Sandhya Gupta

Google To End Support for Windows 7, 8.1 in 2023

Google will stop Chrome support on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 from February 7, 2023, onwards.

Both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 won’t support Chrome 110, which is set to go live on February 7th. On Windows 7 and 8.1, earlier releases of Chrome will still work, but users will be unable to install updated builds, which will incorporate new enhancements and security upgrades.

Users of these operating systems won’t receive any new updates, but earlier Chrome versions will continue to work. Google advised transitioning to Windows 10 or Windows 11 in order to continue receiving Chrome updates. However, this may be challenging for those whose systems don’t support more modern versions of Microsoft’s operating system, companies that are still using Windows 7 or 8.1, and individuals who can’t afford to purchase a new computer.

Google had to eventually stop providing support, though. The company noted that its plan coincides with Microsoft’s decision to cease extended support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 from January 10th onwards. Microsoft officially stopped support for Windows 7 in 2011, although due to the product’s popularity, it provided additional years of extended support.

Google noted, “With the release of Chrome 110 (tentatively scheduled for February 7th, 2023), we’ll officially end support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. You’ll need to ensure your device is running Windows 10 or later to continue receiving future Chrome releases. This matches Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 7 ESU and Windows 8.1 extended support on January 10th, 2023.”

Data indicates that Windows 7 is still being used on a large number of devices, even though it was originally launched in 2009 and Microsoft formally ended support for it in 2020. As late as last year, it was estimated that at least 100 million PCs were still running Windows 7. That might pose a serious security concern because many users may soon have both an outdated operating system and a web browser.

According to a recent report, Google Chrome is the most vulnerable browser currently in use, with over 303 vulnerabilities and a combined total of 3,159 vulnerabilities as of 2022.

According to the report, the findings were based on information drawn from a database covering the period from January 1 to October 5. Of the five days in October, only Google Chrome had vulnerabilities, including CVE-2022-3318, CVE-2022-3314, CVE-2022-3311, CVE-2022-3309, and CVE-2022-3307. The CVE program monitored security vulnerabilities and weaknesses on various platforms. The report stated that the vulnerabilities could cause memory corruption in a system, however, the database does not provide information about them.

Google Chrome is a cross-platform web browser created by Google. It was created using open-source technologies from Mozilla Firefox and Apple WebKit. It was first made available in 2008 for Microsoft Windows. With a market share of almost 65 percent, Google Chrome is the most popular web browser, followed by Safari (18%) and Microsoft Edge (4.32%).

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Apple launched its new redesigned iCloud Web Interface

A new iCloud web interface has been released by Apple for beta testers. Apple has revamped its iCloud website at http://www.icloud.com. Even though the upgrade is still in beta, it is open to all users, so they may go to beta.icloud.com and sign in using their Apple ID account.

Users can access their apps and data like images, files, mail, contacts, and more, using iCloud.

Users will be led to the newly designed web-based iCloud interface after successfully logging in with their valid Apple ID credentials. The new interface has apps displayed as customizable tiles that resemble the widgets on an iPhone’s home screen.

All of Apple’s iCloud apps, including Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Photos, Drive, Reminders, Notes Pages, Keynote, Numbers, and Find My, are accessible quickly with this feature. Users can also monitor their iCloud Storage, iCloud Plan, and Data Recovery.

Customization is, of course, the main appeal of the new design. The preview page’s content can all be customized, exactly like the home screen on the iPhone. The redesign allows for customization; thus, a “+” will add objects to the screen display and a “-” would delete a tile already present.

As a result, users can change the tile size to suit their needs by making it smaller or larger. The re-design also makes iCloud+ tools like custom mail domains and Hide My Email easier to access. A “Data Recovery” tool can help users recover bookmarks, calendars, contacts, and iCloud Drive files that have been deleted in the last 30 days.

Although the majority of users won’t use the iCloud web interface as their primary interface, it might be useful for getting data when the user is using a non-Apple device or isn’t logged in. The apps’ user interfaces and functionalities are unchanged. Even though the revamped iCloud preview is still under beta testing, the limited amount of testing felt stable. There is no date for its official launch yet.

