The Latest From Kevin The Tech Guy! - Second Edition

Author

Kevin Lloyd
April 27, 2024

Intro

Hello everyone!

I want to give a HUGE thank you to those who signed up for this FREE newsletter so far! I really do appreciate you. I also appreciate everyone who read the first edition online, but haven’t subscribed yet. Please consider doing so.

I’m serious about only sharing tech news you actually need to know—stuff that affects how you use technology in your life, and steps you can take to improve your experiences with it. I’m not interested in just pointing out the negative stuff or problems without offering or pointing to solutions.

I listen to tech podcasts, read articles, and follow people and other online sources who are “breaking” the tech news, or sharing useful tips. You don’t have time for that yourself (and that’s fine), so hopefully things stand out to you in my newsletters that resonate and make you go “huh! That’s interesting” or “Great! That’s useful to me!”.

Patreon subscribers ($10/mo tier) get early access to this newsletter, and eventually the paid version when that launches. Please consider that, or my other tiers to support my work.

I hope you find what I’m doing valuable. Your support literally makes my work possible. Thank you.

What To Expect:

  • 3 Things To Know

  • 3 Things To Try

  • Something Fun

  • Other Blog Posts

3 Things To Know

What’s Going On:

Windows 10 has been around since 2015, and it’s still on the majority of computers using Windows. For the first time in the history of Windows, Microsoft will offer security updates (no new features) until 2028 for $90 per year per computer for consumers. However, the price doubles each year for three years. Businesses have had the option of extended support for many years and many of Microsoft’s products. Now we get it, too.

According to The Verge and others, Extended Support will launch for Windows 10 in October 2025.

My Take:

I honestly wish they had just kept building on Windows 7 and making it better, no matter what they called it, but that’s not what happened. Windows 8 happened (cringe). Fast-forward a few years to Windows 10. Aside from some annoying and frustrating features, most people love it, and that’s clear from the slow uptake of Windows 11, which most people get when they buy a new computer.

I will certainly pay $90 for the first year for security updates for my computers on Windows 10, which allows me to continue using it longer. I might even do two or three years. I have little interest in Windows 11. When the time finally comes in 2028, when we MUST upgrade to the version of Windows at the time, many will need to make that decision.

Read more about my thoughts on this in my Premium blog post exclusive to paid subscribers on my website.

What’s Going On:

According to JR Raphael at Computer World, the suit the users who filed it claimed Google led them to believe their browsing history in Incognito Mode was entirely “private” and invisible to everyone.

The courts determined that Google's language regarding Incognito Mode could be misinterpreted, leading to inaccurate assumptions and misunderstandings.

Google has promised to make its language around Incognito Mode more clear, and it's already done so.

My Take:

Your activity WILL still be visible to websites you visit, including Google.

Simply put, Incognito Mode ONLY protects you from other people using the same device. Period. The internet works the same way it always has, but at least this forces Google to communicate more clearly about what it's doing, and its good faith gesture is to now delete anonymous user data it has collected from those who use Incognito Mode.

What’s Going On:

According to Thurrott.com, Microsoft is up to its tricks again and apparently has nothing better to do than introduce ads and other related tips to the lock screen, aka the login screen, in Windows 10. The same thing is already happening in Windows 11.

They just keep cluttering up Windows with stuff no one asked for.

My Take:

No one asked for this, and it wasn't out of the goodness of their hearts, either. It's an upsell to encourage you to use more Microsoft products or products that their partners offer.

They continue to unapologetically clutter up your Lock Screen and any other place they can think to put this garbage. At least they let you turn it off, but most people will just ignore it, or not know where to go in Windows to turn it off.

It's no longer about a pleasant user experience. The more you use their products, the more money they make. Something gets shoved in your face, and you click a link or a button for more info, only to be presented with a web page full of ads or a partner's web page full of ads, among the other options they may offer to make a buck! It's a distraction when all you want to do is use your computer to accomplish something.

3 Things To Try:

What’s Going On:

In this Quick Tip, I will talk about how to update apps from the Microsoft Store.

When it comes to updating our computers, we often think of Windows Updates and updating programs we use, but it's important to keep Microsoft Store apps up to date as well since many are included in Windows 10 and 11.

My Take:

Windows Update and some third-party apps will bug you to update them, but it's not often we see notifications to update Microsoft Apps, especially if you're not using them. However, it's important to keep all aspects of our internet-connected computers updated for security.

What’s Going On:

In this pick, I'm talking about the browser extension for Firefox and Chrome called "Control Panel for Twitter." For those of us who must still use Twitter (now X) out of necessity, this makes the experience of using Twitter much more pleasant, in addition to possibly posting more frequently on other social media like Mastodon, Threads, BlueSky, etc.

My Take:

Along with other arguably better Social Networks out there, I must still use Twitter for my home business, personally, and for some volunteer accounts I help manage. Control Panel for Twitter is wonderful and makes that experience less painful, where we are less at the whims of a certain billionaire.

What’s Going On:

In this Quick Tip, I will describe how to stop your YouTube subscriptions from being public. You might not even realize they have been.

My Take:

It turns out that keeping your YouTube subscriptions private is opt-in, NOT opt-out. This is an example of what’s referred to as a “dark pattern,” where a feature is available but not really told you about it, and it’s buried somewhere. However, when asked, they can still say they offer it when someone stumbles upon it. This feels wrong,, and it is. There should honestly be laws against it.

I always assumed, and I suppose that’s my mistake, that only YouTube channels would know I’m subscribed to them and no one else. It doesn’t bother me that mine were public until now, but we as users should be given a more clear choice.

Something Fun:

If you’re an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can now watch their two-part documentary series on legendary comedian Steve Martin. It’s a lot of fun and traces his humble beginnings as he struggled to be successful early on. Eventually, of course, he switched to movies and did very well for over 40 years. Now he’s looking back on his journey.

Recent Blog Posts:

You Make Also Like: