Vinicius™

Nick movie: ONE PIECE: Season 2 | Sneak Peek | Netflix Time: 2025 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: Netflix Duration of the movie: 1:17 Trailer:

Music title: Beyoncé - Drunk in Love (Explicit) ft. JAY Z Signer: Beyoncé Release date: December 17, 2013 Official YouTube link:

Windows 11 bug with Intel audio driver has just been fixed This glitch has been around for a long time – a year, in fact It stopped PCs with Intel's 11th-gen CPUs from getting the 24H2 update It's taken ages to fix another bug in Windows 11, one that prevented a sizeable number of people using certain Intel processors from upgrading to the latest version of the operating system – but this time, it wasn't Microsoft's fault. The glitch in Windows 11 24H2 surfaced almost exactly a year ago, hitting PCs with specific versions of the Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST) driver, which is an audio controller. (This bug has actually been seen in the distant past – and I'll come back to that). As Neowin reports, the issue only affects Windows 11 PCs with Intel's 11th-gen processors. Those with a computer built around a Rocket Lake chip (or Tiger Lake) found themselves unable to upgrade to version 24H2, as Microsoft blocked these PCs with what's known as a 'compatibility hold'. This problem was first flagged by Microsoft in the Windows release health status dashboard back on September 30, 2024, and the bug caused devices to crash with a Blue Screen of Death (now a black screen). In this instance, Microsoft was relying on Intel fixing this driver to be compatible with Windows 11 24H2, and that took quite some time - but the issue was finally marked as resolved as of September 26, 2025. Those with an Intel Rocket Lake CPU who have thus far been unable to get the 24H2 update must ensure they download and install the Intel SST driver which is version 10.30.00.5714 (or 10.29.00.5714, depending on their exact Windows version) or later. Whatever the case, you want the Intel SST driver ending in 5714. Microsoft explains that you should be offered this Intel driver in Windows Update, so check in there, and install it. Once that's done, you can check for updates again, and you should be offered Windows 11 version 24H2, at long last. (It may still take a little while for Windows Update to pick up the change in your system). If, even after waiting for a while, you aren't offered the Intel SST driver via Windows Update, then Microsoft explains that "it's possible drivers for this audio controller haven't been developed for your specific device hardware configuration". If that's the case, you need to contact the maker of your PC to find out more about when the necessary driver will be implemented for your device. Analysis: Deja-vu with 22H2 This bug comes on top of another pair of recently fixed glitches that prevented upgrades to Windows 11 24H2 which also took the best part of a year to resolve. Having stumbling blocks like these hanging around for so long - and these issues only being fixed just before the next annual update for Windows 11, 25H2, arrives - is clearly not a great look for Microsoft. Although as noted, Microsoft was waiting on Intel for the cure to be formulated, so the software giant gets a pass this time. It's also worth noting that this SST complication with Intel's 11th-gen CPUs was seen before, way back in 2022, where the glitch prevented upgrades to Windows 11 22H2 (and 21H2, the original incarnation of the OS), blocking the path for those looking to migrate from Windows 10 at the time. So, it was quite strange to see this pop up again last year - hopefully it won't yet again be a problem with the 25H2 update. If you're wondering how many people might still run 11th-gen processors, Intel's Rocket Lake chips are likely the engine of something like 10% of the Windows PCs out there - possibly more like 15% - if we go by the rough estimations generated by AI (Copilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini pretty much agree on this). While we need to season that heavily as it's merely educated guesswork, clearly there are quite a number of folks still using a PC with an Intel 11th-gen engine who will have been suffering with this bugbear. https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-11-bug-that-stopped-some-intel-pcs-from-getting-the-24h2-update-is-fixed-but-it-took-a-whole-year

