Microsoft To Retire Windows XP in 2008

By Geoff Duncan Published June 19, 2018

Microsoft Corporation has announced it plans to stick to its timetable to stop selling Windwos XP to computer makers in January, 2008—meaning any Windows PC offered for sale after that date is going to have Windows Vista installed, like it or not. The decision applies to all versions of Windows XP, including tablet through media center editions, and means computer makers like HP, Dell, Toshiba, Gateway, and others will no longer be able to offer new systems with versions of Windows XP as pre-installed options.

The confirmation comes as customer surveys show an overall lukewarm response to Windows Vista, with a Harris Interactive survey finding only 10 percent of respondents were planning to upgrade their systems to Windows Vista in the near future.

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The move may also rankle even Windows enthusiasts: although Microsoft is likely to introduce a service pack upgrade for Windows Vista before the licensing cutoff for Windows XP, the operating system is beset with lingering driver issues and many Windows users have balked at Vista’s higher system requirements (especially for much-touted features like the Aero interface), meaning they may only move to Vista when they junk their current PC.

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Computing

Microsoft may finally let you turn off some of Edge’s AI. But don’t celebrate yet

Microsoft Edge illustration official

After spending a few years collecting new AI features on Edge, Microsoft is planning on giving users the option to completely turn all of them off. A new On-device AI setting has appeared in Edge Canary under Settings > Copilot and AI, allowing users to control whether Microsoft's browser can use AI models running locally on their PC. Windows Report spotted the setting in the latest preview build.

Microsoft has stated that when on-device AI is enabled, Edge can use local AI models for support features. turn it off and those features may stop working. Just one thing you have to remember, Edge doesn't actually tell you what those features are.

Computing

Anthropic unveils Claude Duet, its answer to AI agents like Dots

The new agent is built to take some of the busywork off your plate.

Anthropic's Claude Duet AI agent

The AI race has taken an interesting turn lately, with frontier labs now competing to build agents that can keep working even when you are not actively talking to them. Meta helped push that idea into the spotlight with Muse, OpenAI followed soon after with Dots, and now Anthropic is throwing its hat in the ring with Claude Duet.

Duet is launching as a research preview for Pro and Max subscribers in the US through a waitlist. Anthropic is pitching it mainly at professionals and small-business owners who want help keeping track of work without constantly checking every app themselves.

Computing

Google Chrome’s new early warning system could help you spot scam sites

Chrome can now flag websites that look suspicious even when Safe Browsing is not confident enough to call them dangerous.

Chrome

Anyone who has used Google Chrome has probably seen the red warning screen when they click a suspicious link or try to visit a potentially dangerous website. Google is now beefing up this warning system by adding a new layer that will flag websites that seem fishy, even when Safe Browsing does not have enough confidence to classify them as outright dangerous.

The new Suspicious sites category is being added to Chrome’s Enhanced Protection mode and will sit below the existing Dangerous sites classification. Google says these are pages that show deceptive patterns commonly associated with malicious websites, but where Safe Browsing has a lower-confidence verdict.