0:09
Microsoft pauses Windows 11's July update for some Dell devices because they're randomly shutting down
Microsoft pulled the July Windows 11 roll‑out for a handful of Dell laptops after spotting a nasty side effect: the update was spiking CPU temps enough to trigger sudden power‑off events. The problem showed up in internal testing, so the patch was halted before it reached the broader audience. Dell’s affected models are mostly the XPS and Latitude lines, where the new driver stack apparently conflicted with the firmware’s thermal controls. Users with those machines will stay on the previous build until Microsoft ships a fix, while the rest of the Windows 11 fleet continues to receive the update as planned.
0:57
AIM-ing For a More Open Platform Than Discord
I’ve been digging into the old AIM thing and it turns out the protocol survived way longer than most people think—still alive in 2017, even after Discord showed up. The big twist is that AIM isn’t a locked‑in platform; it’s just a protocol, so anyone can spin up their own server. The OpenOscarServer project rewrites the old AOL back‑end, letting you host AIM or ICQ yourself on a cheap VPS or even a Raspberry Pi. What’s funny is the community that keeps it alive now hangs out on Discord, because the original services have mostly faded. If you’re fed up with your chat being owned by a corporate giant, Veronica’s blog walks you through the whole setup, and the code works for both AIM and ICQ, which just kept running up to this year.
1:49
Google gives Pixel owners a rare second chance to buy Pixel Care+
Google’s Pixel Care+ is opening a narrow window for owners of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 to add the plan even after the usual 60‑day enrollment deadline. The extension runs until August 2, letting users slip in coverage that goes beyond the standard warranty—accidental drops, screen cracks, and even theft are now on the table.
What’s different under the hood is the timing. Instead of the one‑off sign‑up right after purchase, Google is essentially retrofitting the protection, treating the existing devices as if they were brand‑new for the purpose of the plan. It’s a rare second chance that bypasses the typical cut‑off.
If you’ve got a Pixel 9 or 10 and haven’t locked in protection yet, you can hop into the Pixel Care+ section in Settings, confirm the device, and pay the monthly or annual fee before the August deadline. After that, the coverage kicks in just like any other enrollment, handling repairs or replacements without the usual out‑of‑pocket surprises.
2:57
Australia demands AI companies must produce more energy than they consume, stop ‘theft’ of content
Australian PM Albanese announced AI policy requiring new datacenters to generate more energy than they use, funding electricity projects and water infrastructure.
The rule also forces AI firms to secure agreements with local creators before using their content, insisting artists keep ownership and control.
Compliance will be backed by nationwide legislation, promising faster approvals
3:31
Iran Abused Mobile Networks' Vulnerabilities To Locate US Military In Middle East
So Iran found a way to use existing vulnerabilities in mobile networks to track US military personnel in the Middle East. They exploited something called Signaling System 7, which is a set of protocols that lets different cellular networks communicate with each other. This allowed them to locate US military forces in various countries, including Iraq and Bahrain. It's not a new technique - intelligence agencies have been using it for a while to track cellphones abroad. But in this case, Iran used it to strike US military targets, resulting in several injuries.
What's also interesting is that they didn't just stop at SS7. They also used advertising technology to track cellphone users. This is a technique that's normally used to serve targeted ads, but in this case, it was used for surveillance. It just goes to show how everyday technology can be repurposed for other uses.
The fact that Iran was able to use these vulnerabilities to gather intelligence on US military personnel is pretty significant. It highlights the risks of using outdated protocols like SS7, which has been known to be vulnerable for a while now. It's not clear what's being done to fix these vulnerabilities, but it's clear that they need to be addressed to prevent this kind of thing from happening again.
It's also worth noting that this isn't just a problem for the US military. Anybody using a cellphone in a country with vulnerable mobile networks could potentially be tracked using these techniques. So it's a pretty widespread issue that needs to be taken seriously.
Overall, it's just another example of how technology can be used in unexpected ways. And it's a reminder that we need to be careful about how we use technology, and make sure we're taking steps to protect ourselves from potential threats.
