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Windows 11 October patches blamed for Xbox error 0x87DD0005
Players say Solitaire, Mahjong and Gears of War 4 fail Xbox sign-in with error 0x87DD0005 after KB5127648 and KB5127694. Microsoft has confirmed no cause yet.
Google moves inline links higher in AI Mode and AI Overviews
Google is moving inline links higher in AI Mode and AI Overviews and testing official page links, but Search Console still shows no click data for AI results.
Eight states sue OpenAI over ChatGPT safety claims
Iowa, Kansas, Arizona and five other states sued OpenAI in state courts, alleging ChatGPT misled users on safety and seeking curbs on self-improving AI models.
Microsoft brings Defender protections to Linux
Acknowledging the rising use of Linux in various sectors, Microsoft has announced that it is bringing its Defender security protections to the open-source operating system. The arrival of Microsoft Defender on Linux systems means that users can benefit from the company’s antivirus protection, device isolation and more. Fast facts: Microsoft says that the increasing use of Linux across various industries means that workstations running the operating system are attractive targets for hackers and attackers.
LibreOffice adds support for Microsoft Publisher files
Microsoft is no stranger to ending support for products it feels have reached the end of their life, and the company very recently ended support for the much-loved Microsoft Publisher. With the company dropping the desktop publishing program, users have been left with no way to open their existing .pub files – until now. LibreOffice has just added support for the .pub format. Fast facts: LibreOffice, the free alternative to Microsoft Office, has long been a proponent of document portability.
Microsoft warns October's KB5127648 Windows update can break Smart App Control
Microsoft has issued a warning that the recently released October Update for Windows 11 can break Smart App Control. Some users who have installed the KB5127648 update have found that they are unable to turn on the security feature. Having acknowledged the issue, Microsoft says that it is working on a fix and has provided details of a workarounfin the meantime. Fast facts: The problem, according to Microsoft, only affected people who have not yet enabled Smart App Control and then try to do so.
WhatsApp rolls out Guest Calling so you can join calls without an account
Meta is making it easier for anyone to take part in a WhatsApp call. With the newly announced rollout of Guest Calling, it becomes possible to join a WhatsApp call even if you do not have a WhatsApp account – you will, however, need to be invited to a call, and cannot create one of your own. Fast facts: Meta announced the rollout of the new feature in a post on the WhatsApp blog, saying: Today we're making WhatsApp calling more open than ever. With guest calling, you can now invite anyone to join a WhatsApp call – even if… [Continue Reading]
Microsoft launches new Photos app experience for Windows 11
Microsoft has announced a completely updated Photos app with a new built-in image editor, redesigned photo viewer, and an all-new Gallery. It is part of the company’s continued updating of the overall Windows 11 experience. Fast facts: The new Gallery not only shows locally stored photos and videos, but also those stored in the cloud – specifically from OneDrive and iCloud. This simplified experience avoids the need to jump from place to place, or go hunting for photos when you cannot remember where they were stored.
Tiny11 now has an app with a graphical interface for easier debloating of Windows 11
Tiny11 is a fantastic free utility for creating custom, debloated builds of Windows 11. While it has proved very popular since it was released, it has also been difficult to use – now this is changing thanks to a new version that has a graphical user interface. Fast facts: Described by the developer as aiming to be the “de facto standard for creating lightweight, safe and efficient Windows images”, Tiny11 has been off-putting to many potential users because of its reliance on PowerShell scripts.
Publishers seek $19.5M default judgment against WeLib
Thirteen publishers asked a New York judge for $19.5 million from shadow library WeLib, plus orders to disable its three domains after it ignored the suit.
Ubuntu 26.10 arrives with GNOME 51 and Rust coreutils
Ubuntu 26.10 Stonking Stingray lands October 15 with GNOME 51, all-Rust coreutils, Sequoia PGP, a certified-hardware check in Settings and the Linux 7.3 kernel.