Building a PC can be a pain in the butt, especially if you're not an experienced builder, and doubly so if you want a personalized machine. That's exactly why boutiques like Falcon Northwest and Maingear exist; they'll build you a machine tuned for high performance out of the box and personalized in all kinds of ways. There are a lot of smaller boutique builders, too, but standards and practices vary a lot. Take the case of this Redditor, New_Midnight2686, who got quoted for a custom build and was asked to pay over $11,000 USD in labor fees for a PC worth $3,849, bringing the total cost to almost $15,000. Now look, we understand the reality of being a boutique PC vendor. It's hard to find customers, and it's hard to explain the value of your work. Why would someone buy a PC from you when they can walk down the street to Walmart and buy a pre-boxed Lenovo system that will probably do most of the same things for half the price? Your author, in particular, ran his own boutique shop for a time and is well acquainted with these questions. However, the invoice that the Redditor shared includes charges for four full-time weeks of labor to build the PC. If you're reading Tom's Hardware, you've probably built your own PC before, or seen someone else do it. In the very worst possible case, it might take you a week to get a PC built, like if you end up needing an obscure cable or custom part. The idea of taking an entire month of full-time work weeks — 160 billable hours — seems frankly absurd, even considering all of the custom art that goes into this particular builder's systems. That's not even the extent of the absurdity, though. This builder also apparently charges for an additional three weeks of labor—again, at 40 hours per week—flagged as pre-production. There is certainly some pre-production that has to go into intricate PC builds like this, with the sugary customized aesthetics that the builder uses, but count us dubious at the thought of it taking a full 120 hours to design and plan. Even that doesn't fully capture the completely gonzo nature of the system's pricing. The builder lists prices for the individual parts that are, let's say, "pessimistic"—even relative to retail pricing, to say nothing of wholesale vendor pricing. $3,849 is the price given for the parts, which include a 7900X and an RTX 4080. We parted out a similar build using their native UK pricing and came out about £500 GBP ahead for what are, in some cases, actually better parts. On top of all this, the Redditor claims that if you decline the quote you are given, the builder demands a $4,000 cancellation fee. Many people in the Reddit thread, posted today by /u/New_Midnight2686, are referring to the builder as a 'scammer,' going so far as to claim that the labor fees are an outright grift. There's a fine line between a premium, customized product and a con operation, and which side of that line this kind of thing falls on is often up to the observer; many people feel the same way about luxury goods like Rolex watches, for example. In this case, however, we're talking about a practical item; essentially, a tool. The pricing quoted for what is honestly not one of the best gaming PCs possible is almost impossible to justify. Instead, this story serves as a reminder that if you offer something unique, someone will pay for it—and also as a reminder that Paper Collar Joe was right. https://www.tomshardware.com/desktops/pc-building/redditor-quoted-absurd-usd11-000-labor-fee-for-usd4-000-pc-build-bemused-customer-questions-usd6-300-labour-usd4-700-pre-project-labor-and-usd4-000-cancellation-fee

Nick movie: Hotel Costiera - Official Trailer | Prime Video Time: 2025 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: Amazon Duration of the movie: 2:14 Trailer:

Music title: Beyoncé - If I Were A Boy Signer: Beyoncé Release date: 3 out of 2009 Official YouTube link:

