Operating System

Ubuntu 20.10 Available to Download!

Here are 11 New Features in Ubuntu 20.10 Groovy Gorilla Ubuntu 20.10 releases today. An Ubuntu fan may get excited about the new features it brings. Ubuntu 20.10 codenamed Groovy Gorilla is a non-LTS release with nine months of life cycle. You cannot expect drastic changes between subsequent releases. It doesn’t mean you won’t find new things in Ubuntu 20.10. There are some performance improvements, new Linux kernel and visual changes thanks to the latest release of GNOME 3.38 (and other desktop environments in various other Ubuntu flavors). Let’s see what new features Ubuntu 20.10 brings. New features in Ubuntu 20.10 Groovy Gorilla I am listing the features in the default GNOME edition of Ubuntu 20.10. You’ll find the same visual changes that you have already seen in the GNOME version 3.38 release. Ubuntu 20.10 has the purple shade Groovy Gorilla theme default wallpaper. However, I took a liking for the yellow wallpaper of an old camera roll (nostalgia perhaps). I have used the same wallpaper in most of the screenshots here. 1. Calendar events in the message tray 2. Battery percentage indicator 3. QR Code WiFi sharing…

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Windows apps now run on Chromebooks

Windows apps now run on Chromebooks with Parallels Desktop Google is bringing Windows app support to Chromebooks today through a partnership with Parallels. First announced earlier this year, Chrome OS will now boot a full version of Windows inside a virtual machine to gain access to existing desktop apps. It’s designed for businesses, which means only enterprise customers will be able to purchase the app for $69.99 per user. Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise will launch a full copy of Windows, allowing Microsoft’s operating system to sit side by side with Chrome OS and Android apps. Chrome OS even redirects certain Windows file types directly to the Parallels instance to make it easier to launch files that you’d typically use a desktop app for. The integration isn’t as seamless as the Coherence mode that’s typically found in Parallels Desktop, which lets you pin Windows apps to the macOS dock and run them without seeing the full Windows desktop and taskbar. This is an initial 1.0 release, and some of that deeper Chrome OS and Windows app integration will come over time. You will be…

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MS is installing Office web apps on Windows 10

Microsoft is installing Office web apps on Windows 10 without your permission Microsoft recently pushed an update for Windows 10 that covertly installs progressive web apps (PWA) for Microsoft Office apps without asking for permission. The ‘forced update’ installs Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook web-based apps. These are basically shortcuts to the web version of Office that can be accessed through any browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, although the installed apps open through Microsoft Edge only even if your default browser is set to something else. There are also some reports that suggest Windows 10 devices were restarted without asking for any sort of permissions. This was done to install these apps through a forced software update. It was initially assumed that the update was pushed for Windows Insider members only. However, it seems to have reached non-Insider members as well. We can confirm the same, as a recent update has installed these apps on our system as well, with the installation date as October 14. Do note that these apps are not the full version of Microsoft Office. They will only open a web-version of…

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Windows Emotet malware

Watch out for Emotet malware's new 'Windows Update' attachment The Emotet botnet has begun to use a new malicious attachment that pretends to be a message from Windows Update telling you to upgrade Microsoft Word. Emotet is a malware infection that spreads through spam emails containing malicious Word or Excel documents. These documents utilize macros to download and install the Emotet Trojan on a victim's computer, which uses the computer to send spam email and ultimately leads to a ransomware attack on a victim's network. After a short vacation, the Emotet malware returned to operation on October 14th and began blasting out malicious spam worldwide. These spam campaigns pretend to be invoices, shipping information, COVID-19 information, information about President Trump's health, resumes, or purchase orders, as shown below. Attached to these spam emails are malicious Word (.doc) attachments or links to download one. When opened, these attachments will prompt a user to 'Enable Content' so that malicious macros will run to install the Emotet malware on a victim's computer. To trick users into enabling the macros, Emotet uses various document templates, including pretending to be created on iOS…

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Windows 10’s God Mode

Windows 10 comes with both the Control Panel and modern Settings, but the modern Settings app provides an unpolished experience with key features missing. Fortunately, Windows 10 still comes with the Control Panel-based advanced configuration page called "God Mode" that allows you to easily access all advanced tools, features, and tasks. God Mode lets you access all management features in one location and it's still better than the modern Windows 10 Settings. God Modes UI is based on Control Panel layout and it's designed to help you quickly configure Windows settings from one screen. Enable God Mode in Windows 10 To access God Mode in Windows 10, you need to create a special shortcut folder on your desktop, as highlighted in the steps below: Login to your account with administrator privileges.On the desktop, right-click anywhere.Select “Create a new folder” option.Right-click the new folder.Rename the folder to the following command:GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}Press enter. As you can see, You can double-click on this folder to open God Mode. When you're in the God Mode folder, you will be presented with a page similar to the screenshot below: Windows 10's…

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