ReportWire

Tag: Windows

  • Lenovo’s Latest Yoga 9i Doesn’t Change Much, but That’s a Good Thing

    Lenovo’s Latest Yoga 9i Doesn’t Change Much, but That’s a Good Thing

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    The 9i offers excellent usability with gently concave keys that have plenty of travel, a responsive touchpad, and the flexibility to flip the screen around and put the laptop in an inverted-V tent shape or lay it flat for the full tablet experience. A simple stylus is included for those looking to do more detailed work. I found typing to be a breeze, and nothing has changed about the chassis design either, which is all rounded edges and corners, weighing in at a svelte 2.4 pounds and measuring 18 mm thick.

    As for performance, Intel’s latest chip is giving all manner of laptops a leg up, but as has been the case with most of the devices I’ve tested of late, power hasn’t exactly shot through the roof. My benchmark scores were mixed across the range of general business and graphics-focused apps, ultimately turning in slightly above-average numbers compared to the field of similarly equipped devices.

    Photograph: Best Buy

    Battery life, however, is a significant concern. While Gilbertson achieved double-digit hours of running time in 2023, my YouTube test saw the laptop dying after just under seven hours. This is a real disappointment for a machine of this size, so much so that I ran the test a couple of times to verify I hadn’t messed something up. The score held. Bizarrely, the 9i is also quite slow to boot; I clocked a lengthy 38 seconds to reach a state of usability—more than double the typical booting time for a 2024 laptop—and that doesn’t include the time it takes to figure out where the power button is.

    At $1,450, the 2024 Yoga 9i is fairly priced, though I wouldn’t be averse to suggesting you keep your eyes open for a sale or two. Still, even at list price, it remains, just like Lenovo itself said, as tried and true as ever.

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    Christopher Null

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  • HP’s New Elitebook Laptop Has the Best Battery of All Copilot+ PCs We’ve Tested

    HP’s New Elitebook Laptop Has the Best Battery of All Copilot+ PCs We’ve Tested

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    Say what you want about the creative power of AI in the new Microsoft Copilot+ PCs, with its new EliteBook Ultra G1q, HP says, “Why not take it to the office?”

    This is a laptop that’s all business—an “atmospheric blue” (not black) 14-inch clamshell, with nothing in the way of design frills aside from a silvery HP logo on top and a row of half-height function keys that are a bit lighter in color. Oh, and there’s a baby blue power button! Never accuse Hewlett-Packard of not knowing how to have a little fun, even in the corner office.

    The feature list here is a familiar one for the Copilot+ PC market, though the specs on this machine are surprisingly entry-level. The slower Snapdragon X Elite X1E78100 serves as the CPU, backed by 16 GB of RAM and a 512-GB solid-state drive. The 14-inch touchscreen resolution sits at an oddball 2,240 x 1,400 pixels, a step down from the 2,880 x 1,800 resolution that has become the prevailing standard for machines with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Port selection isn’t impressive either, with two USB-C ports (one specified at Thunderbolt-class 40 Gbps, the other at 10 Gbps) and a single USB-A port. Contrast that with the Asus Vivobook S 15, which has two fast USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, and a microSD card reader.

    Photograph: Christopher Null

    At 18 millimeters thick, the machine cuts a svelte profile, but its 3-pound weight is on the high end for 14-inch laptops. That’s surely in part due to the tough aluminum chassis—50 percent recycled, and the keycaps are made of 50 percent plastic—and it’s also clear that the laptop has been designed to be beaten up a little bit: tossed in a shoulder bag, abused on an airplane’s tray table. If nothing else, the EliteBook certainly feels sturdy enough to hit the road with you without worry of damage.

    Alas, the fairly low-end specs under the hood beget disappointing performance, and across the board, the EliteBook turned in the lowest benchmark scores among Copilot+ PCs I’ve tested to date. The delta isn’t huge—2 percent slower than the Microsoft Surface Pro on broad CPU-focused workloads, and slower by up to 10 percent on most graphics tests—but it’s measurable, and sometimes noticeable on tasks such as Live Captions, which had trouble keeping up with faster-moving speech. As expected, the EliteBook has the same lingering compatibility issues as other Qualcomm Snapdragon-based laptops that utilize the ARM architecture, which I explain in broader detail here.

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    Christopher Null

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  • How One Bad CrowdStrike Update Crashed the World’s Computers

    How One Bad CrowdStrike Update Crashed the World’s Computers

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    That deeper access also introduces a far higher possibility that security software—and updates to that software—will crash the whole system, says Matthieu Suiche, head of detection engineering at the security firm Magnet Forensics. He compares running malicious code detection software at the kernel level of an operating system to “open-heart surgery.”

    Yet it’s nonetheless surprising that a kernel driver update would be able to cause such a massive global computer crash, says Costin Raiu, who worked at Russian security software firm Kaspersky for 23 years and led its threat intelligence team before leaving the company last year. During his years at Kaspersky, he says, driver updates for Windows software were closely scrutinized and tested for weeks before they were pushed out.

    More importantly, they require that Microsoft also vet the code and cryptographically sign it, suggesting that Microsoft, too, may well have missed whatever bug in CrowdStrike’s Falcon driver triggered this outage. “It’s surprising that with the extreme attention paid to driver updates, this still happened,” says Raiu, “One simple driver can bring down everything. Which is what we saw here.”

    Microsoft did not return requests for comment about update oversight and whether the Azure outage and CrowdStrike situation have any connection. However, a Microsoft spokesperson says the “CrowdStrike update was responsible for bringing down a number of IT systems globally.”

    Raiu adds that even so, CrowdStrike is far from the only security firm to trigger Windows crashes with a driver update. Updates to Kaspersky and even Windows’ own built-in antivirus software Windows Defender have caused similar “Blue Screen of Death” crashes in years past, he notes. “Every security solution on the planet has had their CrowdStrike moments,” Raiu says. “This is nothing new but the scale of the event.”

    Cybersecurity authorities around the world have issued alerts about the disruption, but have similarly been quick to rule out any nefarious activity by hackers. “The NCSC assesses that these have not been caused by malicious cyber attacks,” Felicity Oswald, the CEO of the UK’s National Cyber Security Center said. Officials in Australia have come to the same conclusion.

