At times, it seems the immense success Issociated with a product can turn out to be a curse in disguise. Case in point: Microsoft Windows 7. The company's latest OS incarnation seems doomed to always be perceived as second best, with Windows 10 only claiming a marginal lead over Windows 7 during Christmas sales in 2018. No matter how hard Microsoft has tried, many Windows 7 users still refuse to make the switch. January 14, 2020, will mark the end of extended support for the popular OS. The date has been known for years but what does it mean for end users? After said date, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates for Windows 7 by default, leaving millions of PCs vulnerable, should new security leaks be discovered. Users now have a year to think about alternatives.
As early as last week, a spicy rumor has been making the rounds on the Internet that led to lively discussions in many Christmas-ready offices. Would Microsoft really do it? Are we witnessing the end of an era that has had its fair share of successes, downfalls and desperation? Can you imagine a Mercedes with a BMW engine? Last Friday, it became official: Microsoft will base their next browser on Chromium. How did this happen and what does it mean for you?
Sometimes, it takes government pressure to spur a company into action. For years, there have been rumors that Microsoft Office is a telemetry data hog with little to no transparency as to what is collected and when. The Dutch government had finally had it and prompted an extensive investigation. The result: 91 pages of unfettered and unabated data collection frenzy along with a lack of organizational structure that borders on chaos - enough to shake up even the most consummate of business professionals.
Using an OS for many years can feel like marriage: there are good and bad times and you adapt to get along. Your partner may no longer be the love of your life but you've become intimately familiar and know each other's quirks. However, once updates are forced down your throat, errors get ignored and customer service is next to nonexistent, the relationship quickly cools off and you start taking precautions. In other words: Get your act together, Microsoft!
When you look at your cellphone or any other LC display, you're looking at a product that contains rare earths. Nearly all electric cars, computers and various medical devices contain elements that had to be wrested from the earth. For example, cellphones contain almost half of the elements in the periodic table. Still, the importance of rare earths is underestimated by many. Read on to learn why the extraction process is complicated and what this means for the environment!
