Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 9-2-2023, a week in which ChromeOS Flex, web browsers evolving for the future, secret Windows keyboard shortcuts, and FaceTime voicemails in iOS 17 captivated our readers the most. Today, we look back at this week’s ten most engaging articles from the Tech Help Knowledgebase social media feeds. We order the summaries below by user engagement — the stories our users interacted with the most. Articles are in descending order, with the most engaging story first. Our human-curated social media feeds include links to technology news, how-to and help articles, and video tutorials for common issues.
Stories curated for our feeds are from our staff writers or culled from third-party sources that produce content related to the categories covered by our site. See the summaries and links below for this week’s top stories by user engagement. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to interact with our feeds.
Top 10 Most Engaging Stories This Week
1. Chrome OS Flex is a strong Windows alternative for really old PCs | PCWorld
Google has released ChromeOS Flex, a way to take older Windows and Mac hardware and replace the operating system, turning them into Chromebooks. ChromeOS Flex is a good alternative for old PCs that may not be able to run Windows 11, which has strict hardware requirements. ChromeOS Flex is a lightweight operating system designed for cloud-based computing so it runs on older hardware without any problems. It also receives regular security updates from Google, which is important for keeping older devices safe.
2. Web browsers are changing to make room for the future | Hindustan Times
Web browsers are changing to make room for the future. For decades, internet browsers looked pretty much the same, but they are quietly making room for AI chatbots, online gaming, built-in VPNs, virtual desktops, and tab stacks. The global web browser market may be worth almost $1 trillion by 2032, up from $201 billion in 2022. The expanding internet-of-things (IoT) segment and the growing demand for artificial intelligence and virtual reality functionality will drive much of this growth.
3. 12 simple, secret Windows shortcuts you probably don’t know | PCWorld
Use these 12 keyboard shortcuts to help you use Windows more efficiently. Some of these shortcuts include running an app with administrator privileges by holding down Ctrl+Shift while double-clicking the app icon, copying text from a Windows dialog window by pressing Ctrl+C and taking a screenshot of the active window by pressing Win+Shift+S. The article also provides tips on using keyboard shortcuts to navigate Windows without a mouse or touchpad. For example, you can press the Windows key to open the Start menu, the Windows key + arrow keys to minimize, maximize, or snap an app window, and the Windows key + D to switch to the desktop.
4. How to Leave A FaceTime Voicemail in iOS 17 | SlashGear
This article describes how to leave a video voicemail on an Apple device. To do this, you first need to open the FaceTime app and initiate a call with the person you want to leave a message for. Once the call connects, wait 30 seconds until you see the message “Contact Name Is Unavailable.” Then tap the “Record Video” button and start recording your message. When finished, tap the “Stop” button. You can also swap between the front and rear cameras by tapping the “Camera” button. Watch your message back by tapping the “Play” button, or the “Retake” button to re-record it. When you’re satisfied with your message, tap the green “Up Arrow” button to send it.
5. Bing AI is officially coming to Chrome, taking on Google Bard on its own turf | TechRadar
Microsoft’s Bing AI is now available on Google Chrome, allowing Chrome users to access Bing AI’s features, such as its ability to answer questions, translate languages, and generate creative text formats. ChatGPT powers Bing AI, a large language model chatbot developed by OpenAI. The availability of Bing AI on Chrome offers Microsoft a way to compete with Google’s own AI chatbot, Bard. Bard is also powered by a large language model, and it is available on Google Search and Google Assistant. It remains to be seen how Bing AI will perform on Chrome. However, the availability of this AI chatbot on a major browser is a positive development for Microsoft.
6. Protect your information with email masks now available in Firefox | Mozilla
Mozilla has made it easier to protect your personal information online with email masks in Firefox with Firefox Relay. Email masks are temporary, one-time email addresses used to sign up for services or newsletters without divulging your real email address. When you use an email mask, Mozilla forwards incoming emails to your real email address, but the sender only sees the masked email address. Doing so helps to protect your privacy and prevent your real email address from collection and sale by third-party companies. Generating email masks in Firefox requires creating an account on the Firefox Relay website. Once you create an account, you can generate email masks from within Firefox. When you access a website that asks for your email address, click the “Use Firefox Relay” button and select an email mask from the list.
7. Vivaldi 6.2 released, a significant performance upgrade | Tech Help Knowledgebase
Vivaldi released version 6.2 of its web browser this week, a significant performance upgrade. A “massive code refactoring” brings up to 37% faster window opening speed in the browser as well as memory usage improvements. We recommend updating your Vivaldi installation as soon as possible.
8. Hackers are now hiding malicious Word documents in PDFs — how to stay safe | Tom’s Guide
Hackers are now hiding malicious Word documents in PDFs using a technique called polyglots. Polyglots are files that contain two distinct file formats. In this case, the hackers are using Microsoft Word and PDF files. When a user opens the PDF file, it executes the malicious Word document, allowing the hackers to steal personal information, install malware, or take control of the user’s computer. To stay safe from this attack, be careful about opening PDF files from untrusted sources. Use a security solution that scans PDF files for malicious content. Additionally, keep your software up to date as security updates often patch vulnerabilities that hackers may exploit.
9. Did Microsoft Just Upend the Enterprise Browser Market? | Security Week
Security Week discusses the recent release of Microsoft Edge for Business, a new version of the Edge browser designed for enterprise use. Edge for Business could upend the enterprise browser market, which is currently dominated by Google Chrome. The article cites several factors that could contribute to Edge for Business’s success in the enterprise market. However, Edge for Business faces challenges, such as the need to win over users already accustomed to Chrome.
10. Android 14 brings a feature that iPhones have had for ages | Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide describes how to enable the flash notification feature on Android devices. To do this, you first need to open the Settings app and tap “Accessibility.” Then, scroll down and tap on “Flash notifications.” You can then toggle on either the “Camera flash” or “Screen flash” option, or both. When a notification comes in, your phone will flash the LED flash or the screen to let you know.
Thank you for visiting Tech Help Knowledgebase to read the Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 9-2-2023, a summary of this week’s ten most engaging stories. If you liked this article, follow us on Twitter @techhelpkb and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep in the loop.
Henry Irvine, Contributing Technology Writer, translates more than a decade of internet technology experience in product and customer relationship management into practical help and how-to content. Look for him on Bay Area trails, music venues, or sausage shacks when he’s not writing. Don’t call him Hank if you see him. Seriously. Hank on Twitter
