Geekly Update - 04 February 2025

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

Over 40 million Windows 10 users upgraded to Windows 11 in January, and many of those were reacting to a Microsoft blog post warning that "the free upgrade path to Windows 11 could eventually expire." That post was deleted for its “inaccurate information and a misleading headline.” But the October 14th "end of life" date for Windows 10 is still on the 2025 calendar.

If you are one of the estimated 850 million Windows 10 users, will you do nothing, pay $30 for a one-year support extension, or bite the Windows 11 bullet? See my article What Will Happen to Windows 10? for more info on that topic.

California state Senator Steve Padilla introduced a bill that would make AI companies remind kids that chatbots aren’t people. The proposed law aims to "protect children and other impressionable users from the addictive, isolating, and influential aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots." He's not wrong. One 14-year-old boy committed suicide after forming a romantic relationship with a chatbot.

Opera’s new Air browser comes with a focus on mindfulness and mental wellbeing. It offers break reminders and breathing exercises to help users focus and de-stress. Air can also play ambient sounds and binaural beats to help influence relaxation or focus.

56-year-old Peter Akemann is co-founder of the Treyarch video game studio that produces the Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Call of Duty games. He's also the "pilot" of a drone that crashed into and grounded a firefighting plane during the Los Angeles wildfires. He'll pay almost $70,000 to repair damage to the plane and do 150 hours of community service.

Samsung really wants you to buy one of their new Galaxy S25 smartphone models, offering discounts up to 90%, and throwing in the Galaxy Buds3 Pro for free. If you have an older (but newish) Galaxy phone, you could get as much as $900 for your trade-in, plus up to $350 in Samsung Credits. Samsung is also offering a “double the storage free” option, so the 512GB model will cost the same price ($1299) as a 256GB model.

That smell coming from the gamer in the basement might not be body odor. Researchers at the University of Warwick (UK) are working on adding smells to video games. A headset with a scent tube might release odors such as 'machine oil' and 'burning rubber' in a game scene with a car crash and burning tires.

Since 2023 Microsoft has provided a free VPN for millions of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. But this "privacy protection feature" is being killed off at the end of this month. This disappointing news follows Microsoft's announcement of price increases for Microsoft. The folks at Windows Central have a list of recommended VPNs if you want an alternative.

Scientists have developed nanoflower-coated bandages with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties that effectively combat infections and could revolutionize wound treatment. Nanoflowers are tiny structures that resemble a carnation.

This just in from the "Loose Lips" Department: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is upset about recent leaks exposing his private remarks to staff. He complained in a meeting that "Everything I say leaks." The audio of that was then leaked, as well as a second memo warning employees about leaks. One commenter on Reddit was equally upset upon learning that this was not a “mark zuckerberg is a robot leaking oil” joke.

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