PCWorld January 2024

AMD announced the Ryzen 8040 series of laptop processors at the company’s AI-themed event, reframing what has been a conversation about CPU speed, power, and battery life into one that prioritizes AI. In January, AMD launched the Ryzen 7000 family, of which the Ryzen 7040 included the first use of what AMD then called its XDNA architecture, powering Ryzen AI. (When rival Intel disclosed its Meteor Lake processor this past summer, Intel began referring to the AI accelerator as an NPU, and the name stuck.) More than 50 laptop models already ship with Ryzen AI, executives said. Now, it’s on to AMD’s next NPU, Hawk Point, inside the Ryzen 8040. In AMD’s case, the XDNA NPU assists the Zen CPU, with the Radeon RDNA architecture of the GPU powering graphics. But…

If you’re loath to give up Windows 10 when support expires in about two years, there’s some good news and bad news: Microsoft is extending your support options—but you’ll be forced to pay an additional fee. Microsoft’s Windows 10 will reach the end of support on October 14, 2025. That will still mean, as it usually does, that Microsoft will release no new features after that date. What it usually also means is that Microsoft won’t release any new security patches after a product exits its support window. That typically translates to an end-of-life scenario: Without security updates, your use of Windows 10 or another product is subject to any bugs or vulnerabilities that are discovered. You use it at your own risk, basically. Microsoft sometimes offers an escape hatch.…

One of the best things about backing up your files to an online service is that they’re, well, backed up. So it’s understandable that a lot of Google Drive users are upset after finding out that this may not be the case. An error with a recent version of the desktop client for Google Drive has resulted in missing files for some users—a lot of missing files, going back several months in a few cases. An ongoing support thread on Google Drive Help, spotted by The Register, is full of dozens of replies from users who’ve found their remote backups empty. The initial complaint comes from a Windows user who says that their Drive files going back to May of this year have suddenly disappeared, apparently from both the local folder…

There’s no question about it: LAI is the new hotness in personal computers. An intriguing new report claims Microsoft will push the pedal to the metal even harder with a revolutionary new version of Windows 11 (or 12?) in 2024, one that’s designed to make AI helpful at deeply practical levels. Microsoft just put AI front and center with Windows 11’s massive 2023 Update, which added the Windows Copilot AI assistant and awesome AI Cocreator features to Paint. Copilot is coming to Windows 10, too. And Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm have been busy integrating AI-boosting NPUs (neural processing units) to the PC chips destined to hit the streets next year, aiming to enhance tasks with local AI that runs on your computer’s hardware rather than hitting up servers in the…

For people who use Apple devices in Windows-run work environments, Microsoft is developing a new way to access Windows resources with its new Windows App. With Windows App, users can connect to Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, Remote Desktop Services, and remote PCs. Microsoft announced that Windows App is available in a special preview run that is available for iPhones, iPads, and Macs through Apple’s TestFlight program and app, but TestFlight limits the number of users. The preview is open to anyone, but users will not be allowed to try it if the capacity limit has been met. Windows App can also be used through a browser or Windows PC. Windows App lets users access Windows across multiple different services and remote PCs. The customizable home screen…

Nowadays, many people tend to regard optical drives as obsolete in PCs. Modern desktops and laptops generally come without one. But there are still convincing reasons why it makes sense to have an optical drive on hand. One of the main reasons is the use of rescue boot CDs. Although USB drives can be made bootable, creating a bootable optical disc is often easier and more reliable. USB sticks are also somewhat more convenient to use, but they are not always the most durable solution. This leads us to the next point: the longevity of optical drives as a storage medium. CDs and DVDs are not only inexpensive storage media, they are also surprisingly durable if you store them properly. Some specialized DVDs can even last an entire century. This…