The latest rotten deeds of Microsoft may be found below, mixed within positive Linux and Open Source news.
With Edge, Microsoft’s forced Windows updates just sank to a new low
If I told you that my entire computer screen just got taken over by a new app that I’d never installed or asked for — it just magically appeared on my desktop, my taskbar, and preempted my next website launch — you’d probably tell me to run a virus scanner and stay away from shady websites, no? But the insanely intrusive app I’m talking about isn’t a piece of ransomware. It’s Microsoft’s new Chromium Edge browser, which the company is now force-feeding users via an automatic update to Windows.
Microsoft releases emergency security update to fix two bugs in Windows codecs
Microsoft has published on Tuesday two out-of-band security updates to patch two vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Windows Codecs Library. Tracked as CVE-2020-1425 & CVE-2020-1457, the two bugs only impact Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019 distributions. In security advisories published today, Microsoft said the two security flaws can be exploited with the help of a specially crafted image file.
Microsoft admits there’s a serious problem with Windows 10
Microsoft has quietly acknowledged that some of Windows 10’s most recent updates are causing rather serious problems for some PCs. According to the company, the KB4557957 and KB4560960 updates, which are supposed to be cumulative updates that bring numerous security fixes to Windows 10, are instead encountering a critical issue with the Local Security Authority Process.
First Windows 10 …now it’s Microsoft Outlook users who are hit by serious glitch
It’s not been the best few weeks for Microsoft. Ever since the Redmond-based firm pushed out its Windows 10 May 2020 Update, it has been dogged by issues with a number of PCs suffering from the dreaded Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) whilst others have been left unable to print anything from their PCs. And now, it seems another popular Microsoft software is also suffering from a hugely irritating and serious glitch which is making the software inoperable.
ARM and Linux take the supercomputer TOP500 crown
For years, x86 processors and Linux have ruled supercomputing. Linux still runs 500 out of the TOP500 supercomputers in the world. For just about as long, x86 CPUs have dominated supercomputers — until now. On June 22, Japan’s Fugaku supercomputer, powered by Fujitsu’s 48-core A64FX SoC and running Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), became the first ARM-powered supercomputer to be dubbed the fastest computer in the world.
CEO of Open Technology Fund Resigns After Closed-Source Lobbying Effort
The head of the Open Technology Fund (OTF) Corporation, which funds internet freedom projects and technologies, resigned Wednesday because she said she became aware of a lobbying effort that would push the group’s funds toward closed-source tools rather than the open-source ones it has traditionally championed.
Microsoft Patch Tuesday, June 2020 Edition
June marks the fourth month in a row that Microsoft has issued fixes to address more than 100 security flaws in its products. Eleven of the updates address problems Microsoft deems “critical,” meaning they could be exploited by malware or malcontents to seize complete, remote control over vulnerable systems without any help from users.