Recently Apple also started testing a significant revamp of the iCloud Mail web interface that more closely matched the design changes introduced in macOS Big Sur. With a sleeker UI and thicker icons, the new design resembled the Mail app on the Mac and iPad.

Recently Apple disclosed that it will be raising charges for certain of its services. Apple TV Plus will now cost two dollars more, and Apple Music will cost one dollar more. This is a risky move on the part of the company, especially given that the pricing of its music streaming service has remained the same since its launch in 2015.

Although many people will probably keep utilizing its services, the pricing shift might have a significant influence on the industry. Spotify recently announced that it will think about raising its subscription fee in the United States, but first, it needs to talk to its label partners.

Apple had quite a busy week with the release of new versions of macOS Ventura, iOS 16.1, iOS 16.2 beta, and iPadOS 16.1. In the past month, Apple launched new iPads, iPhones, Apple 4KTVs, and other products.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Apple’s new Mac Pro to come with 48 CPU core M2 chip

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Sandhya Gupta

According to rumors, the upcoming Mac Pro would feature chip alternatives “that are at least twice or four times as powerful” as the unreleased M2 Max. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple has accelerated testing of the new Mac Pro in anticipation of its expected release next year.

As per Gurman, the “M2 Ultra” and “M2 Extreme” in-house chips, which are newer and more potent, will be used in the machine. The two models include 256GB of memory, 76 and 152 GPU cores, and 24 and 48 CPU cores, respectively. The rumored M2 Max is anticipated to have 12 CPU cores and 38 GPU cores, in contrast to the base M2’s 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores.

Gurman also revealed a Mac Pro configuration that Apple is actively testing. The device has 192GB of memory, 24 CPU cores, and 76 GPU cores. It utilizes macOS Ventura 13.3, whose initial release is scheduled for this coming Monday. The $5,999 Mac Pro was last released by Apple in 2019, and it is scheduled for an upgrade soon.

Before Apple introduces the new Mac Pro, there may be an upgrade for the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros in addition to a new Mac mini. He claims that the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips will be featured in Apple’s most recent high-end laptops, whereas the Mac mini launch will feature the same M2 silicon as in the 2022 MacBook Air. Gurman also points out that Apple has also tested a Mac mini M2 Pro

This summer saw the debut of the first Apple M2 processor, which compared to the Apple M1 provided up to 35% higher performance in graphics tasks and up to 8% greater efficiency in multi-threaded CPU-focused operations.

With the introduction of the M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra chips, Apple expanded the M1 family, and it is anticipated that it will continue to expand the 5nm M2 range in a similar manner. The M1 Ultra, the top model in the Apple M1 line, included a 64-core GPU and a 20-core CPU.

The Apple M2 chip was introduced at WWDC 2022 and has since been incorporated into many of Apple’s product offerings. The new iPad Pro 2022 is the latest edition to the M2-powered family.

Apple’s new iPad Pro comes with an M2 chip along with the world’s most advanced mobile screen, professional camera, Thunderbolt, Face ID, and a four-speaker sound system. It also has a next-generation Apple Pencil hover experience.

While Apple Silicon has revitalized entry-level desktop Macs, MacBooks, and even iPads, Mac Pros are still limited to Intel architecture (max 24 CPU cores). However, if Gurman’s reporting is right, Apple has a major move planned for the Mac Pro.

Apple’s new Mac Pro is anticipated to launch sometime in the following year, and thanks to the company’s new M2-series CPUs, it may end up becoming the most powerful laptop the company has ever released.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Elon Musk changes plans, to not cut 75% of Twitter Jobs

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Sandhya Gupta

Elon Musk informed Twitter employees that he does not intend to fire 75% of the workforce after taking over the organization. According to reports, Musk informed potential investors that he would fire 75% of Twitter’s staff, leaving the company with only 2,000 employees.