    Nevertheless, the impact has been sweeping and dramatic. Around the world, the outages have been spiraling as companies, public bodies, and IT teams race to fix bricked machines, which involves manually taking machines through a series of corrective steps including rebooting. In the UK, Israel, and Germany, healthcare services and hospitals saw systems they use to communicate with patients disrupted and canceled some appointments. Emergency services in the US using 911 have reportedly had problems with their lines too. In the earliest hours of the outages, some TV stations, including Sky News in the UK, stopped live new broadcasts.

    Global air travel has been one of the most impacted sectors so far. Huge lines formed at airports around the world, with one airport in India using handwritten boarding passes. In the US, Delta, United, and American Airlines grounded all flights at least temporarily, with a dramatic graphic showing air traffic plummeting above the US.

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    Lily Hay Newman, Matt Burgess, Andy Greenberg

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  • Huge Microsoft Outage Linked to CrowdStrike Takes Down Computers Around the World

    Huge Microsoft Outage Linked to CrowdStrike Takes Down Computers Around the World

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    Banks, airports, TV stations, hotels, and countless other businesses are all facing widespread IT outages, leaving flights grounded and causing widespread disruption, after Windows machines have displayed errors worldwide.

    In the early hours of Friday, companies in Australia running Microsoft’s Windows operating system started reporting devices showing Blue Screens of Death (BSODs). Shortly after, reports of disruptions started flooding in from around the world, including from the UK, the Netherlands, and the US: TV station Sky News went offline, and US airlines United, Delta, and American Airlines issued a “global ground stop” on all flights.

    The widespread Windows outages have been linked to a software update from cybersecurity giant ​​Crowdstrike. It is not believed the issues are linked to a malicious cyberattack. Engineers from the company posted to the company’s Reddit forum that it has seen “widespread reports of BSODs on Windows hosts” occurring across its software, is working on the problem, and has advised a workaround for impacted systems.

    The incident, so far, appears to only be impacting devices running Windows and not other operating systems. It is unclear exactly how widespread the issues are and how long they will take to resolve. Microsoft and Crowdstrike did not immediately respond to WIRED’s requests for comment on the outage.

    However, the incident could result in “millions” being lost by organizations impacted who have had to halt their operations or stop business, says Lukasz Olejnik, an independent cybersecurity consultant, who says the Crowdstrike update appears to be linked to its Falcon Sensor product. The Falcon system is part of Crowdstrike’s security tools and can block attacks on systems, according to the company.

    “It reminds us about our dependence on IT and software,” Olejnik says. “When a system has several software systems maintained by various vendors, this is equivalent to placing trust on them. They may be a single point of failure—like here, when various firms feel the impact.”

    This is a developing story and is being updated with new information.

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    Matt Burgess

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  • Which Microsoft Surface Is Best for You?

    Which Microsoft Surface Is Best for You?

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    It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, but you can save some cash and go with the Snapdragon X Plus (the 15-inch model only comes with the Elite). I tested the Elite, and the performance has been perfectly smooth no matter how many windows, tabs, and apps I have open. This is not a machine for graphics-intensive tasks, like video editing or gaming, but it’s perfectly capable of powering all the usual kinds of tasks most people do on a laptop.

    It’s worth noting that these are ARM-based processors, meaning traditional Windows apps built for the x86 Intel architecture will require native ARM versions to be truly optimized for the system. There are tons of native ARM apps available already, including Microsoft’s own suite of apps, Google Chrome, Spotify, and Zoom. If you use more niche Windows apps, check if there’s an ARM version or if it will work with Microsoft’s Prism translation layer, which allows these nonnative apps to run.

    The native apps worked fine for the most part, though I had one hiccup with Zoom where I could only enter meetings through a direct link. Nonnative apps like Telegram and Slack also gave me no trouble. One of the benefits of ARM processors is battery life, and it’s excellent here on the Surface Laptop. After about six to seven hours, at 50 percent brightness, I still had between 20 and 30 percent left.

    The AI features aren’t as innovative as Microsoft claims them to be. I found it tough to incorporate any into my daily workflow. Cocreator (which uses generative AI to deliver an enhanced image of your drawing) struggled to fully match the prompts I’d type in and feels awkward to use without a stylus; Live Captions, which gives instant real-time translation across video and audio calls as well as movies, was accurate for the most part but had a hard time keep up with quick dialog; Eye Contact via Windows Studio Effects, the AI-powered camera features, didn’t work at all and instead made my pupils look weird. The most practical feature is Recall, which uses large language models to help pull up anything you’ve seen or done on your PC with a search query, but it’s been delayed due to major privacy issues.

    You shouldn’t buy this laptop for any of those AI features. It’s a solid machine if you’re looking for a lightweight and reliable Windows PC with good battery life. It can get expensive though—the base model 13-inch Surface Laptop with the Snapdragon X Elite (with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage) starts at $1,400 and the highest configuration (with a Snapdragon X Elite, 64 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of storage) comes out to $2,400. If you don’t need that much power, the model equipped with the Snapdragon X Plus model (along with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage) for $1,000 should be plenty for most.

    Specs to look for: 13-inch, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, 16 GB of RAM, 512-GB SSD

    Best 2-in-1 Laptop

    The Surface Pro (11th Edition) (6/10, WIRED Review) features the original Surface design. The 13-inch 2-in-1 tablet and laptop hybrid comes with a built-in kickstand, though the keyboard remains a separate purchase. You get the same two USB-C connectors as before along with Microsoft’s Surface Connect charging port. It’s still awkward to use in a lap, but on a desk, the new Flex Keyboard is an excellent (and pricey) upgrade—you can use the keyboard and Surface separately, so you can space your setup out a little.

    It comes equipped with a front-facing 12-MP camera with Windows Studio Effects along with a rear-facing 10-MP camera. WIRED contributor Chris Null encountered an issue with the trackpad, which would frequently stop working when the laptop woke up from sleep. Detaching and reattaching the keyboard from the screen helped, as well as using the touchscreen to select a field to type something into, but hopefully, a software update can fix this.

