE 23.32 • 2026-08-10 SILICON By Matthew S. Smith If you, like me, became familiar with PCs in the late 1980s or 1990s, then you no doubt have the blue Intel Inside logo seared into your brain. You may even occasionally reminisce about people dancing in bunny suits. Even though  the competence of Intel’s marketing […]

PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston Realistic-looking videos that are the most-often recommended by the popular TikTok social media app regarding health care contain no real people 40 percent of the time, a new analysis of the site’s mini-movies has found. Many of TikTok’s top-rated videos on every topic are AI-generated but look exactly like actual […]

WINDOWS 11 By Martin Brinkmann Quick Machine Recovery auto-fixes Windows boot loops via the cloud, but granting Microsoft pre-boot control carries hidden risks. Here is the deep dive on how to manage it. Two years ago, the IT world stopped spinning. The July 2024 CrowdStrike disaster caused Blue Screens of Death on millions of computer […]

TAME YOUR TECH By Susan Bradley As my dad turns 98 years young today, I am reminded that technology is deeply integrated into his daily life. Yet, much of this daily tech is not geared toward his needs. Although he is — thankfully — not in an assisted-living space, we have friends who are. They […]

On August 6, 2026, Apple released Updates for macOS Tahoe 26.6.1, macOS Sequoia 15.7.9, macOS Sonoma 14.8.9. Only eleven days ago, Apple released a massive number of patches for vulnerabilities in their various Operating Systems. They are once again pushing out updates to cover security issues without waiting for the next version change, and saying […]

ISSUE 23.31.1 • 2026-08-06 By Susan Bradley The upcoming August updates include several promised fixes for Windows Search. The August updates will include several fixes, a few of which specifically target Search. I anticipate that the August updates will also bring a bumper crop of other vulnerabilities being patched, so I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level […]

I’m sure you’ve seen the news that there have been recent cyber-attacks from external attackers on various water systems in the United States.  Just the other day, PG&E changed out the gas smart meter at my home. All these smart devices provide a ton of benefit but also the potential for risk. Does your local […]

The latest release of Firefox 153.0.3 includes several enhancements: Smart Window includes: The suggestion list now shows more results, making it easier to find history and switch to open tabs. (Bug 2019042) The assistant can now answer questions directly using web search results from Exa, instead of handing off to a search engine. (Bug 2046183, Bug […]

ISSUE 23.31 • 2026-08-03 ACCESSBILITY By Will Fastie Tesla’s Full Self-driving (FSD) capability affects more than everyday convenience. It’s a little jolting to realize that the then-called Tesla Motors was founded in 2003, 23 years ago. You don’t need me to tell you about the success of the company, which I consider unmarred by recent […]

WINDOWS 11 By Mary Branscombe Changes to File Explorer might show that Microsoft is serious about listening to users — and fixing Windows 11. The Windows Insider program has been through a lot of changes over the years. At its best, it has been a supportive community the Windows team has paid attention to for […]

FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT By Deanna McElveen I think my goal in life is to sit back in my easy chair, eat cherry cordials, and do all my computer work with one hand. RightClickTools by our good friend Les Ferch is getting me a little closer to that goal. If you’ve been reading my articles for a […]

ON SECURITY By Susan Bradley OpenAI’s recent attack on another company’s cloud instances reminds me that sometimes we forget the basics. As we understand the situation at the moment, OpenAI’s test platform was meant to be isolated and not connected to the Internet. But because it needed to download certain items, it was given read-only […]

If you missed it the other day, SANS has a recording of its recent live-panel discussion of the OpenAI/Hugging Face breach. It points to nine questions to ask your security teams. But what about us as users of all of these systems where we don’t have a lot of control? For me, it gets back […]

In the news: Microsoft reported blowout fiscal Q4 2026 earnings today, and the stock is jumping hard in after-hours trading. Here ae the headlines: Revenue: $90.0 billion, up 18% year-over-year, well above the roughly $87.6 billion analysts expected Net income: $35.8 billion (GAAP), up 31%; diluted EPS of $4.81 GAAP / $4.74 adjusted, versus a […]

Cash may be king but pay-over-time is the new way that many manufacturers are getting around the sticker shock of technology. Apple announced its version just yesterday. Microsoft has long had a business Surface leasing program called LiftForward. And, of course, you can always pay for your cell phone over time through a phone company. […]

On July 27, 2026, Apple released Updates for macOS Tahoe 26.6, macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8,  iOS/iPadOS 26.6, watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6. HomePod 26.6. Safari 26.6 was also released for Sequoia and Sonoma. After the rushed patching of the v26 OSs on June 29th, Apple has once again released a multitude of security patches […]

ISSUE 23.30.1 • 2026-07-28 By Susan Bradley • Comment about this alert Today, I want to tell you that I’m less worried about the side effects of this month’s security updates from Windows, Apple, and Linux distros. I’m more concerned about security in the AI industry in general. July saw the first side effects of […]

ISSUE 23.30 • 2026-07-27 FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT By Deanna McElveen I was never a big fan of Microsoft’s built-in Sticky Notes nor its forced “upgrade” to the bloated and slow Sticky Notes New. I don’t want integrations with other programs. Stop mushing everything together, Microsoft. I don’t like my food to touch! Note: Thank you, Rick, […]

PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston Millions of people around the world have installed Internet-connected “security cameras” to monitor foot traffic around their homes and offices. Unfortunately, many of these video devices make it easy for unwanted persons to see your live feed and record whatever comes into view. It’s convenient to know who’s at your […]

MICROSOFT 365 By Peter Deegan Microsoft recently extended the Windows 10 ESU plan until October 2027. What you might not realize is that neither Microsoft 365 updates nor Office updates are part of the ESU offering. Office 2021 support ends in mere months. Microsoft’s original plan was to offer the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates […]