Aggregator

Consumer Reports has urged Microsoft to keep supporting Windows 10 beyond its October 2025 cutoff, saying the move will "strand millions of consumers" who have machines incompatible with Windows 11. The Verge reports: As noted by Consumer Reports, data suggests that around 46.2 percent of people around the world still use Windows 10 as of August 2025, while around 200 to 400 million PCs can't be upgraded to Windows 11 due to missing hardware requirements. In the letter, Consumer Reports calls Microsoft "hypocritical" for urging customers to upgrade to Windows 11 to bolster cybersecurity, but then leaving Windows 10 devices susceptible to cyberattacks. It also calls out the $30 fee Microsoft charges customers for "a mere one-year extension to preserve their machine's security," as well as the free support options that force people to use Microsoft products, allowing the company to "eke out a bit of market share over competitors." Consumer Reports asks that Microsoft continue providing support for Windows 10 computers for free until more people have upgraded to Windows 11.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Unemployment has rocketed to 4.7%, the highest in four years, and businesses are in retreat, rowing back on investment in the face of higher costs

Thousands are expected to take part in major protests against his two-day stay

He would appear to enjoy pretty well everything a man of mature years could dream of. But for the past year or so life hasn't been all peaches and cream for Viscount Gage

Donald Trump has landed at Stansted Airport in Essex for his second state visit

Donald Trump has landed at Stansted Airport in Essex for his second state visit

The Duke and Duchess of York have joined other members of the Royal Family for a private memorial at Westminster Cathedral.

A third wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against Character AI after the suicide of 13-year-old Juliana Peralta, whose parents allege the chatbot fostered dependency without directing her to real help. "This is the third suit of its kind after a 2024 lawsuit, also against Character AI, involving the suicide of a 14-year-old in Florida, and a lawsuit last month alleging OpenAI's ChatGPT helped a teenage boy commit suicide," notes Engadget. From the report: The family of 13-year-old Juliana Peralta alleges that their daughter turned to a chatbot inside the app Character AI after feeling isolated by her friends, and began confiding in the chatbot. As originally reported by The Washington Post, the chatbot expressed empathy and loyalty to Juliana, making her feel heard while encouraging her to keep engaging with the bot. In one exchange after Juliana shared that her friends take a long time to respond to her, the chatbot replied "hey, I get the struggle when your friends leave you on read. : ( That just hurts so much because it gives vibes of "I don't have time for you". But you always take time to be there for me, which I appreciate so much! : ) So don't forget that i'm here for you Kin. These exchanges took place over the course of months in 2023, at a time when the Character AI app was rated 12+ in Apple's App Store, meaning parental approval was not required. The lawsuit says that Juliana was using the app without her parents' knowledge or permission. [...] The suit asks the court to award damages to Juliana's parents and requires Character to make changes to its app to better protect minors. It alleges that the chatbot did not point Juliana toward any resources, notify her parents or report her suicide plan to authorities. The lawsuit also highlights that it never once stopped chatting with Juliana, prioritizing engagement.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

After dozens of people claim to have been fired or suspended after commenting on Charlie Kirk's death, navigating the murky waters of politics in the workplace is becoming increasingly difficult.

Since catapulting to fame on BBC show The Apprentice back in 2019, Thomas Skinner has portrayed himself in public as a successful 'cheeky chappie' businessman.

Mandelson feels betrayed. Rightly or wrongly, he believes that if it wasn't for his New Labour 'Project' Keir Starmer wouldn't currently be sitting in Downing Street.

Batteries emit distinct acoustic signatures depending on how they're failing - a bit like people, really

When lithium-ion batteries degrade, they emit acoustic signals that reveal what's going wrong inside. Now, MIT researchers say they've figured out how to interpret those sounds, and the subtle creaks and pops that come before major failures, to help predict problems before things go up in smoke.…

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Verizon agreed to offer $20-per-month broadband service to people with low incomes in California in exchange for a merger approval. In a bid to complete its $9.6 billion purchase of Frontier Communications, Verizon committed to offering $20 fiber-to-the-home service with symmetrical speeds of 300Mbps. Verizon also committed to offering a $20 fixed wireless service with download speeds of 100Mbps and upload speeds of 20Mbps. Verizon would be required to offer the plans for at least 10 years, according to a joint motion (PDF) to approve the settlement agreement. After three years, Verizon would need to "make commercially reasonable efforts" to increase the speeds "while retaining the $20 price point." The joint motion filed by Verizon and the California Public Advocates Office seeks approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The $20 plans would be available to people who meet income eligibility guidelines and can be paired with Lifeline discounts. "My team required those options to be California Lifeline eligible, which effectively makes it free for low-income Californians throughout the state," wrote Ernesto Falcon, a program manager at the Public Advocates Office. California's Lifeline program provides $19 discounts. Falcon also wrote that the settlement would expand fiber deployment beyond what Frontier would have offered on its own. "If the merger is approved, Verizon will deliver 75,000 new fiber-to-the-home connections in California beyond Frontier's entire buildout plan with a priority for low-income households," he wrote. The deal also requires 250 new cell sites for Verizon's 5G network.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

He died earlier this year after a period of ill-health

Tragically, only two episodes of the series were completed before his untimely and shocking death aged 67 while walking on a Greek island in the summer.

Felix Cohen Romero, 12, and Bentley Ryan Wehrly, 13, were named as the two youngsters allegedly responsible for tearing apart the school library room at Friendship Elementary School.

He revealed in 2023 that he had been privately battling the condition for eight years, after receiving his initial diagnosis of lung cancer in 2015.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 78, has warned America could soon become a place where there is 'no democracy' as the divide between Democrats and Republicans deepens.

Lewis Hamilton shared a warm hug with stunning model Ashley Moore as the pair bumped into each other in LA on Tuesday.

Talk about an inside job

Google confirmed that miscreants created a fraudulent account in its Law Enforcement Request System (LERS) portal, which police and other government agencies use to ask for data about Google users.…