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    Brenda Stolyar, Scott Gilbertson

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  • The Best Tablets for Work and Play

    The Best Tablets for Work and Play

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    We test tons of tablets every year. Here are a few others we like, just not as much as our picks above.

    iPad Mini (2021, 6th Gen) for $469: Want something a little bigger than your phone, but still pocketable and easy to travel with? The 8.3-inch iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED Recommends) should be up your alley. You get a compact tablet with a modern look. It has the A15 Bionic processor, the same powering the iPhone 13 range, and Touch ID embedded inside the power button. It also features Center Stage in the camera, which will adjust the frame to keep you in the shot, and USB-C for charging. It’s unbelievably small and cute, and you can attach the second-gen Apple Pencil to it for on-the-go sketching. It’s worth noting that Apple is expected to announce a successor either in September or early 2025, so if you are in no rush, it’s worth waiting.

    Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus for $529: The Galaxy Tab S9 FE is the “Fan Edition” version of the flagship Tab S9 series, which essentially means it makes some sacrifices for a more palatable price. It comes in a Plus and standard variant—I tested the former—and both include a stylus. It performed much better than the older Tab S7 FE tablet I tested, with not many stutters. The 12.4-inch LCD screen is vast and a rarity to find at this price in the world of Android tablets, but it’s a bit tricky to comfortably hold, especially when you’re browsing apps in bed. I still prefer the OnePlus Pad and Pixel Tablet over it, especially at this price.

    Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series for $600: Whether it’s the Tab S8, Tab S8+, or Tab S8 Ultra, it’s always smart to buy the previous flagship tablets when they go on sale. (Make sure you don’t pay MSRP!) They’re not that different from the newer Tab S9 series, except the smallest slate is stuck with an LCD panel here instead of AMOLED, and there is no IP68 water resistance rating. You still get a stylus that magnetically sticks to the back of the tablet, Samsung’s DeX mode to get some work done, and long software support.

    Barnes & Noble Nook 9-Inch Lenovo Tablet for $150: Want a cheap Android tablet with the Google Play Store (aka, not an Amazon Fire Tablet)? Check out the new Nook from Lenovo and Barnes & Noble (6/10, WIRED Review). It runs Android 13 and isn’t a very powerful machine, but it’s adequate for browsing social media, reading, and catching up on some shows.

    TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G for $240: You can only buy this TCL slate if you are a Verizon customer, which is disappointing, but it’s an otherwise pretty nice Android tablet for the money. The star of the show here is TCL’s Nxtpaper technology, which offers a matte, glare-free display that’s easy on the eyes. It does have a backlight, unlike some previous versions, so you can use it in any lighting. Performance has been pretty solid overall, I haven’t seen too much lag as I browse the web or scroll through Instagram, and it has excellent standby battery life. The 5G option is a nice touch if you want connectivity wherever you go.

    TCL Tab Pro 5G Android Tablet for $400: This model is slightly older but it has better specs, with a 2K-resolution LCD screen. Its speakers are nice, as is performance—it ran all the usual apps just fine. However, the 10-inch screen size isn’t large enough to make some apps split into two columns when in a vertical orientation. At least you get a fingerprint scanner. It’s only available through Verizon.

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    Julian Chokkattu

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  • Microsoft Faces EU Charges Over ‘Abusive’ Bundling

    Microsoft Faces EU Charges Over ‘Abusive’ Bundling

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    Brussels has accused Microsoft of illegally abusing its dominance in the business-software market at the expense of smaller rivals, following a complaint at the height of the pandemic by US competitor Slack.

    The European Commission said on Tuesday it found that Microsoft was restricting competition by selling its video-conferencing software Teams together in bundles with the company’s other popular office tools such as Office 365 and Microsoft 365 since at least 2019.

    “We are concerned that Microsoft may be giving its own communication product Teams an undue advantage over competitors, by tying it to its popular productivity suites for businesses,” the EU’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. “If confirmed, Microsoft’s conduct would be illegal under our competition rules.” The charges announced on Tuesday are only a “preliminary view,” meaning the commission has sent a “statement of objections” to Microsoft and the company has 10 weeks once it receives all the details to respond.

    The Microsoft charges arrive in the same week as the European Commission also charged Apple with breaking the European Union’s new digital markets act for failing to let app developers communicate freely with their users. Over the past decade, the EU has become the de facto Big Tech regulator, forcing US giants to alter the way they operate and issuing fines of billions of dollars.

    In an attempt to placate Brussels, Microsoft started excluding Teams from some Office bundles in July of last year. However, the commission said today that those changes were insufficient and expressed concern about how easy it was to use rival conferencing software in tandem with Microsoft’s other tools, a practice known as interoperability.

    “Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, in a statement shared with WIRED. The company plans to work to find solutions to address the commission‘s remaining concerns, he added.

    If Microsoft and the EU cannot reach an agreement, the commission has the power to levy fines of up to 10 percent of the company’s annual worldwide turnover and can impose remedies on the company.

    The commission opened its investigation into Microsoft Teams following a complaint by Slack in July 2020, when there was fierce competition for the remote workers who relied on office software due to pandemic lockdowns. “This is much bigger than Slack versus Microsoft,” Jonathan Prince, then vice president of communications and policy at Slack, said at the time. “This a proxy for two very different philosophies for the future of digital ecosystems, gateways versus gatekeepers.”

    On Tuesday, Sabastian Niles, president and chief legal officer of Slack’s parent company Salesforce, described the European Commission’s position as “a win for customer choice and an affirmation that Microsoft’s practices with Teams have harmed competition.”

    German video conferencing company Alfaview, which filed a complaint to the commission following Slack, also welcomed the decision. The measures Microsoft has taken so far to unbundle Teams have been ineffective, Niko Fostiropoulos, CEO and founder of Alfaview, said in a statement. “Microsoft offers existing enterprise customers who opt out of Teams in the overall package only a minimal discount of €2 ($2.10),” he said. “This does not provide sufficient incentives to switch to another video conferencing service.”

