Eliana Willis

ZDNETI sometimes used the Smart Lookup feature in Microsoft Word to look up words and phrases in a document. It was a helpful way to view dictionary definitions, synonyms, web searches, and Wikipedia articles on a subject. Well, what Microsoft giveth, they now taketh away, for Smart Lookup is no more.Microsoft retires a helpful featureIn a support document on Smart Lookup spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft reveals that the feature has been retired as of Jan. 1, 2025. In the past, right-clicking on certain words in Microsoft Word displayed a “Search” command in the menu. Selecting that command would run an online search to help you learn more about the word you selected.Also: How to upgrade your ‘incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 in 2025The “Search” option still exists, and selecting it still opens the Search pane on the right. But instead of running an actual search, Word just tells you that something went wrong and advises you to please try again. Of course, trying again just results in the same error. It seems Microsoft can’t even properly remove a feature like this without creating confusion. More

ZDNETUPDATE: When Microsoft rolled out another Windows 11 24H2 update for this month’s Patch Tuesday, instead of fixing existing issues, the update created more havoc, causing conflicts with audio, Bluetooth, webcams, and more.In October, after months of beta testing, Microsoft officially released its major 2024 update for Windows 11. Known as Windows 11 24H2, the latest version enhances the Copilot AI, improves File Explorer, promises faster performance and greater stability, and introduces other improvements.The update, which is rolling out to eligible Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2 users, may appear on your PC’s Windows Update screen. If so, you can certainly install it from there. Otherwise, the new version is accessible on Microsoft’s Download Windows 11 page, where you can grab it through the Installation Assistant, installation media, or as an ISO file.Also: The Windows January updates are a mess – here’s why you should wait to installBut before you dive into the 2024 update, you may want to reconsider. The new version has been plagued by bugs that could prevent you from using Windows reliably and effectively. Microsoft has documented some of the glitches, and Windows users have reported others. In response, Microsoft has put the update on hold for problematic PCs that could encounter blue screens and other issues.To address the barrage of bugs, the company has rolled out several sets of patches so far — one in late October, another in mid-November, and a third on December 10 as part of the monthly Patch Tuesday. A January patch also addressed a conflict with several Ubisoft games, while another update on January’s Patch Tuesday attempted to address other issues.Also: How to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Pro – without overpayingThe October update fixed a few bugs but also created a couple of new ones. The November update resolved several, but certainly not all, of the outstanding glitches. The December update fixed one specific glitch with certain USB-connected scanners and other devices. The early January patch finally fixed conflicts with the Ubisoft games Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.Then the January 14 update introduced new conflicts with audio, Bluetooth, webcams, and more. At this point, the update has turned into an albatross around Microsoft’s neck. Here are just some of the issues you may encounter if you jump to the new version.1. Conflict with PCs with Citrix componentsIn one glitch introduced with the January Patch Tuesday update, PCs with certain Citrix components may not be able to complete the installation of the January patches. Microsoft said it found this issue on devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411, which was released in December. The company is working with Citrix to resolve the problem. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Ecovacs’ Deebot T30S Combo 3-in-1 robot vacuum, mop, and handheld vacuum is currently available for $1,200. The robot vacuum features an industry-leading 11,000 Pa of suction power, retractable mop pads to tackle corners and edges, a new v-shaped brush to prevent tangles, a self-emptying handheld vacuum, and self-washing and self-emptying features […] More

