Computer stuff...
Google Chrome 114
“Chrome 114.0.5735.90 (Linux and Mac), 114.0.5735.90/91( Windows) contains a number of fixes and improvements…This update includes 16 security fixes.”
Download | Release Info
Chrome for Android updated too.
OBS Studio 29.1.2
Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming.
Hotfix release to address a host of issues.
Download
Mp3tag 3.21
Freeware audio tag editor.
New actions: Redo and Repeat
Download | Release Info
CPU-Z 2.06
Freeware portable system info tool.
Support for new hardware.
Download & Info (ZIP is portable version)
Jolene
I’ve mentioned this before, I love this song. I just stumbled on a bluegrass version by a band called Southern Raised:
[Read more…] about Weekend News
Windows Updates
Addresses 19-20 security vulnerabilities depending on Windows version..
Win10 – May 9, 2023—KB5026361 (OS Builds 19042.2965, 19044.2965, and 19045.2965)
Win11 – May 9, 2023—KB5026372 (OS Build 22621.1702)
Google Chrome Updated
“The Stable and extended stable channel has been updated to 113.0.5672.92/.93 Windows and 113.0.5672.92 for Mac and Linux”
Bugfixes
Download | Release Info
HWinfo 7.46
Free hardware info tool. 4 fixes, Improved Intel Arc GPU support.
Download (I use portable) | Release Info
FileZilla Server 1.7.0
“free open source FTP and FTPS Server”
Bugfixes and minor changes:
– Additional updater improvements
– Validate passive mode port ranges, it is now an error if the range overlaps any of the regular listeners
Download
Audacity 3.3.2
Free, open source, cross-platform audio software. v3.3.0 has several improvements and fixes.
“This is a hotfix release.”
Download & Info
Baby Hawks
We’ve had a nesting pair of hawks out back this year. Their babies hatched a few weeks back, pretty sure there are 3. Young hawks are called eyas. I’ve kept my distance during this time. The nest is visible through the window over the kitchen sink and I watch them often with binoculars. Spring foliage is making viewing a little harder. The eyas are becoming increasingly restless. Here is a couple of pics taken from my back deck using a 7-8 year old Canon PowerShot SX710 HS at the max 30x zoom:
[Read more…] about Wednesday News
Google Chrome Updated
“Chrome 113.0.5672.63 (Linux and Mac), 113.0.5672.63/.64( Windows) contains a number of fixes and improvements…This update includes 15 security fixes.”
Download | Release Info
Chrome for Android updated too.
Nvidia Geforce Game Ready Drivers 531.79 WHQL
Support for Redfall, Showgunners, the upcoming Diablo IV Server Slam, and a couple of bugfixes.
Download | Release Notes
OBS Studio 29.1
Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming (Windows, Linux, Mac).
Lots of updates, changes, and bugfixes.
Download & Info
HWiNFO 7.44
Free hardware info tool.
Download (I use portable) | Release Info
Google Security Blog: So long passwords, thanks for all the phish
“Starting today, you can create and use passkeys on your personal Google Account. When you do, Google will not ask for your password or 2-Step Verification (2SV) when you sign in…
Passkeys are a more convenient and safer alternative to passwords. They work on all major platforms and browsers, and allow users to sign in by unlocking their computer or mobile device with their fingerprint, face recognition or a local PIN.
When you add a passkey to your Google Account, we will start asking for it when you sign in or perform sensitive actions on your account. The passkey itself is stored on your local computer or mobile device, which will ask for your screen lock biometrics or PIN to confirm it’s really you. Biometric data is never shared with Google or any other third party – the screen lock only unlocks the passkey locally.
Unlike passwords, passkeys can only exist on your devices. They cannot be written down or accidentally given to a bad actor. When you use a passkey to sign in to your Google Account, it proves to Google that you have access to your device and are able to unlock it. Together, this means that passkeys protect you against phishing and any accidental mishandling that passwords are prone to, such as being reused or exposed in a data breach.”
