Information Technology

Artie Beaty/ZDNETAfter more than four decades, Windows Notepad is getting a significant update.First released in 1983 in MS-DOS, the simple text editor predates Windows itself and has been available in every version of the operating system since 1985. The program has remained largely unchanged over the years, but now it’s finally getting spell check and autocorrect features.Microsoft announced the features back in April, initially rolling them out to Windows Insiders. According to Tom’s Hardware, the new Notepad is now available for all Windows 11 users.Also: The best note-taking tablets you can buy: Expert testedThe features work just like in other word processors or text editing apps. Notepad underlines misspelled words in squiggly red, and you can right-click them if you want to see suggestions for the correct spelling. There’s also an autocorrect option that fixes mistakes as you’re typing, you can ignore a flagged misspelling for a whole document, and you can add custom words to the built-in dictionary.For many people, the value of Notepad is that it’s a stripped-down text editor. It opens instantly, works quickly, and is perfect for jotting down notes. Windows 11 has brought several changes to Notepad, including a dark theme, autosave, AI with Copilot, and tabs, but it’s still very basic compared to other options. More

Score a Microsoft Office license now for 82% off.  StackSocial Whether you’re setting up your new laptop or using a machine you’ve had for years, access to Microsoft Office is a necessity for many of us to get things done. Right now, you can buy a lifetime license to the 2019 version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus for […] More

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETMicrosoft has yet again revised a webpage that explains how to manage a Windows account, but this time for the better. Just two weeks after removing the instructions on how to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account, the company has magically restored that information, as spotted by Neowin.Those steps had been part of the page until just recently. A version of the page from June 12 seen by Tom’s Hardware, courtesy of the Wayback Machine, contained the directions for changing from a Microsoft account to a local account. Those steps vanished on June 17 with no explanation from Microsoft, only to return sometime this past weekend.The page in question tries to explain how to add, remove, and otherwise manage an account to sign in to Windows. Deleting those instructions triggered criticism from concerned Windows users and several media outlets, likely creating undue attention that Microsoft hadn’t anticipated. I emailed Microsoft’s PR people on June 26 asking why the information was removed, but never received a response. Still, the backlash may have prompted Microsoft to quietly bring back the information.Also: Windows 11 now turns on OneDrive folder backup without your permissionAt the same time, Microsoft has added a couple of helpful new sections to the page. One section explains how to change or reset your PIN in Windows, while another tries to help you change your password, either for a Microsoft account or a local account.Microsoft has fought hard to push people toward signing in to Windows with a Microsoft account, claiming its superiority over a local one. On the prior and new version of its support page, the company touts such an account as enabling the “seamless integration of Microsoft services, enhanced security, and sync across devices, unlike a local account.” More

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETWe’re fully into summer, and in the tech world, that means new product launches, announcements on the horizon, and best of all, deals. Case in point: right now, the M2 Apple MacBook Air More

Amazon Prime Day 2024 will be back July 16 and 17.  Adam Breeden/ZDNETThe 10th anniversary of Amazon’s popular Prime Day sale More

Just_Super/Getty Images Singapore plans to soon release instructions it says will offer “practical measures” to bolster the security of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and systems. The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) is slated to publish its draft Technical Guidelines for Securing AI Systems for public consultation later this month, according to Janil Puthucheary, Singapore’s senior minister […] More

welcomia/Getty Images A massive cyberattack caused chaos for US car dealerships, and it’s still affecting both dealers and customers. According to BleepingComputer, a notorious extortion organization called the BlackSuit ransomware gang carried out a cyberattack on CDK Global on June 19. BlackSuit has conducted a number of high-profile attacks in the past several years, mostly against health […] More

Ed Bott/ZDNETChromeOS is not merely a simplified operating system. ChromeOS is also a relatively secure operating system — thanks to its multiple layers of protection for preventing things like viruses and malware from harming your device and accessing your data.Can you improve upon ChromeOS’s already impressive default settings? You sure can! I’ve identified five settings you can work with to take ChromeOS to even higher levels of security. Also: Google might abandon ChromeOS Flex. Here’s why – and what you can do about itLet’s dive in.1. 2-step verificationThis is an essential security move, whether or not you use ChromeOS. Two-step verification (aka 2FA) adds yet another layer of security to the login process of online accounts. When 2FA is added to a Google account, it requires a mobile device associated with your Google account to serve as the 2FA authentication mechanism.However, there’s a trick to using this on a Chromebook. First, make sure you’ve enabled 2FA on your Google account. Then open Settings on your Chromebook and go to Privacy And Security > Manage Other People. On that page, disable the “Show usernames and photos on the sign-in screen” option. Once you’ve done that, reboot the device and you should be required to use 2FA to log in. More