Exploited Cisco email gateway bug grants root access
Cisco says attackers are exploiting CVE-2026-76519, a 9.8 Secure Email Gateway flaw that grants root via a crafted attachment. Check File Reputation and patch now.
Microsoft October 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes 1,413 flaws
Microsoft’s October 2026 Patch Tuesday patched 1,413 flaws, with an exploited Windows Shell bug that bypasses Mark of the Web and two disclosed zero-days.
Character.AI enters Chapter 11 with Disney’s $20M bid
Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware as Disney placed a $20 million stalking horse bid for an IP license. The chatbot stays online during the sale.
Meta’s Muse Wonder frontier model opens to developers
Muse Wonder is live on the Meta Model API and Muse Code at $4 input and $20 output per million tokens. Muse Wonder Full requires a higher-tier Muse Code plan.
Meta launches new Your Algorithm options so you can control your Facebook algorithm
Meta is introducing new controls to help Facebook users customize the algorithm used to deliver content to them. Powered by AI, the new Your Algorithm tools allow for natural language prompts and make it possible to fine-tune what appears in Feed and Reels on the social network. Fast Facts Meta says that the recommendations it makes on Facebook will immediately take into account the customizations that users put in place so changes will be noticeably straight away.
Kodi 22 Piers RC 1 adds game cheats, deep links and FFmpeg 9
Kodi 22 Piers RC 1 is out with FFmpeg 9.0.2, HDR PGS subtitle upgrades, a RetroPlayer cheat engine, Android deep links and smarter Blu-ray playlist detection.
French supermarket fridge attack hit outdated Danfoss units
Danfoss says many fridge controllers hijacked at 350+ French supermarkets were end-of-life or on outdated firmware as investigators hunt the unknown attackers.
Windows App adds remote PC connections, no work account
Microsoft made remote PC connections generally available in Windows App on Windows, and no work or school account is needed to reach a physical or virtual PC.
Windows 11 23H2 Enterprise final patch arrives Nov. 10
Microsoft’s final Windows 11 23H2 update for Enterprise, Education and IoT Enterprise ships Nov. 10, 2026. Review upgrade steps and other end-of-support dates.
Python 3.15 released with lazy imports and UTF-8 default
Python 3.15 is out with explicit lazy imports, UTF-8 as the default encoding, frozendict and sentinel types, the Tachyon profiler and a faster experimental JIT.
Microsoft leaders call for emergency brakes on rogue AI
Microsoft’s Brad Smith wants firms to alert victims of rogue AI breaches. Satya Nadella says to assume models are compromised and build in an emergency brake.
How to schedule sending messages in WhatsApp
While a lot of communication happens in the here and now, there are times when you may want to delay the sending of a message rather than having it delivered immediately. To help with this, Meta is giving Android users the ability to schedule the sending of messages in WhatsApp For now, the feature is rolling out to Android users who are signed up to the WhatsApp beta program, but it will not be long before it is made available on other platforms and to users who are not part of the beta program. Here is what you need to… [Continue Reading]
Microsoft is retiring Themes by Copilot in Microsoft Outlook
Having gone all-in with Copilot, Microsoft has started the process of reeling things back in a little. As part of this, the company has quietly announced that it is killing off a Copilot-powered feature of Outlook. The announcement reveals that Microsoft is retiring Themes by Copilot in Microsoft Outlook – possibly because of a lack of interest from users, although no reason is given.
WhatsApp starts blocking logins from outdated operating systems
In a bid to boost security for users, WhatsApp is using a server-side update to block iOS and Android users from logging into their accounts with out-of-date software. This is not just about ensuring that everyone is using an up-to-date version of the WhatsApp app, but also that their operating systems are current. The thinking behind this is that any device, and the accounts accessed from it, are only as secure as the software running on them.
