 PCs running Windows 10 will lose security support from Microsoft this year in October.
For folks not ready to say goodbye to their Windows 10 computers, Microsoft will offer a 1 year paid security extension, providing an extra year of security updates for $30 per computer. Microsoft will likely offer the paid upgrade by advertising it directly on Windows 10 users' screens prior to October. Those who continue using Windows 10 unsecured after October will run the inevitable risk of security and usability problems cropping up as the system ages. Although antivirus programs often continue to function on out-of-date operating systems, hackers eventually discover unpatched security issues, which an antivirus may not be able to protect against. Some people are at higher risk using an unsecured operating system, and benefit more from staying on a computer that has up-to-date security:
Windows 10 machines will continue to be useful, in part because web browsers will continue to function on Windows 10 for years to come. Microsoft has announced that the Edge web browser for Windows 10 will continue to receive security updates through October 2028. Chrome and Firefox will likely have a similar timeline. Our #1 recommendation for folks currently on Windows 10? Backup your data, either via hard drive or a cloud backup service. Older computers are more likely to have data loss issues, so having a reliable backup becomes increasingly important as a computer ages. Considering a new computer? We can guide you through the process.  Asheville Digital Lifestyle's founder Jensen and his spouse Beth are expecting a baby! With the little one due in September, Jensen & Asheville Digital Lifestyle will go on sabbatical to concentrate on supporting the new family member.
At this time we continue to operate normally. If you are considering future projects with us, we recommend engaging our services prior to September to ensure that we are available to support you. You are welcome to ask questions, and we will provide resources on tech support alternatives prior to the sabbatical.  Changes to text messaging are ramping up lately, and we're here to explain.
The basic text messaging format, around since the days of the flip phone, is SMS (if it includes a photo or video, it's called MMS). Virtually any phone connected to a cellular carrier can send texts via SMS, and low-quality (sometimes blurry) photos & videos can be sent via MMS. Because of the limitations of SMS/MMS, several years ago Apple created iMessage (iPhone users, you know you are sending iMessages when the messages are colored blue). In the years since, a competing format used by Android smartphone users was created called RCS. Both RCS and iMessage have benefits including indication of whether the message was received by the recipient, whether the other person is currently typing, and the ability to send/receive higher-quality (less likely to be blurry) images & videos, along with files such as PDF or Word documents. RCS used to be an Android-only affair, but iPhones & Androids can now communicate via RCS if the carriers of both phones support it. Yes, it can be a confusing mishmash, but the upshot is that manysmartphone users can now communicate more easefully regardless of whether they are on Android or iPhone. However, some of our clients have seen reliability issues with sending and receiving SMS messages since the cell phone carriers shifted their focus to RCS. If you have any problems sending or receiving SMS or RCS messages, the first troubleshooting step is to contact your cellular carrier.  Our favorite free adblocker, Malwarebytes Browser Guard, has recently been updated to protect users from malicious websites that modify your web browser settings. "Search hijacking" can change your web browser's behavior to redirect legitimate searches to bogus or malware-ridden results. It's always a cat-and-mouse game when it comes to effectiveness of such tools, but we like that this automatic protection is now built into Malwarebytes Browser Guard. It's available at no cost for web browsers including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. Click here to check it out.
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AuthorJensen Gelfond is the Founder of Asheville Digital Lifestyle. He helps people use their technology more effectively and joyfully. Categories
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