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    Morgan Meaker

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  • Microsoft’s Recall Feature Is Even More Hackable Than You Thought

    Microsoft’s Recall Feature Is Even More Hackable Than You Thought

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    Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella has hailed the company’s new Recall feature, which stores a history of your computer desktop and makes it available to AI for analysis, as “photographic memory” for your PC. Within the cybersecurity community, meanwhile, the notion of a tool that silently takes a screenshot of your desktop every five seconds has been hailed as a hacker’s dream come true and the worst product idea in recent memory.

    Now, security researchers have pointed out that even the one remaining security safeguard meant to protect that feature from exploitation can be trivially defeated.

    Since Recall was first announced last month, the cybersecurity world has pointed out that if a hacker can install malicious software to gain a foothold on a target machine with the feature enabled, they can quickly gain access to the user’s entire history stored by the function. The only barrier, it seemed, to that high-resolution view of a victim’s entire life at the keyboard was that accessing Recall’s data required administrator privileges on a user’s machine. That meant malware without that higher-level privilege would trigger a permission pop-up, allowing users to prevent access, and that malware would also likely be blocked by default from accessing the data on most corporate machines.

    Then on Wednesday, James Forshaw, a researcher with Google’s Project Zero vulnerability research team, published an update to a blog post pointing out that he had found methods for accessing Recall data without administrator privileges—essentially stripping away even that last fig leaf of protection. “No admin required ;-)” the post concluded.

    “Damn,” Forshaw added on Mastodon. “I really thought the Recall database security would at least be, you know, secure.”

    Forshaw’s blog post described two different techniques to bypass the administrator privilege requirement, both of which exploit ways of defeating a basic security function in Windows known as access control lists that determine which elements on a computer require which privileges to read and alter. One of Forshaw’s methods exploits an exception to those control lists, temporarily impersonating a program on Windows machines called AIXHost.exe that can access even restricted databases. Another is even simpler: Forshaw points out that because the Recall data stored on a machine is considered to belong to the user, a hacker with the same privileges as the user could simply rewrite the access control lists on a target machine to grant themselves access to the full database.

    That second, simpler bypass technique “is just mindblowing, to be honest,” says Alex Hagenah, a cybersecurity strategist and ethical hacker. Hagenah recently built a proof-of-concept hacker tool called TotalRecall designed to show that someone who gained access to a victim’s machine with Recall could immediately siphon out all the user’s history recorded by the feature. Hagenah’s tool, however, still required that hackers find another way to gain administrator privileges through a so-called “privilege escalation” technique before his tool would work.

    With Forshaw’s technique, “you don’t need any privilege escalation, no pop-up, nothing,” says Hagenah. “This would make sense to implement in the tool for a bad guy.”

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    Andy Greenberg

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  • This tool unlocks Windows’ AI-powered Recall feature for unsupported PCs

    This tool unlocks Windows’ AI-powered Recall feature for unsupported PCs

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    During its Copilot AI and Surface event in May, Microsoft unveiled Recall, an AI-powered feature for Windows created to help you find anything you’ve ever looked at on your PC. The feature, Microsoft said, is exclusively available on the recently launched and future Copilot+ PCs, which are devices that come with onboard neural processing units (NPUs) for AI tasks. Now, someone using the pseudonym Albacore has released a console Windows app on Github called Amperage that will allow users to run Recall even on older computers that the feature doesn’t officially support.

    The tool can only enable Recall on computers with Arm64-based SoCs, which means they have to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon, a Microsoft SQ or an Ampere chipset. Users also have to make sure they’re running Windows 11 version 24H2 build 26100.712, because older and newer beta versions of the OS don’t have the components needed to activate the feature. As The Verge notes, though, future iterations of the tool may be able to unlock Recall for more devices, seeing as AMD- and Intel-based Copilot+ PCs are expected to be available later this year.

    Recall works by taking snapshots of the PC while the user is on it, storing them locally on the computer and then using local multi-modal small language models to recognize text, images and videos on them. If a user wants to find something they previously looked at on their PC — whether it’s an image, a website, a document or an email — they can search the Recall timeline. Microsoft said it will work even if the user types in vague contextual clues in case they can’t remember exact phrases or descriptions. And since the snapshots Recall takes are stored locally and offline, users’ data are supposed to remain private and secure.

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    Mariella Moon

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  • How to Remove Annoying News Widgets From Windows 11

    How to Remove Annoying News Widgets From Windows 11

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    Windows 11, by default, shows you a bunch of “news” articles when you click the widget icon, the thing on the left-hand side of the taskbar that usually shows you the weather. This block of news articles was, until recently, next to impossible to disable. I am not exaggerating when I say the news articles selected seemed designed to disrupt anything resembling digital calm—it’s consistently some of the worst rage bait you can find on the internet, as though the 2000s-era MSN homepage had a baby with 4chan.

    I wrote about how to hide this crap a few years ago, but my process didn’t work for everyone. Since then a close friend of mine almost returned her brand new Microsoft Surface because of this nonsense, which on that device shows up constantly even if you disable the taskbar icon. (She stumbled on my article but it didn’t help, and she ultimately used a registry hack to disable the feature entirely.)

    None of those workarounds are necessary anymore. You can now use the Windows 11 widget area without seeing any garbage news headlines. Here’s how.

    How to Hide the News in Windows 11

    Open the Widgets Board on your device (try not to read the horrible headlines—they’ll be gone soon). Click the gear icon in the top-right corner.

    Courtesy of Justin Pot

    This will open the settings. Click the Show or hide feeds option.

    Image may contain Elon Musk Text Electronics Mobile Phone Phone Computer Hardware Hardware Person Face and Head

    Courtesy of Justin Pot

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    Justin Pot

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  • The Best Laptops to Work and Play Wherever You Are

    The Best Laptops to Work and Play Wherever You Are

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    MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo for $1,300: This ultralight Windows laptop (7/10, WIRED Review) offers a great balance between price, performance, and portability. This price gets you an Intel Core 7 processor and a 2,880 X 1,800-pixel OLED display. The keyboard and trackpad are not the best, but if they don’t bother you this is a solid laptop at a good price.

    Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra for $3,000: There’s much to love here (7/10, WIRED Review), but that price. Ouch. You get what you pay for at least, with the new Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, the current top-of-the-line processor in Intel’s Core Ultra CPU lineup, along with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. The 16-inch AMOLED 2,880 x 1,800 pixels touchscreen is magnificent to work on and performance blew everything else we’ve tested out of the water. But that price.