Microsoft has changed its mind on extended updates for Windows 10 The free offer no longer requires you to sync your PC settings to OneDrive However, this is only the case for those in the European Economic Area Update: Microsoft has clarified to Windows Latest that you will need to use a Microsoft Account to sign up for extended updates with Windows 10 in Europe (but you won't need to sync PC settings via the Windows Backup app, which was the main drawback of course). Original story follows below... Microsoft is removing any strings that were attached to the offer of extended security updates for those wanting to stick with Windows 10 beyond its official End of Life deadline - but only for people in certain countries. Windows Central reports that Microsoft is changing the rules on the free year of updates - which extends support for Windows 10 from October 2025 to October 2026 - for those in the European Economic Area (EEA). Those people will be able to enroll for extended security updates via the Windows Update panel, with no catches whatsoever. In other words, they won't need to have a Microsoft account and use the Windows Backup app to sync their PC settings to OneDrive, which is the main catch that's currently applied to the free year of updates. For the rest of the world outside of Europe, however, this will remain the condition attached to the extended support updates (ESU) program. (Although there are two other options, neither of which is as attractive for most folks - pay $30, or spend 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points). Microsoft told Windows Central: "In the European Economic Area, we’re making updates to the enrollment process to ensure it meets local expectations and delivers a secure, streamlined experience. Our goal is to support customers and provide them with options as they transition to Windows 11, with uninterrupted access to critical security updates." Analysis: two tiers of Windows users? You probably know what I'm going to say here, and it's simply that Microsoft should extend this offer to the rest of the world beyond the EEA. Never mind 'local expectations', if you're going to do this for a good chunk of the Windows 10 user base out there, Microsoft, you should do it for everyone. What's really the driving force behind those European expectations is, of course, the data regulations in the region, namely the Digital Markets Act. Microsoft has had to tread quite carefully around this legislation, which has meant that Windows users in Europe have got access to all manner of extra goodies that other people elsewhere don't get - like the ability to remove the Edge browser entirely from the OS (and not be nagged to reinstall it, either). In my opinion, the Digital Markets Act is, at this point, effectively creating a kind of two-tier system of Windows users. Some, in Europe, get better benefits over their privacy, and are shielded from some of Microsoft's more annoying arm-twisting, and others elsewhere don't get any of those benefits and just have to suffer those various irksome slings and arrows. Does that seem right or fair? No. Am I being overly dramatic? Well, maybe. But it's starting to feel something like a two-tier system, and if more steps are taken in this direction in the future – and I don't see why they won't be – well, you get the idea. Of course, I don't expect Microsoft to change its stance on the likes of Edge for the entire world, or the various prodding around using its services delivered by Windows 11, because all that behavior is too ingrained at this point. However, when it comes to this fresh move, I think it's bad form for Microsoft to force some folks to sync settings to get extended updates, while letting others slide. Even though you're not syncing all your PC's data to OneDrive, I should clarify, just your PC settings. Still, what Microsoft really needs to do here is offer two years of additional free support in my book - I don't think one is enough, as I've discussed in the past, and more breathing room is warranted due to Windows 11's unusually onerous system requirements. Maybe this is an area Microsoft will revisit next year, though. It's possible, and I remain hopeful, especially with various consumer rights groups exerting pressure on the software giant. https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-10s-year-of-free-updates-now-comes-with-no-strings-attached-but-only-some-people-will-qualify

Microsoft has announced that its controversial Extended Support Updates (ESU) for Windows 10, starting this October, have been made free exclusively in the European Economic Area. The announcement also heralds the discontinuation of Microsoft's alternative data-sharing measures to keep a device on Windows 10 in the region. "In the European Economic Area, we’re making updates to the enrollment process to ensure it meets local expectations and delivers a secure, streamlined experience," said Microsoft in a statement to Windows Central yesterday. These "local expectations" include consumer watchdog groups, such as Euroconsumers, calling Microsoft's ESU plan a form of planned obsolescence. As the end of Windows 10 support rapidly approaches, October 14th, 2025, Microsoft has made it known that customers interested in staying on Windows 10 will need to enter its Extended Support Updates program to remain on the OS. Those users who are either not interested in or unable to update to the newer Windows 11 are required to enroll in the program to continue receiving security updates for one year following official end-of-life. To enroll in the program, interested Windows 10 users must either: Pay Microsoft $30 Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Reward Points Sync their PC's settings to the cloud via a Microsoft account These options of pay up or upload your data have been considered generally unappealing by many users and consumer advocacy groups since the announcement. Users in the European Economic Area, however, now have a fourth option. While these users must still sync their computer logins with a Microsoft account, barring users from local Windows 10 accounts in the ESU period, they must now simply log in to their Microsoft account on the device every 60 days. Failing to log in to the Windows 10 account after 60 days will terminate end-of-life update support for the device. The European Economic Area includes member states of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. Outside of this region, any users interested in remaining on Windows 10 and still receiving security updates are still required to put up the $30 or submit their settings data to the Microsoft cloud. As end of life for Windows 10 is now less than one month away, owners of the 240 million PCs unable to upgrade to Windows 11, and a slew of other users uninterested in 11, are looking for next options. While some will be content to pay the $30 fee to extend their Windows 10 stay for another year, many are looking towards an OS change to Linux, including some of our own editors. https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-10-extended-support-is-now-free-but-only-in-europe-microsoft-capitulates-on-controversial-usd30-esu-price-tag-which-remains-firmly-in-place-for-the-u-s

Nick movie: Surviving Ohio State | Official Trailer | HBO Time: 2025 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: HBO Duration of the movie: 1:49 Trailer: