Computeractive

Former Microsoft developer Jerry Nixon has a lot to answer for. During a tech conference in May 2015 he called Windows 10 the “last version” of the operating system. His casual remark was widely reported as a shift in Microsoft’s strategy towards Windows as a continuously updated service, rather than a one-off download. The problem is that while Microsoft acknowledged this change, it never officially said Windows 10 would be the final version. But the damage had been done. Millions of people upgraded to it confident they’d never need to switch again – and certainly not to Windows 11. That, in short, is why Windows 10 is still running on around 800 million computers, despite support ending in just over 12 months. A lot of users now need to decide…

The Government has called on internet providers to offer backup batteries that last for “up to” eight hours, to help users stay online during power cuts once their landlines are replaced by digital phones. The current copper landlines continue working during power cuts because they can be remotely powered from the telephone exchange. However, electricity can’t pass through the fibre cables used by new digital phones, so they need an alternative source of power if there’s an outage. Most internet providers already offer battery backups to keep customers connected during power cuts, but some last much longer than others. BT’s Battery Backup Unit (pictured below), for example, provides only one hour – which is the minimum requirement stated by regulator Ofcom. However, this refers to standby time, not actual talk…

EE customers can now upgrade to the company’s first Wi-Fi 7 router, the Smart Hub Pro. When used with EE’s new signal booster, called Smart WiFi Pro, it can deliver “gigabit Wi-Fi throughout the home” the company said. However, it promised a minimum speed “in every room” of only 100Mbps. If it fails to hit this, you can get some money back. Wi-Fi 7 is much faster than Wi-Fi 6, and can cope with more devices connected at the same time. Broadband providers are now beginning to launch Wi-Fi 7 routers for customers, while manufacturers like Netgear are making faster alternatives for around £300 (see page 26). Both the router and the booster will be available to new customers signing up to EE’s Full Fibre packages, which offer speeds up…

Apple has added a physical button to its new range of iPhones that opens the camera and takes a photo or records videos. Called the Camera Control button, it’s positioned on the right of the iPhone and also lets you zoom (pictured), lock the focus and adjust exposure and depth of field. Applying different levels of pressure opens different options (see www.snipca.com/52042). You can also use it to swipe through a range of photo filters without having to tap the screen. It’s similar to double-pressing the power button on Android phones to open the camera, but with many more features. It means you don’t have to touch the screen to control the photo or video, making it easier to see what you’re actually photographing or recording. From next year, Camera…

WATCH REWIND TV ON FREEVIEW Nostalgia TV channel Rewind has launched on Freeview, letting you watch shows from the 1960s to the 90s. Available on channel 95, it includes The Prisoner, Whicker’s World, Drop the Dead Donkey (pictured), Jason King, Dick Turpin and The Tony Hancock Show. It launched on Sky Q (channel 190) in May. Watch a trailer at www.snipca.com/52033. RAKUTEN TV APP COMES TO VIRGIN Virgin Media customers with a Stream or TV 360 box can now watch the Rakuten app on their TVs, providing access to over 150 free live channels (with adverts) and 8,000 on-demand shows and films. There’s also a store where you can buy new films. It’s available in the app section of the Stream or TV 360 menu. CHROMEBOOKS GET ‘SNAPPED’ WINDOWS Google…

More adults get their news from websites than TV for the first time, according to new Ofcom research. Its annual study of how people consume news shows that 71 per cent do so online, up from 68 per cent in 2023 (www.snipca.com/52017). The figure for TV fell from 75 to 70 per cent in the same period. Ofcom said the biggest driving factor is more people using social media for news. More than half of UK adults (52 per cent) now use Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to access news – up from 47 per cent in 2023. However, there remain stark differences across age groups. Half of people aged 55-plus find news online, up from 45 per cent in 2018. Most of these visit news websites, while 82 per cent…