Tesla forced to rename its Full Self-Driving system in Europe
Following intervention from the German Transport Ministry, Tesla is renaming its Full Self-Driving system across Europe. There was concern about the name giving drivers false confidence in the capabilities of their vehicles, so the system is now refered to as Tesla Assisted Driving across Europe. The German Transport Ministry says that it has to be made clear that drivers remain entirely responsible for the safe driving of their vehicles, and it hopes that the change in name will help to drive this point home.
Let’s Encrypt is slashing certificate lifetimes to just 64 days
In just four months’ time, Let’s Encrypt will be cutting the free SSL/TLS certificate lifetimes from 90 days to 64 days. It is a move that is designed to help improve security, and avoid abuse. The shorter lifetime will be the default, but it will be possible to opt for something even shorter if desired – as short as 6 days. The default of 64 days does not come into force until early next year, but it will be possible to opt to use it starting next week for those who are interested.
Cloudflare has acquired Deno and will use it to boost Workers
Cloudflare has announced that it is acquiring Deno, the outfit behind the Deno programming runtime. The acquisition will be used to improve Cloudflare’s Workers programming model. Workers can be used to build software to run on Cloudflare’s network, and Deno only recently developed its own open-source version of the celld platform. Interestingly, Cloudflare did not – and does not – see this as a threat. Ryan Dahl from Deno says that: “We’re joining Cloudflare to make the Workers programming model a mainstream way to build servers.
Microsoft sets 2027 Windows Update certificate deadlines for outdated PCs
Microsoft says PCs on unsupported versions, or supported ones missing patches, will lose Windows Update access when certificates expire in May and June 2027.
OpenAI defends firing three researchers as trio disputes the reason
OpenAI says three safety researchers it fired last week broke rules on sensitive information. The trio says they lost their jobs for putting AI safety first.
Anthropic’s OSS Scanner sends free Mythos reports with no human review
Anthropic’s opt-in OSS Scanner gives eligible open-source projects free, recurring Claude Mythos vulnerability scans, with reports emailed without human review.
Google Chrome now supports JPEG XL images and animations for improved efficiency
Google has announced that as of version 155, its Chrome web browser now officially supports the JPEG XL format. The key benefit of this newly added support is that the JPEG XL image format can provide up to 50 percent better compressions than the JPEG format. On top of this, JPEG XL can be used for animations, and there is lossless JPEG transcoding to allow for the easy reuse of existing images.
GPT-6 brings interactive Intelligent UI answers to free ChatGPT users
OpenAI's GPT-6 rollout adds Intelligent UI, so ChatGPT can answer with charts, interactive diagrams and small tools. Free and Go users get access from Oct. 8.
10 Best Linux Distros in 2026, Ranked for Every User
Compare the best Linux distros in 2026 for beginners, developers, and power users: real rankings on speed, support, and ease of use.
Microsoft is working to make it easier for developers to publish XBOX games
Publishing games to the XBOX platform has been a source of frustration for developers for quite some time, and Microsoft is finally listening to feedback and is ready to do something about it. The company says that it will be taking steps to help reduce “unnecessary friction” and simplifying the overall publishing process. While details remain thin on the ground at the moment, Microsoft’s public acknowledgement that more needs to be done – and the promise that something will be done – will come as good news for game developers and gamers alike.
Microsoft is introducing a new Windows Search experience with Copilot built in
At its Surface announcement event today, Microsoft not only revealed the latest addition to its range of Surface devices, but also gave a preview of a revamped Windows Search experience. The new approach sees Microsoft essentially transforming Windows Search into a chatbot, so users can type natural language prompts to perform searches and jump to Windows settings. With Copilot built in, it is also possible to access Microsoft’s AI tools without having to launch the dedicated Copilot app separately.
Google launches Playground as an experimental AI-driven game creation platform
Google has launched a new Labs experiment called Playground which gives you the chance to create your own games using AI prompts. The no-code game creation platform will ultimately integrate with Unity Spark to make it possible to take things even further. For now, if you are 18 or over and living in the US, Google Playground lets you use conversational descriptions to create fun games that can be shared with others. Or, as Google puts it: “If you can think it, you can play it”.
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