    Acer Swift Go 14 for $800: This one is very similar to the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, our top budget laptop. We found the Asus to be a little faster and have a much nicer build quality, but the Swift Go still offers outstanding performance, especially considering the price (7/10, WIRED Review). It also boasts an impressive 15-hour battery life. The downside is the speakers, which aren’t great, and overall the body feels a little plasticky. But this is the least expensive Intel Core Ultra laptop we’ve tested by a few dollars, so if the budget is tight, the Swift Go is worth considering.

    Lenovo Slim Pro 7 AMD for $900: Lenovo’s Slim series are solid laptops. This AMD model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is particularly nice with good battery life and impressive performance, especially in graphics-intensive tasks. It sports a bright 2.5K, 16:10 screen, aluminum construction, and a variety of ports. This one is frequently on sale; don’t pay more than $1,000.

    Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for $800: The look of the machine has barely changed since its inception, and it’s most evident with its obscenely sized bezels. It’s a shame, as the Laptop 5 sports a nice keyboard, and the outer design remains stylish if a tad stale. It’s hard to justify the price of the new model given its shortcomings, but it has started to go on sale for around $800, which makes it a little more reasonable.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • Microsoft’s latest Windows security updates might break your VPN

    Microsoft’s latest Windows security updates might break your VPN

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    Microsoft says the April security updates for Windows may break your VPN. (Oops!) “Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update (KB5036893) or the April 2024 non-security preview update,” the company wrote in a status update. It’s working on a fix.

    Bleeping Computer first reported the issue, which affects Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2008 and later. User reports on Reddit are mixed, with some commenters saying their VPNs still work after installing the update and others claiming their encrypted connections were indeed borked.

    “We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release,” Microsoft wrote.

    There’s no proper fix until Microsoft pushes a patched update. However, you can work around the issue by uninstalling all the security updates. In an unfortunate bit of timing for CEO Satya Nadella, he said last week that he wants Microsoft to put “security above else.” I can’t imagine making customers (temporarily) choose between going without a VPN and losing the latest protection is what he had in mind.

    At least one Redditor claims that uninstalling and reinstalling their VPN app fixed the problem for them, so it may be worth trying that before moving on to more drastic measures.

    If you decide to uninstall the security updates, Microsoft tells you how. “To remove the LCU after installing the combined SSU and LCU package, use the DISM/Remove-Package command line option with the LCU package name as the argument,” the company wrote in its patch notes. “You can find the package name by using this command: DISM /online /get-packages.”

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    Will Shanklin

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  • Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 Ultra Is the Laptop to Beat When It Comes to Power

    Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 Ultra Is the Laptop to Beat When It Comes to Power

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    It’s been a long time since I’ve used a laptop with a screen larger than 13 or 14 inches for any length of time. It’s so refreshing to have the room to spread my apps out … even if the machine no longer fits in my backpack. Maybe being able to fit your bag under the seat in front of you is overrated.

    Compared to the cavalcade of 13- and 14-inch laptops that cross my desk, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra, with its 16-inch touchscreen (2,880 x 1,800 pixels), is a behemoth. Weighing in at 3.9 pounds (but only 19 mm thick), it has a heft that’s backed up by its top-shelf specs, which include 32 GB of RAM, a 1-terabyte SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. The centerpiece is the new Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, the current top-of-the-line processor in Intel’s Core Ultra CPU lineup.

    Photograph: Samsung

    As benchmarks go, the Galaxy Book4 ran rings around all the other Core Ultra laptops I’ve tested in the last few weeks since the new chips launched, though none of those had an Ultra 9 or a discrete graphics processor. On some CPU-based tests, the system doubled up on the performance of the Lenovo X1 Carbon, and on graphics-based tests, I was regularly able to get three to five times the frame rates I saw on machines that used the Core Ultra integrated graphics processor. The Book4 is certainly credible for use as a gaming rig if desired. Plus with 12 hours and 43 minutes of battery life, as tested via my full-screen YouTube rundown test, you need not fret about being away from an outlet all day.

    The larger chassis gives Samsung room to squeeze a numeric keypad into the picture, though I longed for full-size arrow keys when working with the device. The responsive keyboard is paired with one of the largest touchpads I’ve ever seen on a laptop. At 6 x 4 inches, it’s considerably bigger than a standard passport—arguably too big, as there’s barely room on the left side of the touchpad for your palms to rest. I generally disliked working with this touchpad, as I found it both missed clicks and inadvertently registered unintended taps much too often.

    Side view of partially opened laptop

    Photograph: Samsung

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    Christopher Null

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  • The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo Is a Lightweight, Powerful, and Affordable Laptop

    The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo Is a Lightweight, Powerful, and Affordable Laptop

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    MSI has long been an under-the-radar producer of PCs and laptops, with as many hits as misses in its repertoire. As we enter the “AI laptop” age, MSI’s first volley in the new category lands squarely on the hit side, with its Prestige 13 AI Evo nailing an effective balance among price, performance, and portability.

    As the name suggests, the Prestige 13 is an ultraportable 13.3-inch laptop, featuring a 2,880 X 1,800-pixel OLED display (no touchscreen). Inside is an entry-level Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU with 16 GB of RAM and a 512-GB SSD. Nothing fancy, but enough to get the job done. There’s also a version with the Core Ultra 7 with double the RAM and storage for not much more.

    For those of you who haven’t been following the microchip world closely, Intel’s Core Ultra series features (among other innovations) a new neural processing unit designed specifically to improve artificial intelligence operations. The “Evo” designation is bestowed on devices by Intel for laptop designs that “pass rigorous testing around performance, battery life, connectivity, audio and visual quality, size, weight, and more.”

    Photograph: MSI

    With that preface, I’ll start where the laptop soars the highest: performance. The Prestige indeed lives up to its name on general apps and AI-related tests. MSI’s ultralight Windows machine ran rings around the performance of the more tricked-out Lenovo X1 Carbon, which features a faster Core Ultra processor. The MSI bested it on general app benchmarks by 3 to 47 percent, depending on the test, and the difference was noticeable in daily use, as the Prestige felt whip-crack fast to load apps, recalculate spreadsheets, and the like. The picture wasn’t as rosy in its graphics capabilities, as the lower-end CPU and lack of memory suppressed frame rates on video tasks considerably—although the Prestige did perform surprisingly well on photo rendering tests.

