boot13Another update for Chrome, with details again rather sparse. Presumably minor bug fixes, but you can’t tell from the release announcement.
Monthly Archives: July 2015
Windows 10 lands
You can now download the release version of Windows 10 directly from Microsoft. The tools on that page allow you to upgrade the computer you’re using, or to create bootable disc or thumb drive images, which can then be used to install Windows 10 from scratch on another computer. Both the Home and Pro versions are available, in 32 and 64 bit form.
If you’re running Windows 7 or 8.x, and you choose to perform an upgrade from the site linked above, you’ll get the Home version if you’re currently running one of the Home variants, and Pro otherwise.
It’s still not completely clear what happens when you don’t have a legitimate Windows 7 or 8.x license. At some point, you’ll be asked to enter a license key, and without one, presumably Windows 10 will stop functioning or suffer from reduced functionality. The same goes for in-place upgrades; as Microsoft has said, if you have a non-valid install of Windows 7 or 8.x and upgrade it to Windows 10, it will continue to be non-valid, with all that entails.
Update: My Windows 10 test computer is running whatever version is being provided via the Windows Insider program. It looks like the final release version, and has the build number Microsoft planned to use for the release: 10240. Because I joined the Windows Insider program (which involved having updates pushed to the computer regularly, and being asked to provide ratings and feedback), I’m now running Windows 10 Pro on a computer that previously ran Windows XP, and it didn’t cost anything, and it’s completely legit. Of course, if I ever want to stop logging in to Windows 10 with my Microsoft ID, I’ll have to purchase a Windows 10 license.
We’re finally running out of IP addresses
Some of you may remember dire predictions, years ago, that the Internet would soon run out of IP addresses. These predictions turned out to be somewhat early. A variety of factors combined to decrease the rate at which new address blocks were required. Still, it was clear that the limit would be reached, so the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) got to work designing a new IP address scheme. The new scheme is called IPv6, and supports a virtually unlimited number of addresses. The current IPv4 address system supports up to 4,294,967,296 unique addresses.
A typical IPv4 address: 96.49.181.168
A typical IPv6 address: 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334
Now, according to American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the organization that doles out IP address blocks, we’re about to run out of IP addresses at last.
Before you start to panic, you should know that reaching this limit only really affects Internet Service Providers (ISPs). These organizations are the ones who buy IP blocks, then provide them to regular users. New ISPs, and ISPs that need to expand, are going to find it increasingly difficult to obtain the addresses they need.
There’s more good news: since we’ve seen this problem coming for a while now, most network hardware and operating systems are fully compatible with IPv6, including Windows XP and newer. When it’s time to make the switch, it will happen gradually, and will involve enabling IPv6 on devices and in operating systems where it’s currently disabled. Of course, there are likely to be glitches during the transition, but given the amount of testing already done, these should be resolved quickly. In most countries, the transition to IPv6 has already begun, with adoption as high as 35% in Belgium.
Deciding whether to upgrade to Windows 10
Windows 10 is scheduled for release on July 29. Microsoft really wants people to upgrade, offering the new O/S for free to anyone running legitimate installs of Windows 7 and 8.x, at least until July 28, 2016. Anyone who’s been running the Windows Insider Preview version of Windows 10 will also be able to install the release version for free. It sounds enticing, but is it right for you?
Questions remain
Unfortunately, there are still some unanswered questions regarding the free Windows 10 upgrades. How long will a ‘free’ install of Windows 10 remain free? If I try to reinstall it from scratch a few years from now, will I be forced to pay for it? What if my computer’s hard drive fails and I have to replace it and reinstall Windows 10? Microsoft has yet to produce definitive answers to these questions.
But the biggest unknown is the issue of forced updates. Windows 10 updates will be installed on ‘Home’ versions without allowing the user any choice whatsoever. That includes security updates and other bug fixes, but also new and changed features. ‘Pro’ users will be able to delay updates for several weeks, but have no way to prevent them indefinitely. While forced updates are arguably a good thing for most (especially non-technical) users, many power users find this prospect alarming. I don’t want Microsoft messing with my computer when I’m asleep. I want to be the only person who installs updates. I don’t want to see mysterious WAN bandwidth spikes that turn out to be huge, unwanted Windows 10 updates. Note: there may be a way to block certain updates indefinitely, according to Ed Bott, but the details are sketchy.
How to decide?
Is Windows 10 right for you? If you want the latest version of Windows, with the most up to date technologies and support for current hardware, and you don’t mind that the user interface is a hodgepodge of old and new (touch/tablet/mobile) style elements, you don’t mind forced updates, and your hardware supports it, then by all means upgrade to Windows 10.
If you’re running Windows 8.x, there’s no reason to hold back, since Windows 10 is basically Windows 8.2, and it addresses many Windows 8.x problems, including the lack of a Start menu.
The decision is not so easy for Windows 7 users. Windows 7 support (mostly in the form of security updates) will continue until January 14, 2020, so there’s no urgency. If you don’t like the new user interface, with its focus on touch and mobile devices, stay away. If you want to be able to use newer apps – the ones designed for the new UI – then you’ll have to upgrade. Support for Windows 7 by software and hardware makers is sure to decline over the next few years, which may force your hand.
I’ve been using the Windows 10 Insider Preview on a test machine, and so far, I like it. That machine was previously running Windows XP, which of course is no longer getting security updates and is increasingly risky to use. Upgrading to Windows 10 resolved a long-standing display issue on that computer, and I’ve had no new problems, aside from a few glitches and Explorer crashes that seem to have been resolved in later builds. I expect the computer to update automatically to the release version of Windows 10 at some point soon after July 29, but I’m ready to switch back to XP if Microsoft’s answers to the above questions prove unsatisfactory.
Another Chrome update
Chrome 44.0.2403.107 was made available yesterday. There’s not a lot of information in the release announcement, and the detailed change log is, as usual, not particularly illuminating. Presumably the new version is mostly about minor bug fixes.
Update: Apparently the previous update caused some web sites to render improperly or not at all.
WordPress 4.2.3 released
A new version of WordPress was announced yesterday. Version 4.2.3 includes fixes for two security vulnerabilities, as well as about 20 other bug fixes. Sites configured for automatic updates should be updated within the next day or so. If you’d rather not wait for an auto-update, you can install it manually via the site’s dashboard.
Stability, performance and security fixes in Chrome 44.0.2403.89
A new version of Google’s web browser includes 43 fixes for security issues. Anyone who uses Chrome should make sure it updates itself, or install the new version manually as soon as possible.
The release notes for Chrome 44.0.2403.89 provide additional details.
Microsoft issues special update for critical Windows vulnerability
An update for a vulnerability in the Microsoft Font Driver – present in all supported versions of Windows – was released yesterday by Microsoft. Normally, updates like this are released as part of the monthly Patch Tuesday process, but Microsoft evidently decided that this vulnerability was serious enough to warrant this ‘out of band’ update.
Windows systems with Automatic Updates enabled will receive this update automatically. All other systems should be updated via Windows Update as soon as possible.
Mozilla’s plans to make Firefox better
For years, Firefox has been the go-to browser for tech-savvy users, who mainly want to avoid using Internet Explorer. More recently, Firefox has been losing users to Chrome, albeit slowly. Fast-forward to today, and it’s increasingly common to hear people complain about Firefox’s bloat, and its performance issues.
I still use Firefox, but I’d switch to Chrome in a heartbeat if that browser had a bookmark sidebar. And I’m not the only one: the comments in this Chrome Help Forum thread clearly show users’ frustration with Google’s foot-dragging.
Apparently Mozilla can see the writing on the wall. A new effort is underway to improve Firefox’s quality. Part of this will involve identifying and removing features that are incomplete or ineffective, which should help to reduce bloat and improve performance. It’s way too soon to know if this will be enough for Firefox to hold on to notoriously fickle browser users, but at least Firefox may now have a chance.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s new web browser (Edge) is going to complicate things if it really is as fast as claimed.
Java 8 Update 51 fixes 25 vulnerabilities
Yesterday, Oracle released a huge set of updates for all its products, in the July installment of their quarterly Critical Patch Update.
Included in the updates is a new version of Java, version 8 update 51. The new Java includes fixes for at least 25 security vulnerabilities. Anyone who uses a web browser with Java enabled should install the new version as soon as possible. According to Oracle, exploits for at least one of the Java vulnerabilities have been seen in the wild.