Daily Archives: October 2, 2023

• Microsoft Backup triggers help-desk calls and confusion

  Posted on October 2, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.40 • 2023-10-02

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  I applaud Microsoft for admitting that we all need to back up our computers and workstations, or at least have a recovery plan of some sort.

  But Microsoft’s recent backup implementation, its suddenly appearing Microsoft Backup app, is not well thought out and is a one-size-fits-all solution — that doesn’t fit well at all.

  Here’s the backstory. The new Backup app is available for both Windows 10 and 11. That’s a surprise, because we’ve been put on notice that Windows 10 22H2 is the final release, with only security updates coming our way until October 2025.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.40.0, 2023-10-02).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  On Security Backup, KB5029331, KB5030211, Microsoft Accounts, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Windows backup

• How Amazon ejected AI-written e-books from its bestseller lists

  Posted on October 2, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  The giant online retailer, Amazon.com, faced a problem. Hackers were using chatbots to create fake e-books — mostly novels full of gibberish — and posting them into the Kindle Unlimited (KU) service.

  The perps then launched scripts to “read” their works. The automated traffic resulted in Amazon’s e-book bestseller lists being dominated by drivel.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.40.0, 2023-10-02).

  Public Defender AI, Amazon, ChatGPT, DDoS, E-Books, Generative AI, GPT-Author, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Newsletters

• Ten stunning features in Microsoft Word

  Posted on October 2, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Microsoft Word has been around for so long, it’s easy to forget how great it really is.

  If you ask Microsoft about great Word features, they’ll drag out a list of recent innovations (starting and ending with “AI” and plenty of “cloud” in between). My own “stunning features” are things we take for granted, with some tips to make better use of them.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.40.0, 2023-10-02).

  Microsoft 365 Art, Collaboration, Indexes, Newsletters, Styles, Voice input, Word

• Thunderbolt

  Posted on October 2, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Ed Tittel • Comment in the Forums

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ed Tittel

  Not many people know this, but Thunderbolt originated as an optical networking technology. Apple and Intel worked on its initial design.

  Known as Light Peak, it was based upon optical components and fiber-optic cables at Intel’s Silicon Photonics lab. When it turned out that copper cables could deliver the same 10 Gbps bandwidth as the more expensive and finicky optical elements, the cheaper, less demanding technology won.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.40.0, 2023-10-02).

  Hardware Docking stations, Newsletters, NVMe, performance, Thunderbolt, USB, USB Implementers Forum