5:32
After almost two years, KDE Plasma’s animations finally look good again on Nvidia cards
So I was digging into this Plasma 6.7.3 update, and I found out that the team finally figured out how to re-enable triple buffering for Nvidia cards, which was disabled back in October 2024 due to a bug. What's interesting is that this change isn't just about flipping a switch - it's a deep dive into the compositor's rendering pipeline. They had to rewrite the way Nvidia's hardware acceleration is handled, which is a pretty significant overhaul.
6:09
Google and Epic give up fighting — third-party Android app stores are coming next week
So I was digging into this Epic Games and Google thing, and it turns out they've both dropped their lawsuit attempt to retroactively settle. This means Google's going to have to start carrying rival app stores within its own Play store. They've actually told the court they're ready to start doing this as early as next Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a big deal because it opens the door for other companies to create their own Android app stores. I'm curious to see if Microsoft will take the opportunity to launch an Xbox game store on Android.
6:51
Microsoft is forcing an enterprise transition to passkeys
Passkeys have been around for some time, but enterprise-wide adoption to this point has been slow for a number of reasons. But soon, many Microsoft customers won’t have a choice.
Starting September 1, Microsoft will roll out passkeys as the default authentication method in its cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) service Entra ID. And following a transition period, Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication will officially end on February 1, 2027.
With this move, Microsoft seems to be underlining the urgent need for a more secure authentication standard, as attackers up their game with AI.
This is an “important milestone,” because it moves passwordless authentication from an optional security enhancement to the expected standard, noted Ensar Seker , CISO at SOCRadar. “That shift is significant as attackers increasingly rely on AI to automate phishing campaigns, generate convincing login pages, and conduct large-scale credential theft.”
Passkeys require users to authenticate via a fingerprint, facial scan, or lock screen mechanism, rather than a password. They can be stored on physical USB keys (like YubiKey), or as digital credentials on computers, phones, or in cloud accounts.
This method, Microsoft contended, reduces reliance on phishable authentication tools like SMS and voice, and hardens protection against credential theft.
Passkeys “work better for users and worse for cyberattackers,” Nadim Abdo , Microsoft corporate VP for identity and network access engineering, wrote in a blog post .
Microsoft’s announced timeline for rolling out passkeys is relatively aggressive:
September 1, 2026 : All SMS or voice-enabled users will be “auto-enabled and nudged” to register a passkey upon multifactor authentication (MFA) sign-in.
September 18, 2026 : Pricing, commercial terms, and a list of supported telecom providers will be shared for scenarios that still require SMS or voice authentication due to regulation or technical or operational challenges.
October 30, 2026 : Enterprises still using SMS and voice must select and configure a supported telecom provider through the Microsoft Security Store. From then on, they will be responsible for any telecom-related costs.
February 1, 2027 : Microsoft-provided telecom delivery for SMS and voice authentication ends as a native Microsoft Entra capability.
After February 1, enterprises that require SMS or voice for MFA must register a passkey before sign-in. There will be no opt-out option.
It’s important to note that these dates apply to public cloud-hosted Entra ID. Support for other cloud environments will follow a separate timeline; additional guidance and dates are to come.
12:11
Benchmarking Repairability Scores with an Asus Tablet
So, Asus says its ROG Flow Z13 hits a perfect 10 on the French repairability checklist, but when iFixit ran the same tablet through its own rubric it landed at a 7. The biggest gaps show up in the paperwork—Asus marks documentation as flawless, yet iFixit found the guide missing key steps, like the extra disassembly needed to reach the fan that’s tucked behind a liquid‑metal‑coated cooler.
A lot of the internals are still soldered: the Wi‑Fi card and most ports are fused to the board, and the RAM is an LPDDR5 module that can’t be swapped out. That alone knocked a few points off iFixit’s score.
On the plus side, once you peel off the screen the components inside are fairly modular, which makes repairs a bit more approachable than many ultrathin laptops.
The French system is self‑reported, so manufacturers can nudge the numbers in their favor, and spare‑part availability outside France remains a hurdle. It’s a reminder that a perfect headline doesn’t always tell the whole story.
13:20
Someone connected a Raspberry Pi 4B to an old, unsupported Kindle, and now it's an e-ink dashboard
I saw someone rig a Raspberry Pi 4 onto a Kindle that Amazon just dropped support for, and the result is a slick e‑ink