    At 2.1 pounds and 18-mm thick, this laptop is about as portable as it gets in the 13.3-inch category, though more diminutive 13.0-inch units can be a few ounces lighter. Available in white or black, the magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis isn’t the sturdiest I’ve felt lately, but at the same time, it doesn’t come across as flimsy.

    Side view of slim black laptop opened about 45 degrees

    Photograph: MSI

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    Christopher Null

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  • HP’s Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop Is Fantastic—but Not Flashy

    HP’s Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop Is Fantastic—but Not Flashy

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    Once an edgy alternative to stuffier laptops like the Lenovo ThinkPad line, the HP Spectre x360 series has settled into a much more corporate groove of late. Back in the late 2010s, Spectres looked like props from Tron, with sharp edges, cut corners, and gold trim on some models, for Pete’s sake.

    Alas, those days are over, and while the Spectre x360 is still a top-shelf ultralight Windows laptop, it has traded in style for consistency. All-gentle, OSHA-friendly curves clad in corporate black, silver, and blue give the sense that the Spectre didn’t sell out, but rather bought in.

    The 2024 rendition of the Spectre x360 sticks closely to the design of the 2023 model, all built around showcasing the “360” portion of the name. A pair of hinges allows the screen to fold back 180 degrees, converting the laptop into a 14-inch tablet. A fingertip works on the screen, as does the stylus included in the box, and the rechargeable active pen snaps magnetically to the side of the chassis when not in use.

    Photograph: HP

    As with most new machines hitting the market this season, the major upgrade here is the introduction of the AI-infused Intel Core Ultra CPU—in this instance, the Ultra 7 155H model, backed up by a beefy 32 GB of RAM and a 2-TB solid state drive. The unit is a bit light on ports, with two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (one used for charging) and a single USB-A port partially covered by an awkward and unnecessary spring-loaded, flip-out panel.

    Sure enough, there’s ample power in those specs, and the Spectre x360 turned in the best performance I’ve seen to date on general business apps—by a healthy margin of 20 percent or more versus other Core Ultra laptops on many tests. It was about par for the course on graphics apps, though no slouch in this department either. Despite improvements in the Core Ultra’s integrated GPU, you’ll still need to upgrade to a laptop with a discrete graphics processor if you want to undertake significant gaming or rendering activities. On AI tasks, the Spectre fell just a hair shy of the high mark set by the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo in my prior testing.

    Size and weight are fine, although the unit is heavier than the similarly sized Lenovo X1 Carbon, with 19 millimeters of thickness and a 2.4-pound weight. That’s not bad considering the inclusion of a touchscreen and the 360-degree hinge. The extra weight may also reflect a slightly larger battery. My testing (with a YouTube video playback at full brightness) achieved 10.5 hours of running time—significantly better than other Core Ultra laptops I’ve tested to date.

    2 side views of a thin black laptop while closed

    Photograph: HP

    The OLED screen is dazzlingly bright, which is right in line with the rest of the market today. The speakers on the unit are also excellent, with top-firing tweeters and two front-firing woofers, improved by an impressive cooling system that barely saw the super-silent fan kicking in at all.

    My only real complaint is a fairly mild one. While the Spectre’s keyboard is fine, the haptic touchpad can be erratic, missing taps and clicks, depending on where you hit it. I don’t know whether this is a simple user error due to freakishly long fingers, but it’s an issue I’ve had with various Spectres for years. It has arguably improved a bit with the new touchpad, but it’s still a thorny problem that created a minor headache for me during extended use.

    Pricing is tricky, as the exact specification I was sent isn’t readily available. You can get a close version for $1,400 on HP.com with 16 GB of RAM, but if you configure it on HP’s website, you’ll come up with a price of around $1,850. Even at the higher price, I’d say the exceptional performance, battery life, and usability options merit the outlay.

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    Christopher Null

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  • Microsoft is once again asking Chrome users to try Bing through unblockable pop-ups

    Microsoft is once again asking Chrome users to try Bing through unblockable pop-ups

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    Microsoft has been pushing Bing pop-up ads in Chrome on Windows 10 and 11. Windows Latest and The Verge reported on Friday that the ad encourages Chrome users (in bold lettering) to use Bing instead of Google search. “Chat with GPT-4 for free on Chrome! Get hundreds of daily chat turns with Bing Al”, the ad reads. If you click “Yes,” the pop-up will install the “Bing Search” Chrome extension while making Microsoft’s search engine the default.

    If you click “Yes” on the ad to switch to Bing, a Chrome pop-up will appear, asking you to confirm that you want to change the browser’s default search engine. “Did you mean to change your search provider?” the pop-up asks. “The ‘Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome’ extension changed search to use bing.com,’” Chrome’s warning states.

    Directly beneath that alert, seemingly in anticipation of Chrome’s pop-up, another Windows notification warns, “Wait — don’t change it back! If you do, you’ll turn off Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome and lose access to Bing Al with GPT-4 and DALL-E 3. Select Keep it to stay with Microsoft Bing.”

    Essentially, users are caught in a war of pop-ups between one company trying to pressure you into using its AI assistant / search engine and another trying to keep you on its default (which you probably wanted if you installed Chrome in the first place). Big Tech’s battles for AI and search supremacy are turning into obnoxious virtual shouting matches in front of users’ eyeballs as they try to browse the web.

    There doesn’t appear to be an easy way to prevent the ad from appearing.

    Microsoft reportedly confirmed the pop-up’s authenticity in statements to Windows Latest and The Verge, cringingly painting the move as an opportunity for users. “This is a one-time notification giving people the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome,” a company representative wrote. “For those who choose to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome, when signed in with their MSA [Microsoft account] they also get more chat turns in Copilot and chat history.”

    In a reminder of how friendly its intrusive ads supposedly are to user freedom, it added, “We value providing our customers with choice, so there is an option to dismiss the notification.” Engadget emailed Microsoft for independent verification, but the company didn’t immediately respond. We’ll update this article if or when we hear back.