Elon Musk, the tech magnate and incoming boss of Twitter, reportedly informed staff members on Wednesday that he does not intend to lay off 75% of the company’s workforce. Musk, whose $44 billion Twitter acquisition appears to be on pace to close by Friday, refuted the previously reported lay-off estimate in a speech to staff members at Twitter’s San Francisco office.

Twitter employees who may have been anxious following a story in The Washington Post last week suggesting that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had planned to fire 75% of Twitter’s workforce once he acquired control of the company would likely be relieved by Musk’s comments.

However, Twitter Inc. warned staff to expect loads of public rumors and speculation as the acquisition by Musk approaches and stated that there haven’t been any plans for company-wide layoffs since it inked the deal.

Nevertheless, there has been a noticeable air of sadness in the Twitter offices since Musk revealed his intentions to purchase the microblogging platform. Many high-level executives have already left the company since the acquisition was first revealed in April, citing Musk’s actions and public statements as the reason for their resignation.

As per the Washington Post report, regardless of who operates the company, workforce layoffs are anticipated in the near future, The report states that Twitter’s present management intended to reduce the corporation’s payroll by around $800 million by the end of 2023, which would result in the departure of close to a quarter of the employees.

Layoffs are still anticipated after the Tesla CEO’s takeover even if he does not lay off the company’s staff by 75%, sources have told Bloomberg. It was also reported that despite assurances from Twitter’s human resources department that mass layoffs were not in the works, substantial measures to fire employees and reduce infrastructure expenses were in place even before Musk made an acquisition offer.

Elon Musk released a video earlier on Thursday showing him entering the offices while holding a kitchen sink with the caption “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!” He updated the description of his Twitter profile to “Chief Twit.” Musk recently posted to Twitter, “A beautiful thing about Twitter is how it empowers citizen journalism – people are able to disseminate news without an establishment bias.”

As per the Wall Street Journal, banks have begun transferring $13 billion in cash to support Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, indicating that the transaction will complete by the end of this week.

The cash will be made accessible for Musk to complete the purchase by the Friday time limit once all closing requirements have been satisfied.

After making an initial $44 billion offer to purchase Twitter, Musk withdrew his offer, claiming that Twitter had overstated the number of bogus “spam bot” accounts it had on its platform.

Twitter sued to hold Musk to the stipulations of the acquisition agreement, but a US court recently put a halt on the case after Musk changed his opinion, and gave the parties time till October 28 to complete the acquisition.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Youtube to introduce new feature to zoom in and out while watching videos

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Sandhya Gupta

Youtube has revealed a number of visual adjustments and user interface (UI) modifications to make the application feel “cleaner, more lively,” and simpler to use for multiple purposes. The most significant update is the pinch-to-zoom feature, which lets users enlarge the playing screen to focus on particular details or components.

Google is updating the YouTube app with a fresh appearance and a number of new features that will make watching videos more engaging and modern. Youtube announced in a recent blog post that, in light of YouTube’s recent 17th birthday, it was thinking about giving it a little makeover While YouTube has made a lot of improvements and changes, the “pinch to zoom” feature and “video navigation” are the most significant ones.

The pinch-to-zoom feature will let viewers zoom in and out of Youtube videos on both mobile and desktop devices. Earlier YouTube users had to keep their fingertips on the screen for the video to remain zoomed in. Users may now watch the rest of the Youtube video in greater detail since the video will remain zoomed in unless prompted.

Youtube noted in a blog post, “You may now simply zoom in and out of a movie on your iOS or Android phone using pinch to zoom. When you let go, the video remains zoomed in so you may see the rest of it in more detail. Allow your fingers to rest!”

The platform also made modifications to the way videos are navigated. The “precise seeking” function displays a row of thumbnails anytime you move to a specific point in the video. If you’re viewing a tutorial or a lecture and want to jump to a specific section of the video, this is quite helpful.

