operating system

Dark mode was a big thing in the computing industry in the past few years. "Was" because almost all major platforms have already implemented it, one way or another, except Google's Chrome OS. Just like with the Chrome browser itself, Chrome OS's support for light text and content over dark backgrounds has not been consistent or complete. That may no longer be the case soon as Google has started rolling out an in-progress dark mode implementation, now available to more adventurous Chrome OS users.

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We're practically two months away from closing this rather accursed year, which means it's time to tempt fate with a new major update to Windows 10. Now simply dubbed 20H2 to denote which half of the year it launches instead of the month, this new version is low-key on big features and full of polish and refinement, or at least that's how it's supposed to be. Windows 10 20H2 still does bring a handful of notable changes, including one that has ruffled a few feathers given Microsoft's not-so-subtle push to get its Edge browser into every PC.

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Windows 10 users are expressing frustration about the most recent software update that caught many users by surprise, shutting down their system with little warning (assuming they didn't have it set to do otherwise) and installing unwanted apps. The update has been a point of contention between users, with some stating that Microsoft is overstepping its bounds and others pointing toward users as the real issue.

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Fast refresh rates are all the fad in smartphones these days but computer monitors have sported 120Hz and even 144Hz far longer than their mobile cousins. That doesn't mean, of course, that everything will be smooth and fluid magically and it still depends on the software taking advantage of that capability. Windows 10 finally lets you do so, at least in the latest Insider Preview, with a simple new feature in the Settings app.

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Microsoft has made the Windows 10 setup process straightforward and simple, requiring very few inputs from users aside from input methods and privacy settings. While that makes the process less daunting, it also means users less control over what gets set up from the get-go, requiring them to dig into settings after the setup process finishes. In future versions of Windows, however, Microsoft may be giving users a bit more say but still makes those options a bit mysterious.

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It's not really rare to hear news about one Windows vulnerability or another ranging from the trivial to the critical. There are only a few times, however, when the DHS, best known as the US Department of Homeland Security, speaks about it. Yet for the third time this year, the department's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or CISA published a warning about a critical flaw affecting the server editions of Windows, urging all government units to immediately patch their systems before it's too late.

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Huawei appears to be in a position now to bring heat to their biggest competitors in Google and Apple. Whether or not by necessity, Huawei's moving forward with their alternative to Android, HarmonyOS, with a version of the operating system coming to smartphones this December. That means that before the end of 2020, Huawei's releasing their biggest stand-alone effort in the smartphone market yet.

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Google has been shaping Chrome OS to almost be the end all and be all of operating systems. It is practically a glorified web browser where apps based on web technologies can feel at home while now also supporting "foreign" apps from Android and Linux. Its recent announced partnership with Parallels to bring Windows software to Chrome OS sounds like a partial admission of defeat that it can't really provide everything that its users need. Google pretty much acknowledges that but amusingly also tries to downplay it by comparing it archaic technology.

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When people talk about Macs or Mac OS, they're most likely referring to what was previously and perhaps lovingly called "OS X". That "X" is, of course, the Roman numeral that notes that this is the 10th incarnation of Apple's desktop operating system. Few of today's Mac users have probably used Macintoshes before that, let alone older versions of their favorite operating system. Whether you're discovering it for the first time or planning a nostalgia trip, a new macintosh.js project now lets you run the 90s era Mac OS 8, even without owning a 90s era Macintosh.

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Things have generally been quiet on the Windows 10X front in recent months, but today, a handful of new rumors are spilling a lot of details on the upcoming operating system. Not only do these new rumors tell us when Microsoft may launch Windows 10X, but they also explain what the Windows landscape will look like once Windows 10X launches and what limitations the new operating system will have on release.

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Today Google essentially revealed the release date for Android 11, a version of Android that does not (yet) have a dessert name. While Google maintains that they will no longer be giving fancy food names to their new Android iterations, we're now about to let that stop us from naming it ourselves. How about Red Velvet Cake, or ...roscón de reyes (ring of the kings)?

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There has been some speculation, even worries, about how the Windows 10 Start Menu would be changing but Microsoft is now calming those fears by confirming that nothing much is changing. At least nothing yet as far as big sweeping design and behavioral changes are concerned. The latest preview build for Insiders shows off a slightly refreshed Start Menu but it's the new multi-tasking behavior that may have some users a tad annoyed instead.

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