“Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.” ~Connor Franta
I woke up this morning and it was September! How did that happen? In case you are curious, there are fewer than 115 shopping days until Christmas!
I spent the last several days attending a security class. It was an introduction to a bunch of tools that will assist in protecting networks, analyzing what is already on the network and tracking down hackers. I’m proud to say I’ve completed the class and even better, I understand the concepts. Next step: practice.
One of the comments from the instructor was: all end users should be running an ad blocker. I’ve mentioned ad blockers several times over the years. It’s time to remind you: Install an adblocker!! uBlock Origin is a trusted vendor and its FREE! Download it from:
Do it Now!
If you use multiple browsers, you will want to download it for each browser. (Edge/Chrome/Firefox)
In other news: Microsoft will start rolling out Windows 11 to eligible PCs on October 5. The Operating System has a new hardware requirement: TPM (Trusted Platform Module). A TPM is a security chip that provides a hardware-based tamper-resistant environment to generate, store and protect encryption keys. In English: it is a security alarm to prevent hackers or malware from accessing your data. I’ll be playing with the preview this month with hopes of giving you a first hand account next month.
If you are thinking ahead, you know when Microsoft introduces a new product, it means they are going to stop supporting the old product. The Windows 10 funeral is currently scheduled for October 14, 2025, roughly four years from now. If you just bought a computer, you can breath easy for the next 4 years, and possibly longer, if your new computer supports TPM. If you are shopping for a new computer, ask about the TPM feature.
Also on the chopping block is Internet Explorer (IE), the beloved browser for the last 26 years. Microsoft 365 ended support for IE in August and the funeral is scheduled for June 15, 2022. If you are still using IE, now is the time to get acquainted with Edge (or Chrome or Firefox).
And one last tidbit: Intel’s chief executive, Pat Gelsinger, says the worst of the global chip crisis is yet to come.
Mr Gelsinger predicts the shortage will get worse in the “second half of this year” and it will be “a year or two” before supplies return to normal.
The disruption, caused by huge demand for devices, the pandemic, and poor relations between the US and China, has created “a very large gulf” he says.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57996908
What that means to you: Computers aren’t going to get cheaper any time soon. Set your budget and buy the best computer you can afford sooner rather than later.
To Health & Hippieness!(that was supposed to say happiness, but I liked the autocorrect version so I left it!)
~Janet