    Windows Latest described the advertisement as coming from a “server-side update” and said the ad wasn’t part of a Windows update. Instead, the outlet speculated that it’s linked to BCILauncher.EXE or BingChatInstaller.EXE, two processes Microsoft reportedly added to “some Windows systems” on March 13.

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    Will Shanklin

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  • Microsoft is giving Windows Photos a boost with a generative AI-powered eraser

    Microsoft is giving Windows Photos a boost with a generative AI-powered eraser

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    Microsoft has announced a generative-AI powered eraser for pictures, which gives you an easy way of removing unwanted elements from your photos. Windows Photos has long had a Spot Fix tool that can remove parts of an image for you, but the company says Generative erase is an enhanced version of the feature. Apparently, this newer tool can create “more seamless and realistic” results even when large objects, such as bystanders or clutter in the background, are removed from an image.

    If you’ll recall, both Google and Samsung have their own versions of AI eraser tools on their mobile devices. Google’s used to be exclusively available on newer Pixel phones until it was rolled out to older models. Microsoft’s version, however, gives you access to an AI-powered photo eraser on your desktop or laptop computer. You only need to fire up the image editor in Photos to start using the feature. Simply choose the Erase option and then use the brush to create a mask over the elements you want to remove. You can even adjust the brush size to make it easier to select thinner or thicker objects, and you can also choose to highlight more than one element before erasing them all.

    At the moment, though, access to Generative erase is pretty limited. It hasn’t been released widely yet, and you can only use it if you’re a Windows Insider through the Photos app on Windows 10 and Windows 11 for Arm64 devices.

    Photo of a dog against a beach background.

    Microsoft

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    Mariella Moon

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  • Improving energy efficiency: the benefits of new windows and doors – Growing Family

    Improving energy efficiency: the benefits of new windows and doors – Growing Family

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    When it comes to home improvements, the installation of new windows and doors stands out as a transformative investment, especially for those seeking to enhance energy efficiency. Beyond the aesthetic appeal, these upgrades offer a range of benefits that extend far beyond visual appearance.

    In this article, we’ll delve into the benefits of new windows and doors, focusing on how they contribute significantly to energy efficiency.

    hand opening a double glazed window

    Improved insulation

    One of the main benefits of installing new windows and doors is the improved insulation they provide. Older windows and doors, often with single-pane glass, are notorious for allowing heat transfer, leading to increased energy consumption.

    Modern energy-efficient windows, on the other hand, feature advanced technologies such as double or triple-pane glass, Low-E coatings, and gas fills that act as effective insulators. This will provide a more stable indoor temperature, reducing the reliance on heating and cooling systems.

    Environmental impact: a greener tomorrow

    New windows and doors align with the growing emphasis on sustainable living by reducing the carbon footprint of a home. Companies such as Greencastle Home Improvements can help decrease dependency on heating systems, leading to lower energy consumption and contributing to a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. 

    Energy cost savings: a long-term investment

    For homeowners, the idea of saving on energy costs is a compelling reason to consider upgrading windows and doors. The initial investment may seem substantial, but the long-term savings can be significant.

    Energy-efficient windows and doors contribute to maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature, resulting in less reliance on heating. This not only lowers monthly utility bills, but also improves the overall energy efficiency of the home.

    double front doordouble front door

    Increased property value: a wise investment

    In the home improvement industry, energy-efficient windows and doors enhance the overall appeal and functionality of a home, making it more attractive to potential buyers. In today’s market, where energy efficiency is a sought-after feature, this upgrade can significantly increase the resale value of the property.

    Low maintenance: saving time and resources

    Older windows and doors often require regular maintenance and repairs. The modern materials used in energy-efficient windows and doors, such as vinyl or fibreglass, are not only durable, but also low-maintenance. This means fewer resources spent on repairs and upkeep, saving homeowners both time and money in the long run.

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, the benefits of installing new windows and doors extend far beyond mere aesthetics, making them a great investment in enhancing energy efficiency. From improved insulation and energy cost savings to environmental impact and increased property value, these upgrades offer a holistic approach to creating a comfortable and sustainable living space.

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    Catherine

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  • Preservation vs. restoration in listed building window replacement – Growing Family

    Preservation vs. restoration in listed building window replacement – Growing Family

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    When it comes to replacing the windows in your listed building, you face an important decision: whether to opt for preservation or full restoration.

    This choice impacts everything from cost to historical accuracy. Listed building window replacement requires a balance between upgrading efficiency and respecting heritage.

    In this article, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of preserving and replacing windows, with tips and advice from window specialists Scott James.

    old cottage with traditional front door and sash windows

    Understanding listed buildings

    Listed buildings are structures recognised as having special architectural or historical significance. Listed buildings are graded based on their rarity and intactness. Grade I buildings are the most architecturally and historically important structures.

    Any modifications to a listed building require approval to protect its unique heritage.

    As specialists in listed building replacement windows, Scott James always recommend starting with an assessment of your property’s unique needs. There are typically two approaches: sensitive preservation or faithful restoration.

    The case for window preservation

    Preservation focuses on retaining and protecting as many original window components as possible through repair.

    Preservation is often the most cost-effective and historically sympathetic route for listed buildings. Key benefits include:

    • Lower cost: Preserving existing windows avoids the high cost of commissioning bespoke modern window replacements. Simple repairs also don’t require planning permission.
    • Environmental sustainability: Repairing quality wood windows prevents waste and preserves embodied carbon in the original materials.
    • Aesthetic continuity: Original windows are integral to the look and feel of period buildings. Preserving this appearance maintains architectural historic features.
    • Retained heritage: Window repair allows you to conserve the craftsmanship and materials that make your building special.

    A specialist window company can evaluate your windows to determine which components can be retained through preservation techniques like sash window restoration or draught proofing.

    window replacementwindow replacement

    When restoration is the best route

    In some cases, the level of damage or alteration means restoration through reproduction is the better choice. Reasons full restoration may be recommended include:

    • Severe structural damage: If critical structural elements like sash boxes are beyond repair, restoration may be required.
    • Single-glazed replacement windows: Non-original windows that detract from heritage value are candidates for reproduction.
    • Severely compromised thermal performance: Draughty single glazing that can’t be improved through secondary glazing may need replacement.
    • Significant visible deterioration: Severely rotted windows may be beyond the point of salvage and need reproduction.