ZDNETI often sit around wondering what Linux can do to help attract new users. Sometimes, I come up with ideas that are pretty obvious and tend to center around how those teams could better market themselves and their products. Other times, those ideas are kind of out there. And then there are moments of clarity when I realize some sort of fundamental change that could be made to expand the user base.Also: This lightweight, easy-to-use Linux OS can save your aging Windows 10 PCOne such idea hit me the other day. This idea came about from some comments made on one of my Linux 101 videos I posted on YouTube. The video in question was about Arch Linux and its slogan “Keep it simple.”I realized there was a disconnect.Let me explain.Simple doesn’t mean easyI like the Arch slogan. The problem with it is that it seems to be aimed at the wrong people. What do I mean? If you’ve ever installed Arch Linux the old way, you know how much of a slog it was. There was no point-and-click GUI, and everything had to be done manually. Eventually, someone simplified the process by creating a script to run that would handle some of the heavy lifting. The developers stuck to their slogan and kept things simple.The thing is, who is it simple for? Imagine someone new (or new-ish) to Linux booting an Arch ISO, landing at a terminal prompt, and wondering why there’s no desktop. Sure, that’s simple. There’s not much to it, and it makes me think that the “Keep it simple” slogan is more for the development team than it is for the users.Instead, they need to make it easy.There’s a difference.Also: How to install Arch Linux without losing your mindThe Arch text-based installer is simple. There’s not enough to it to make it complex. It’s basic, it’s easy to maintain, and it’s quick.But it’s not easy. At least not for those trying Arch for the first time.To me, simple equates to a simplistic approach, whereas easy means it won’t challenge the user. There’s a lot in Linux that’s simple. There are application developers who have finally realized that easy is more important. Not every Linux distribution has followed that same path. Some distributions try, and some (such as Linux Mint and Ubuntu) have succeeded.But let’s go back to Arch for a second. If you know what you’re doing, the installation process is fairly easy. For the new user, not so much. Even if a new user were to get Arch installed, what’s next? The developers have stuck with their mantra on the desktop and kept it simple to the point where there’s no easy-to-use GUI for installing applications.When you force users to use the command line, that might be a simplistic approach for the developers, but it’s not easy for the users. More

ZDNETThe thing I find most baffling about the programming tests I’ve been running is that tools based on the same large language model tend to perform quite differently.Also: The best AI for coding in 2025 (and what not to use)For example, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and GitHub Copilot are all based on the GPT-4 model from OpenAI. But, as I’ll show you below, while ChatGPT and Perplexity’s pro plans performed excellently, GitHub Copilot failed as often as it succeeded.I tested GitHub Copilot embedded inside a VS Code instance. I’ll explain how to set that up and use GitHub Copilot in an upcoming step-by-step article. But first, let’s run through the tests.If you want to know how I test and the prompts for each individual test, feel free to read how I test an AI chatbot’s coding ability.TL;DR: GitHub Copilot passed two and failed two. Test 1: Writing a WordPress Plugin So, this failed miserably. This was my first test, so I can’t tell yet whether GitHub Copilot is terrible at writing code or whether the context in which one interacts with it is limiting to the point where it can’t meet this requirement.Let me explain.This test involves asking the AI to create a fully functional WordPress plugin, complete with admin interface elements and operational logic. The plugin takes in a set of names, sorts them, and, if there are duplicates, separates the duplicates so they’re not side by side.Also: I tested DeepSeek’s R1 and V3 coding skills – and we’re not all doomed (yet)This was a real-world application that my wife needed as part of an involvement device she runs on her very active Facebook group as part of her digital goods e-commerce business.Most of the other AIs passed this test, at least partly. Five of the 10 AI models tested passed the test completely. Three of them passed part of the test. Two (including Microsoft Copilot) failed completely.The thing is, I gave GitHub Copilot the same prompt I give all of them, but it only wrote PHP code. To be clear, this problem can be solved solely using PHP code. But some AIs like to include some JavaScript for the interactive features. GitHub Copilot included code for using JavaScript but never actually generated the JavaScript that it tried to use. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Asus ProArt P16 is available now, starting at $1,900. It pairs powerful hardware with a suite of customizable options designed for creatives. The deep personalization requires engagement from the user, the huge trackpad won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and the ultra-glossy display tends to glare. more buying choices Asus’ […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Amazon’s third-generation Echo Show 8 is available for $150. The smart display has an improved speaker with spatial audio, a centered camera for improved video calls, and Adaptive Content that adjusts based on how close you are to the device. Although the Echo Show 8 brought many improvements, the screen remains […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Vivobook S 15, Asus’ first Copilot+ PC, normally retails for $1,299, but it is currently on sale for $1,099 on Amazon. It is sleek and lightweight with a gorgeous OLED display, great battery life, and snappy performance. However, because of the nature of Windows on ARM laptops, it’s not yet […] More