AMD Software Adrenalin 23.4.3 WHQL Drivers
Support for STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor plus a couple of fixes
Download | Release Notes
Audacity 3.3.1
Free, open source, cross-platform audio software. v3.3.0 has several improvements and fixes.
Version 3.3.0 was released a few days ago. Version 3.31 is a bugfix for that release.
Download & Info
Windows 10 EOL
Stories about this issue were all over the web yesterday like is was big news.
“Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date.”
There is no real news here. I spoke of Win10s EOL date of October, 2025 back in 2021 and it wasn’t news then.
VMware Workstation Player 17.0.2
Critical security update.
Download | Release Notes
FileZilla 3.64.0
Filezilla is a FTP client.
-Fixed refresh of directory trees when filters changing
-Updated to libfilezilla 0.42.2
Download
O&O AppBuster 1.3.1343
Free, portable app to uninstall Microsoft apps. This version has 5 new features.
Download | Changelog
Firefox 112.0.2
A few fixes.
Download | What’s new
Nvidia Geforce Game Ready Drivers 531.68 WHQL
Support for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Dead Island 2 and a few game related fixes
Download | Release Notes
VirtualBox 7.0.8
Freeware, open source virtualization software. Lots of fixes and improvements.
Download | Extension Pack | Changelog
GPU-Z 2.53.0
Freeware portable video card/GPU info tool. Support for new hardware.
Download & Info
Google CEO Sundar Pichai warns society to brace for impact of A.I. acceleration, says ‘it’s not for a company to decide’
Some snippets:
“We need to adapt as a society for it,” Pichai told Pelley, adding that jobs that would be disrupted by AI would include “knowledge workers,” including writers, accountants, architects and, ironically, even software engineers…
“When warning of AI’s consequences, Pichai said that the scale of the problem of disinformation and fake news and images will be “much bigger,” adding that “it could cause harm…”
However, fears of the consequences of the rapid progress has also reached the public and critics in recent weeks. In March, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak and dozens of academics called for an immediate pause in training “experiments” connected to large language models that were “more powerful than GPT-4,” OpenAI’s flagship LLM. More than 25,000 people have signed the letter since then…
“You don’t fully understand how it works and yet you’ve turned it loose on society?” Pelley asked.
And here is the daft, baffling response from Pichai:
“Let me put it this way, I don’t think we fully understand how a human mind works either.”
Google Chrome Updated
“The Stable and extended stable channel has been updated to 112.0.5615.86/87 Windows”
Seems to be a single fix.
Download | Release Info
PowerToys 0.69.1
Bugfix release.
Download & Info
EMDB 5.19
Freeware movie database software. A few fixes, a few new features.
Download | What’s New
4 Maps updates to help you explore U.S. national parks
“This month, four new updates are coming to Google Maps on iOS and Android to help you find the information you need when you head to a national park — all in one place. With these updates, everything from finding your way around a park to discovering things to do when you’re there will feel like, well, a walk in the park.“
Windows Updates
Win10 -April 11, 2023—KB5025221 (OS Builds 19042.2846, 19044.2846, and 19045.2846)
Addresses over 50 security vulnerabilities.
Win11 – April 11, 2023—KB5025239 (OS Build 22621.1555)
Addresses over 40 security vulnerabilities.
Firefox 112
1/2 dozen new features and addresses over 20 security issues.
Download | Release Notes
PowerToys 0.69
“set of utilities for power users to tune and streamline their Windows experience for greater productivity.”
New utility: Registry Preview, many improvements and fixes.
Download & Info
Notepad++ 8.5.2
Freeware feature packed notepad replacement. Many fixes and a few new features.
Download & Info
Microsoft/Sysinternals Process Explorer 17.04
“Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.”
“This update to Process Explorer fixes a regression highlighting immersive processes and fixes a security bug.”
Download
Intel Graphics Drivers 31.0.101.2121 for 6th-10th Gen Intel CPUs
Download & Info
AMD Software Adrenalin 23.4.1 WHQL Drivers
Support for: Meet Your Maker. Game optimizations for The Last of Us Part 1. A few fixes.
Download | Release Notes