    The craftspeople at Scott James have the traditional woodworking expertise to create accurate, bespoke replacements replicating original details.

    Planning permission for replacement windows

    If restoration is needed, listed building consent for window replacements will likely be required through the local authority.

    Factors determining if consent is granted include:

    • Design: Replacements must match the original style and detailing.
    • Materials: These should replicate the original as closely as possible.
    • Method: The installation technique should not damage the structure.
    • Performance: Upgrades like double glazing may be allowed if not visible externally.

    Even with building consent, wholesale replacement should be avoided if selective restoration of the worst glazed windows is feasible.

    What’s the cost to replace, restore and reglaze windows in Grade 2 listed buildings?

    Replacing, restoring or reglazing the windows in your Grade II listed building is a major investment that requires careful planning. So how much does it cost?

    A complete listed building sash window replacement cost is in the region of £1800 to £3600 per window, depending on the building’s specifics. Sash window restoration is more affordable in the region of £700 per window, while reglazing and restoration of original windows costs around £1750 per window.

    Window replacement costs depend on factors like window size, design intricacy, materials and your building’s conservation requirements.

    The Scott James difference

    With decades of experience preserving period windows, the team at Scott James can provide a range of window services, including:

    • Bespoke solutions tailored to your building’s unique needs.
    • Consultation on optimal repair vs replacement balance.
    • Traditional techniques like draught sealing and sash window restoration.
    • A holistic approach considering efficiency, aesthetics, and heritage.
    • Sympathetic solutions that retain original features and fabric.
    • Craftsmanship to replicate original details when restoration is advised.
    • Support through the listed building planning consent process.

    Listed building window replacement strikes at the heart of sustainability. Well-maintained windows can have incredibly long lifespans. Investing in preservation keeps embodied carbon locked up in existing materials and features. When restoration is needed, the aim is to recreate windows that last generations using heritage-specific skills.

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    Catherine

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  • Window Film Depot Implements Initiatives to Help Texas Schools Meet New Safety Standards

    Window Film Depot Implements Initiatives to Help Texas Schools Meet New Safety Standards

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    Press Release
    –

    Jan 31, 2023 09:00 EST


    ATLANTA, January 31, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Window Film Depot, a nationwide leader in security window film installations designed to mitigate active shooter incidents, is launching initiatives to help Texas school systems meet the new safety standards set by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). These new standards are being implemented state-wide in response to the recent school shootings in the state. 

    The over-arching goal is to increase security for students and faculty by reinforcing vulnerable entry points, such as ground level window and door glass. Specifically, the revised School Safety Standards call for the application of access denial window film to these vulnerable areas with the intention to delay entry into a building through broken glass. 

    To facilitate these changes, the TEA has allocated $400 million dollars in grants for school districts, which will be available in February 2023. Specifically, this money is to “assist school districts in replacing or upgrading doors, windows, fencing, communications, and other safety measures.” Schools have until February 17, 2023 to apply.

    With a looming deadline and the vast number of schools seeking to complete that grant application, Window Film Depot, the nation’s leader in 3M window safety and security window film, is working alongside 3M and Texas local education agencies (LEA) to expedite the procurement process for school administrators. 

    “Window Film Depot is a trusted resource for schools across the state as they focus on meeting these updated safety standards,” said Krissy Mosby, President of Window Film Depot. “There are many factors for school administrators to consider, and we aim to do our part to ensure that each school is both compliant with the new state-wide regulations and provided with the right solution for their particular building security needs.”

    Through educational webinars reviewing product and grant information, and, in certain cases, on-site assessments to help schools ascertain their exact needs and find the right security solutions, Window Film Depot will help school officials evaluate the types of security window film and other solutions available, such as DefenseLite® and BulletShield®, for more robust protection. Window Film Depot’s safety assessments meet the TEA standard requirements. Provided estimates are free to school systems and guaranteed to meet the state deadlines imposed for grant funding. 

    Window Film Depot has a national footprint, with an office conveniently located in Dallas-Fort Worth to help facilitate the new safety standards in Texas. As such, free assessments are available to schools across the entire state. Assistance is provided to all schools to best determine their security glazing needs, identify vulnerable entry points, and develop accurate quotes based on site specific information.

    “We encourage school officials and safety compliance professionals to utilize the resources we are offering to determine how best their Texas School Safety Grant should be allocated for maximum security,” said Donnie McDaniel, Director of Government Sales at Window Film Depot. “Our solutions have been tested to meet Homeland Security, FEMA, GSA, and the Department of Defense standards, and we will help each school determine its unique needs to make the upgrades that will help ensure the safety of the students, faculty, and administrators.”

    Window Film Depot has the following tools and resources for Texas school systems:

    • Webinars reviewing product and grant information
    • Compliance guidance for school administrators
    • A user-friendly RFP template to expedite the estimating process
    • Onsite and online threat-level assessments
    • Professional installation services 

    Estimates from Window Film Depot are broken down by zone, Zone 1 encompassing doors and entryways, per the state standard requirements. Zone 2 covers perimeter windows, which can be added-on and itemized at the school’s discretion for maximum security. TIPS-USA contract pricing is available statewide. Window Film Depot is also a GSA Contract Holder.

    School systems are to verify that the new requirements, including security film, are met with the 2023 school year, with a contractor and a timeline in place no later than August 2023.

    Schedule a 30-minute webinar to learn how Window Film Depot can assist in meeting School Safety Standards rule requirements.

    About Window Film Depot

    Headquartered in Marietta, GA, WFD has completed over 50,000 projects, providing architectural film solutions for customers, ranging from the Vatican and the executive branch of the US government to numerous national retailers in all 50 states. Window Film Depot, a subsidiary of FutureVu Brands, is a three time 3M “National Dealer of the Year Award” recipient and the company has been named Window Film Magazine’s ‘Top Window Film Dealer’ on numerous occasions.

    Source: Window Film Depot

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