Wednesday Newsbytes: Why so Few are Upgrading to Windows 11; Windows 11 Upgrade Nightmare; What Happens When You Accept Cookies; The Mysterious Scarves; The Big Lie… and more!
Every day we scan the tech world for interesting news in the world of technology and sometimes from outside the world of technology. Every Wednesday, we feature news articles that grabbed our attention over the past week. We hope you find this week’s ‘Wednesday Newsbytes’ informative and interesting!
7 Reasons Why Most Users Haven’t Upgraded to Windows 11
Microsoft has tried to make Windows 11 the best it can be, but most people are sticking with Windows 10.
Microsoft released Windows 11 in October 2021. The Windows 11 uptake has been slow since then, with most users preferring not to upgrade to the latest desktop OS. Windows 11 only had an approximate 21 percent Windows user base share as of March 2023. In comparison, Windows 10 had a 73 percent share.
There is already speculation Microsoft might release another new desktop platform as early as 2024. So, Windows 11 could be a flop comparable to Windows 8. These are some of the main reasons why most users haven’t jumped on the Windows 11 bandwagon.
1. Windows 11’s Stringent System Requirements
Some users haven’t upgraded to Windows 11 simply because their PCs don’t meet all the essential system requirements. Windows 11 stricter system requirements have created an upgrade barrier…
Windows 11 update nightmare continues with games and an antivirus app hit
Windows 11’s latest optional update is causing a bunch of problems for some users, including reported issues with games and conflicts with an antivirus app.
Let’s start with the apparent misfire in the works patch KB5025305 has visited upon gamers, going by claims on Reddit (opens in new tab) flagged up by Windows Latest (opens in new tab).
One Reddit user reported having games freezing after installing the preview update, with the issue being resolved after uninstalling the patch, suggesting it was to blame. Another user chimed in saying they were having the same problem, and after troubleshooting for a few days, they concluded that KB5025305 was the root of their issues
.Perhaps unsurprisingly, there have also been some reports of the update failing to install (that’s definitely nothing new)…
‘Godfather of AI’ quits Google — and says he regrets life’s work due to risks to humanity
A prominent artificial intelligence researcher known as the “Godfather of AI” has quit his job at Google – and says he now partly regrets his work advancing the burgeoning technology because of the risks it poses to society.
Dr. Geoffrey Hinton is a renowned computer scientist who is widely credited with laying the AI groundwork that eventually led to the creation of popular chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other advanced systems.
The 75-year-old told the New York Times that he left Google so that he can speak openly about the risks of unrestrained AI development – including the spread of misinformation, upheaval in the jobs market and other, more nefarious possibilities.
“I console myself with the normal excuse: If I hadn’t done it, somebody else would have,” Hinton said in an interview published on Monday…
What actually happens when you click ‘accept Cookies?
We are all met with that rather annoying message when we surf the web, aren’t we? ‘This website uses cookies, do you accept?’
To be honest, the vast majority of us will probably admit that we just immediately accept these without actually thinking what is going on in the background.
Of course, if we accepted that many cookies in real life, we might be thinking about a diet plan right now to shed a few pounds.
But as these cookies are not edible, no such thing is required.
We all know what real cookies do, but some people are not aware of what cookies on our devices actually do.
So what exactly happens when you click ‘accept cookies’…
Amazon warning as scarves mysteriously arrive at random houses in new ‘brushing’ scam
Once the scarf is received then the scammer will be able to post a fake five-star review which in turn will boost the seller’s figures resulting in a higher ranking search meaning more people will buy their products as they appear higher rated.
A warning has been issued to Amazon customers due to an elaborate online shopping scam involving surprise parcels showing up on people’s doorsteps.
The new scam doing the rounds, according to consumer rights watchdog Which?, has resulted in numerous people in the UK being sent Suzhichou scarves without having ordered them in what is known as a brushing scam.
These involve dodgy sellers using marketplaces online like Amazon to submit fake orders with their own items…
FTC warns tech companies against AI shenanigans that harm consumers
Since its establishment in 1914, the US Federal Trade Commission has stood as a bulwark against the fraud, deception, and shady dealings that American consumers face every day — fining brands that “review hijack” Amazon listings, making it easier to cancel magazine subscriptions and blocking exploitative ad targeting. On Monday, Michael Atleson, Attorney, FTC Division of Advertising Practices, laid out both the commission’s reasoning for how emerging generative AI systems like ChatGPT, Dall-E 2 could be used to violate the FTC Act’s spirit of unfairness, and what it would do to companies found in violation.
“Under the FTC Act, a practice is unfair if it causes more harm than good,” Atleson said. “It’s unfair if it causes or is likely to cause substantial injury to consumers that is not reasonably avoidable by consumers and not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition.”
He notes that the new generation of chatbots like Bing, Bard and ChatGPT can be used to influence the user’s, “beliefs, emotions, and behavior.” We’ve already seen them employed as negotiators within Walmart supply network and as talk therapists, both occupations specifically geared towards influencing those around you. When combined with the common effects of automation bias, wherein users more readily the accept the word of a presumably impartial AI system…
Astronaut shares the profound ‘big lie’ he realized after seeing the Earth from space
This change in perspective could change humanity.
Sixty-one years ago, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to make it into space and probably the first to experience what scientists now call the “overview effect.” This change occurs when people see the world from far above and notice that it’s a place where “borders are invisible, where racial, religious and economic strife are nowhere to be seen.”
The overview effect makes man’s squabbles with one another seem incredibly petty and presents the planet as it truly is, one interconnected organism.
In a compelling interview with Big Think, astronaut, author and humanitarian Ron Garan explains how if more of us developed this planetary perspective we could fix much of what ails humanity and the planet.
Garan has spent 178 days in space and traveled more than 71 million miles in 2,842 orbits. From high above, he realized that the planet is a lot more fragile than he thought…
Thanks for reading this week’s Wednesday Newbytes. We hope you found these articles informative, interesting, fun, and helpful. Darcy & TC
It scares me every time when a BIG Window comes up on my screen shortly after I log on. It states that they’re (MS) blocking my computer because of some problem w/scam or malware or whatever…It warns me not to turn off my computer but I do anyway. That’s the only way I can get rid of the scary blue windows of different sizes w/warnings. This keeps happening & I don’t know what to do to get rid of it permanently. I always go to Emsisoft for a safe scan & they always find nothing at all.
Could you advise me please? I think I have a key left &/or Senior Pass that perhaps could be used…
Thank you so very, very much for your help/advice. Joann Bolen