Key Takeaways
- Test your network with a cute cat-shaped device that checks for vulnerabilities in your IoT devices and Wi-Fi network.
- Look forward to leaks revealing details about the Google Pixel 9 series ahead of the Made By Google event in August.
- Microsoft is introducing “checkpoint updates” to make Windows updates easier to download and keep them slimmer.
How badly were you affected by the CrowdStrike BSOD bug? While you may not have owned a PC that ran CrowdStrike, some people were either out of work or couldn’t use their favorite services because of it. However, while people were sharing photos of big screens displaying bluescreens, there was still some news that made it to the presses. As such, if you were too busy checking out what was going on worldwide, here’s a top-five collection of the news of the week.
5 This cute cat-shaped board will test your network and IoT devices for weaknesses
Double-check your network in the cutest way possible
Who says pen testing devices need to look boring? This Minino device was developed by Electronic Cats and helps you test the security of your Wi-Fi network and IoT devices. It works with BLE, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, Matter, and GPS, and comes in at a very agreeable price point at $35. Best of all, its code and hardware are open-source, so you can give it a once-over before you let it loose on your network.
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4 New leaks reveal what we can expect from the Google Pixel 9 series
Things are looking good
With the Made By Google event coming up on August 14th, people are looking forward to what the tech giant is planning to reveal. However, the NCC revealed information on the new Google Pixel 9 series after it tested the devices to see if they were suitable to sell. The leaks didn’t reveal a ton, but we got to peek at what the phones will look like and how big the batteries are. Oh, and the leak eventually made Google just flat-out announce the Pixel 9 Pro anyway.
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3 Microsoft introduces a new form of Windows updates because things weren’t confusing enough
But wait…they might be good
Windows updates can be confusing at best, which is why I winced a little when I heard that it was planning to add a whole new kind of update. However, the more I read, the more I liked what I saw. The Redmond giant is planning to use “checkpoint updates” which define a baseline version of Windows. From there, Microsoft can build upon it with smaller updates. The company states that this should keep updates slimmer and easier to download.
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2 Someone unlocked subtle elements of the Windows 11 aesthetic on Windows 10 PCs with this simple trick
All the looks of Windows 11 without the Windows 11
Source: Windows/Unsplash
How tricky do you think it would be to get Windows 10 looking like Windows 11? Despite people disliking Microsoft’s newer operating system, it still has a sleek look that people want to bring over to Windows 10. Well, turns out, you can; all you need to do is grab the Resources folder from Windows 11 and paste it into C:Windows on your Windows 10 device. It won’t suddenly turn your entire UI into Windows 11’s, but it does come with nice rounded edges. And before you think about it, you can’t get Windows 10’s looks on Windows 11 by doing the reverse.
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A peek into a key moment in Microsoft’s history
A ton of Windows features we use every day made their big debut on Windows 95. Sure, they may not look the same as they did back then, but the nearly 30-year-old operating system planted the seeds that would develop into the tools we use today. This week, we saw one of the people who worked on the Start menu take to YouTube to discuss how he designed the cool gradient color bar on the side of the menu, and how things were back then for Microsoft.
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