productivity Archives

Winsage

November 8, 2024

Microsoft starts rolling out AI to these decades old popular tools on Windows

Microsoft is integrating advanced AI capabilities into its Paint and Notepad applications. Paint will feature Generative Fill, allowing users to add or alter image elements through text prompts, and Generative Erase, enabling the removal of unwanted objects while filling in the background. These features are being rolled out to Windows Insiders, with Generative Fill initially available on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs and Generative Erase accessible to all Windows 11 users. Notepad will introduce a Rewrite feature for rephrasing text, currently in preview for select regions, and has improved launch performance, reducing app launch time by over 35% for most users and up to 55% for some.

AppWizard

November 7, 2024

Uninstall these 12 Android apps that record your conversations

Twelve malicious Android applications have been identified that can take control of devices to record audio and perform other harmful activities. These apps include: 1. Rafaqat 2. Privee Talk 3. MeetMe 4. Let’s Chat 5. Quick Chat 6. Chit Chat 7. YohooTalk 8. TikTalk 9. Hello Cha 10. Nidus 11. GlowChat 12. Wave Chat The first six were available on the Google Play Store and were downloaded over 1,400 times before removal. Users are advised to uninstall these apps immediately and remain cautious about downloading unfamiliar applications or clicking on suspicious links.

Winsage

November 7, 2024

New Windows Build Brings AVX Support To Snapdragon X For Gaming And More

Recent evaluations of laptops with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processors have praised their performance and battery life, but issues arose with the high-end Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 chip in the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, where certain applications were found incompatible due to limitations in emulation capabilities. The Windows operating system uses an emulation layer called Prism to run x86-64 applications on Arm architecture, but it initially lacked support for essential SIMD instructions like AVX2 and AVX. Microsoft announced an update in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27744 that enhances Prism by adding support for AVX, AVX2, and other instructions, allowing Snapdragon-based Windows machines to run x86 software requiring these instruction sets. However, only x64 applications will benefit from this update, leaving legacy 32-bit x86 applications unaffected. This is significant for gaming, as many recent titles utilize AVX for improved processing speeds, potentially increasing compatibility for previously unplayable games on Snapdragon devices. Despite these advancements, Microsoft has not addressed the potential performance implications of the emulation process. Initial observations suggest that while performance degradation from Prism emulation is less severe than expected, it still does not match that of native Arm applications. Qualcomm is tasked with improving Snapdragon X Elite gaming capabilities, facing challenges with Windows graphics drivers, particularly the Adreno graphics drivers, which may hinder its competitiveness against AMD and Intel in the Windows laptop market.

Winsage

November 7, 2024

Buy a Microsoft Office 2019 license for Mac or Windows for $28

Stack Social is offering a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows and Mac at an 87% discount. This version includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access, but does not include Microsoft Teams. While Stack Social is an authorized Microsoft partner, there is a possibility that Microsoft may discontinue the license in the future. Users need Windows 10 or 11, or Mac Monterey Version 12 or newer to install the software.

AppWizard

November 6, 2024

Best Android app price drops and freebies: Residual, Gunslugs, Space Grunts 2, and more

The Google Play store is offering a variety of discounted Android games and apps. Notable hardware deals include the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra at a reduced price and the 32-inch 4K 240Hz Odyssey OLED G8 monitor, which comes with a complimentary Odyssey G3 monitor. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE has also seen a price drop of . Featured discounted games include Residual, Gunslugs 1 – 3, Neoteria, and Space Grunts 2.

AppWizard

November 6, 2024

The secret to summarizing notifications on Android

Sum Up is a tool for Android devices that allows users to customize and streamline their notifications by selecting specific applications for summarized notifications. It condenses multiple notifications from apps like Slack into a single, concise sentence, helping users stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. This enhances organization and productivity by reducing distractions.

AppWizard

November 5, 2024

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is awesome, but it’s let down by the state of Android tablet apps

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra features a 14.6-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1,848 x 2,960 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz, achieving a brightness of 930 nits. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Plus chip, which includes four Cortex X4 CPUs and a 12-core Arm Immortalis GPU, offering performance comparable to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and 8 Gen 3. The tablet has a battery capacity of 11,200mAh, allowing for several days of use, but lacks a charger in the box and has slow charging speeds. It operates on Android 14 with One UI 6.1 and is promised seven years of security patches and OS updates. The device includes a quad-speaker setup tuned by AKG and comes with accessories like a keyboard case and S Pen stylus. Priced at ,200, it faces challenges due to the limited availability of optimized Android applications for its large display.

Tech Optimizer

November 5, 2024

The Pros And Cons Of Behaviour-Based Antivirus Detection

32% of UK businesses experienced cyberattacks at least once a week last year, with an average financial toll of £1,630 per incident. Traditional signature-based antivirus systems struggle to recognize new threats, leading to the emergence of behaviour-based detection systems that monitor real-time application behavior. Behaviour-based detection operates independently of a database and can identify sophisticated threats, but it may generate false alarms, affect device performance, and raise privacy concerns. Most modern antivirus solutions now use a combination of both detection approaches to enhance cybersecurity.

Winsage

November 4, 2024

To copy files via the path in Explorer

The KB5037853 update for Windows 11 allows users to copy and move files within a folder path in Explorer by dragging and dropping them. Users can utilize breadcrumb navigation in the address bar to see their current location in the folder structure and can drag files onto the breadcrumb to move them between folders. To copy a file instead of moving it, users can hold down the Ctrl key while dragging.

Winsage

November 4, 2024

Windows 11 24H2 Update Removes Xbox Gamepad Keyboard Feature After Bugs Plagued It

Microsoft has withdrawn the 'Gamepad keyboard' feature from the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update due to unresolved bugs. The feature, aimed at enhancing text input for Xbox controllers and other gaming devices, was disabled in the latest preview update, and users can no longer access it. Microsoft has not provided specific details about the bugs and has omitted the feature from their release notes, indicating a delay in its rollout. The Gamepad keyboard was first introduced in September 2024 and was expected to be part of the October update. Despite this setback, Microsoft has stated that the feature will return in future updates.