critical security issues Archives

Winsage

October 31, 2024

Microsoft will charge Windows 10 users $30 per year for security updates

Microsoft has released a guide to help users prepare for the end of support for Windows 10, scheduled for October 14, 2025. The guide introduces an Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription available for an annual fee, which will provide monthly security patches beyond the deadline. This program is now accessible to both individual consumers and business clients, unlike previous versions that were limited to commercial clients. The subscription focuses on critical security issues and will not include additional features or enhancements after October 2025. For users unable to upgrade to Windows 11 due to hardware or software limitations, the ESU subscription offers a solution. Enrollment for individual users will open in 2025, and the primary audience for the ESU program includes organizations managing multiple PCs that cannot transition to Windows 11. Starting November 1, Microsoft will offer the standard 5-by-5 ESU option on the Volume Licensing price list, with the first ESU release scheduled for November 2025. The base license for businesses will cost per device for the first year, with costs doubling for each subsequent year, and fees are cumulative for late joiners.

AppWizard

October 2, 2024

Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality headset officially being discontinued

Microsoft has announced the discontinuation of its HoloLens line of mixed reality headsets, ceasing production of HoloLens 2 and concluding software support for the original HoloLens on December 10, 2023. HoloLens 2 will receive essential updates until December 31, 2027, focusing on critical security issues and software regressions. The original HoloLens was launched in 2016 at a price of ,000, followed by HoloLens 2 in 2019 at ,500. The HoloLens line found applications in enterprise sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, and education, and Microsoft secured a 0 million contract in 2018 to supply 100,000 HoloLens devices to the US military. Microsoft will continue to support the US military through its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) but will not develop new HoloLens devices. The company has shifted its mixed reality focus towards a partnership with Meta, introducing Xbox Cloud Gaming and Office web app support for Quest headsets, while Meta has unveiled its augmented reality prototype, Orion.

Winsage

July 10, 2024

Nvidia releases new driver for old graphics cards with Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 support

Nvidia has released a security-only driver, version 475.14, for Kepler-based graphics cards on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11. This driver does not provide performance enhancements, new features, or bug fixes, but aims to patch critical security issues. The driver is not WHQL-certified due to targeting now-unsupported Windows versions.