Proton releases a new app for two-factor authentication | TechCrunch

July 31, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Privacy-focused productivity tool company Proton released a new authenticator app today, allowing users to log in to services using dynamically generated two-factor authentication codes.

The free app is available on all platforms starting today, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The app allows users to sync codes and accounts across devices. The company said that just like its other products, Proton Authenticator is open source and uses end-to-end encryption to protect user data.

Users can easily import login codes from other authentication apps, the company said. Plus, the app automatically backs up codes and also works without any internet connection.

I’m worried about the future of the Microsoft Surface | Digital Trends

November 28, 2023November 26, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I’ve always rooted for the Surface. What started exclusively as a way to push the concept of the Windows 2-in-1 has grown into a full-fledged premium laptop brand, with options at nearly every price point.

But after a year like 2023, it’s hard not to feel like we may be reaching a turning point for the brand.

This year was a very slow year for the Surface. Microsoft announced four new Surface devices in 2023: the Surface Go 4, Surface Laptop Go 3, Surface Hub 3, and the Surface Laptop Studio 2. That might sound like a lot, but when you break it down, the “Go” devices are both budget-focused, and the Surface Hub 3 is a purely commercial product. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 was really the only exciting new consumer device announced, and it was a fairly minor spec update. The Surface line has never been known for consistent updates or drastic design changes, but that’s still a very quiet set of updates to Microsoft’s flagship line of PCs.

I tried to ditch Windows for MacOS, but I keep coming back | Digital Trends

July 11, 2022July 10, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s fair to say that I’m an Apple guy. I love my M1 Mac Mini and you’ll have to pry my iPhone out of my cold, dead hands. Yet despite that, I’m no turtleneck-wearing fanboy, and I still stick with Windows as my main PC. Sorry Tim Cook, I just can’t bring myself to go all-in on Apple just yet.

That might sound odd considering I write almost exclusively about Apple products, but there are plenty of reasons for my reluctance. At the end of the day, Apple just hasn’t convinced me that it’s worth it to make the switch.

The Ghost of Internet Explorer Will Haunt the Web for Years | WIRED

June 22, 2022June 20, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AFTER YEARS OF decline and a final wind-down over the past 13 months, on Wednesday Microsoft confirmed the retirement of Internet Explorer, the company’s long-lived and increasingly notorious web browser. Launched in 1995, IE came preinstalled on Windows computers for almost two decades, and like Windows XP, Internet Explorer became a mainstay—to the point that when it was time for users to upgrade and move on, they often didn’t. And while last week’s milestone will push even more users off the historic browser, security researchers emphasize that IE and its many security vulnerabilities are far from gone.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is a strong 2-in-1 with too many hidden fees | Mashable

October 21, 2021October 18, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Microsoft’s newest addition to the Surface lineup — the Surface Pro 8 — proves the old adage “you get what you pay for” sometimes needs additional context. In this case, be ready to drop a hefty chunk of change for this Windows 11 tablet itself and then another sizable chunk on top of that for the accessories that make it useful.

The $1,100 Surface Pro 8 is the latest and greatest Surface Pro yet, thanks to a larger 13-inch display with a higher refresh rate than ever at 120Hz, more powerful processors, better battery life, and the inclusion of Windows 11. There’s no getting around that this is an excellent Surface tablet, but Microsoft, once again, decided not to include the all-important keyboard cover attachment to make it usable as a work device. Artistically minded users will also need to cover another hidden fee for the new Slim Pen 2 stylus.

30 Essential Pieces of Free (and Open) Software for Windows | The Simple Dollar

July 7, 2021July 5, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We live in a golden age of computer software, where there are freely available software packages for almost any purpose. But isn’t there no such thing as a free lunch? Who makes free software, and why?

Some free software is the result of people simply writing programs that they find useful and sharing them with others. Some free software is ad-supported. Other free software packages are given away using the “freemium” model, which means the basic version is free with some advanced features available for paying customers. Still other free software packages are made available by large companies as enticement to get you to try their other software.

With these options and the easy access to software that the internet provides, there are tons of great software choices out there that you don’t have to pay a dime for.

How Windows 11 Will Improve Intel Alder Lake Performance | Digital Trends

June 22, 2021June 21, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Rumors are running wild after the recent Windows 11 leak. A near-final version of the upcoming operating system has been made public, revealing some exciting new futures. As the leaked ISO continues being tested, more information emerges, including hints that Microsoft might be preparing Windows 11 for Intel’s Alder Lake and Lakefield hybrid processors.

Intel Alder Lake, as the successor to Intel’s Lakefield hybrid CPUs, is said to also utilize the same big.LITTLE architecture. What this means is that it will feature a mix of cores, some optimized for high performance, and some for high efficiency. This is a technology already utilized in some mobile devices, but it will likely hit a wider PC-related market with the release of Alder Lake.

Windows 10 is rumored to be getting a major redesign. Don’t screw this up, Microsoft! | CNN

January 7, 2021January 5, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Microsoft is rumored to be working on a major redesign of Windows 10 that could bring big changes to the way the PC operating system looks and functions.

Windows 10 could use a refresh. Aside from twice-annual tweaks, Windows 10 been mostly unchanged since its release in 2015. Six years is long in the tooth for any PC operating system, and a revolution is coming to personal computers that threatens Windows’ standing as the dominant productivity operating system.

Still, Microsoft (MSFT) doesn’t exactly have the best reputation for fixing operating systems that ain’t broke. So a lot is riding on Microsoft’s ability to turn the next iteration of Windows 10 into something hundreds of millions of computer owners will want to keep using.

Is Mac More Secure Than Windows? We Asked the Experts | Digital Trends

April 13, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Apple talks a big game when it comes to security. Its stance on user privacy has been one of the dominant themes of Apple’s marketing, especially in the past few years. In a world awash with data leaks and cybercriminals, that’s reassuring.

But when it comes to the Mac and its comparisons against Windows, are the assumptions true? Is MacOS actually better at protecting your privacy? After all, a recent survey found that more Americans trust Microsoft than Apple with their private data, at a rate of 75% to 69%. Could it be correct?

Microsoft Announces Windows 10 | TechCrunch

October 1, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This morning at an event in San Francisco, Microsoft announced the next version of its Windows operating system: Windows 10.The name is definitely not in line with expectations, but also comes on the heels of rumor talk that it could pick up another title. Happily, the last 943 people to cover the operating system got the name wrong. I am among them.

Starting tomorrow, Microsoft will launch a Windows Insider Program that will give users who are comfortable with running very early beta software access to Windows 10. This first preview will be available for laptops and desktops. A build for servers will follow later. Microsoft says it is opening up this beta process to get more feedback from more users early on, but also noted that this will be a learning experience for the company and that some experiments users will get in new builds may not make it into the final version.