Youtube mentioned in the blog post, “Precise seeking builds on our recent improvements to video navigation that help you quickly find the parts you’re most interested in. We launched the ability to long press anywhere on the player to seek and double tap with two fingers to skip chapters. We also added a graph that shows frequently replayed moments in a video.”

Links to YouTube in video descriptions will now become buttons. In order to reduce distractions, actions like “like,” “share,” and “download” have also been moved to the lower side. The corporation has given the subscription button more weight by highlighting it more, which is good news for creators.

The subscription button is now visible to users in a white oval box right next to the creator’s name. The update also includes an ambient mode, which adds a soft effect just beneath a video. This feature will be available on both mobile and desktops in the dark theme.

To make the colors on the screen stand out more, Youtube has also updated and slightly darkened the dark theme. The color of hashtags on YouTube has also changed from blue to white, but their functionality and placement have not altered.

Although Pinch-to-Zoom in particular is a useful and major upgrade to the platform’s overall UI, all the other changes are relatively minor. It will be fascinating to observe how the other updates affect in-app engagement and clip finding actions even though they are expected to have less effect on the apps functionality.

Recently, YouTube debuted its brand-new “Unique Handles” feature, which gives users and creators a distinct handle ID that can be utilized to identify them.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Apple iPhone 15 Series To Have USB-C Charging Port

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Sandhya Gupta

Apple has confirmed that the USB-C charging port will be used in place of the conventional Lightning port on the next iPhone 15 series when it launches.

Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup suggests that it is prepared for the significant shift to type C. On September 6, 2022, Apple unveiled its latest lineup of iPhone 14, but speculations about the upcoming series have already begun. According to the latest reports, Apple will finally transition to Type C charging ports with the new iPhone 15 series.

With its upcoming iPhone 15 lineup in Europe, Apple is most likely to substitute a type C charging port for its lighting port, which has been in use for over ten years now. Recently, a regulation was established in the European Union requiring all smartphone manufacturers to switch to USB Type C ports by the year 2024.

Apple is now the only significant brand in the smartphone industry that does not adhere to this USB standard.

Apple’s Joswiak revealed at a WSJ tech event that Apple will have to embrace the USB-C connection for its upcoming iPhones. The confirmation follows the EU’s decision in favor of a universal charging connector for all devices.

Reports suggest that the iPhone 15 lineup from Apple will feature four new models with two distinct processors to distinguish between entry-level and premium models. All four models will come with USB-C charging port.

According to speculations, the iPhone 15 Pro models could have enhanced 8GB RAM. The upgraded RAM is added to complement Apple’s new processor. A periscope lens is anticipated for the new iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Although Apple is developing its own 5G modem, the new iPhone 15 range won’t use it yet. This may be used for later models that debut in 2024. The iPhone 15 series will continue with the use of the existing Qualcomm modem.

It is also speculated that the 6.1-inch basic iPhone model is expected to be discontinued when the iPhone 15 series debuts in 2023. A rumor from Gizmochina claims that Apple would probably release an ‘Ultra’ iPhone model boasting a few distinctive features in 2023.

Many people voiced their displeasure with the new iPhone 15 Ultra model on Twitter in response to the rumor. According to LeaksApplePro, the upcoming iPhone 15 Ultra, would have a premium titanium body.

Before the announcement of the iPhone 14 series, it was speculated that hat the Pro versions in this line-up would also have titanium bodies, however, this did not materialize. Titanium-built phones are incredibly rare and will contribute to the product’s improved appearance.

According to a report, Apple has been continually assessing the popularity of the iPhone 14 Plus. Some iPhone manufacturing partners have been asked by the company to stop producing the iPhone 14 Plus right away.

Apple has also contacted two component suppliers to reduce manufacturing by up to 90%. The iPhone 14 Plus is reportedly not as well-liked by users as Apple had anticipated.

The popularity of the iPhone 14 has reportedly decreased. Apple appears to be concentrating on bringing a variety of modifications to the new iPhone 15 series right now.

Along the lines of the EU, India is also considering imposing a rule that would require tech firms to have a common standard charger, including USB-C, by 2024.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

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