Table of contents for August 2023 in Tech Advisor

Microsoft has confirmed that the service outages for Outlook, OneDrive, and other Microsoft 365 services on 5 June were caused by a malicious attack. Hackers flooded Microsoft’s servers with denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and brought them to their overload limit. The traffic sent to the servers increased so massively due to the DDOS attacks that they could no longer process the requests, bringing Microsoft’s services to their knees. This meant Microsoft customers could no longer retrieve or write new emails in Outlook. Communication via Teams was also disrupted and calendars no longer synchronized. The OneDrive web portal went down and various Azure services were no longer available. Microsoft writes: “Beginning in early June 2023, Microsoft identified surges in traffic against some services that temporarily impacted availability. Microsoft promptly opened an investigation…

Windows 10 is still the most popular operating system, remaining well ahead of the Windows 11 in Statcounter‘s usage statistics (fave.co/43PPTCL). But since Microsoft no longer sells Windows 10, some PC users turn to illegal downloads and torrents instead. Hackers are now exploiting Windows 10’s popularity for a new attack. It’s been reported that Windows 10 ISO files are being offered for free download on various torrents/filesharing platforms, but those files are contaminated with malware such as Trojan.Clipper.231. This malware is a dangerous variant of a ‘cryptocurrency hijacker’. Malware like this hides within computers, tablets, smartphones and even servers, then secretly carries out crypto-mining for the hacker’s benefit. Unlike other malware, most cryptocurrency hijackers do not directly harm you or your computer: they do not delete any data, do not…

Price: £949 from fave.co/3qDZtty Once the budget wing of Huawei, Honor is now its own, independent beast. And that independence has freed it to move up from the cut-price mid-range market and into selling its own full-on flagships. This year has already seen the company release the Magic Vs, a rare global challenger to Samsung’s foldable dominance, but the Magic5 Pro is a little more traditional: a big slab of glass with some very powerful cameras. But just how powerful are they – and is there enough on offer here to tempt buyers away from the likes of Samsung, Google and Apple? DESIGN The Magic5 Pro fits comfortably into modern flagship phone design trends: a huge slab of curved glass and metal with an outlandishly large, round camera module on…

Trying to keep up with all of the latest Windows 11 features can be confusing, especially during the Microsoft Build rush in May when Microsoft releases new features, then announces others. This year was no different, with Microsoft unleashing a torrent of new Windows 11 features ranging from practical to fantastical. But what’s coming, and when? Microsoft now releases new features in what are colloquially known as ‘Moments’. These Moments can occur at any time, which makes it even more confusing. Windows 11’s ‘Moment 3’ was unveiled at Build with a host of exciting new features coming very soon, but Microsoft also tipped off even more goodies that are due at a future date. THE WINDOWS 11 ’MOMENT 3’ FEATURES Wider Widgets: One of the more interesting additions to Windows…

In May we heard that Intel was planning on shaking up the branding for its long-running series of Core i3, i5, i7 and i9 CPUs. Not a huge shake-up – in fact about as innocuous as things can be, simply dropping a single letter from each one. Now it’s official: starting with Meteor Lake releases later this year, Intel processors will be named either Core 3, 5, 7, 9, (note the lack of the ‘i’) or Core Ultra variants thereof. That’s according to a press release from Intel itself (fave.co/3Pmqfkp), which also notes that some sub-brand labels like Intel Evo Edition laptops and vPro Enterprise and vPro Essentials devices will retain their current labels. Why change things up now, after more than 15 years of the Core iNumber set-up? Aside…

Windows 8 and 8.1 died earlier this year, but that hasn’t stopped people from continuing to use those operating systems. But if the lack of support and security updates haven’t compelled you to upgrade, Google’s now increasing the pressure to get on to a modern OS: come this summer, it’s discontinuing support for its Windows 8 and 8.1 Google Drive apps. A Google Drive support page (fave.co/3pbNlQ7) warns users to upgrade to Windows 10 for uninterrupted service – and specifically the 64-bit version, as the company is also dropping support for 32-bit Windows 10 systems. While web access to Drive will still be available, sync will stop working in August. Dropping support for dead versions of Windows isn’t new for Google, which started this push with Chrome back in February.…

Price: £2,698 from fave.co/3qTkZL8 The big-screen laptop trend of recent has been moving from a 17.3in display with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio to a 16in 16:10 panel that results in a more compact and portable package with nearly the same screen real estate. Despite numerous refreshes over the past few years, the Dell XPS 17 (9730) still resides between these two popular panel sizes, with a 17in 16:10 display that’s roomier than the 16in equivalent but not quite as wide as a 17.3in 16:9 panel. The result is a massive display for media editing, multitasking and perhaps some light gaming. Inside, the XPS 17 serves up the latest Intel and Nvidia silicon. Our test system pairs a 13th-gen Core i7 CPU with RTX 4070 graphics, but Dell has opted…

Not too long ago, it seemed like tablets with detachable keyboards would take over from laptops as the go-to portable productivity device. While 2-in-1 devices are more popular than ever, that’s never fully materialised. During the pandemic, people around the world rediscovered just how useful laptops can be, and they seem here to stay. However, if you’ve decided to buy a new laptop, deciding what to go for can be very difficult. Even if you’ve decided on a screen size, rough design or brand, there are still so many devices that could be right for you. This article aims to simplify that process, with 15 of the very best laptops you can buy, alongside detailed buying advice at the bottom of the page. They are ranked, but the options towards…

Storage drives need to be defragmented. USB sticks have to be ejected. Antivirus software slows down your PC. Who isn’t familiar with these common ‘wisdoms’ about Windows? But are any of these Windows myths actually true, and where do they come from? Our editorial team gets to the bottom of it all and separates fact from fiction. MYTH 1: USB STICKS MUST BE EJECTED Many people claim that USB storage media, such as flash drives and external USB drives, must be ejected via ‘Safely remove hardware’. But is this still necessary in this day and age? Ejecting USB storage media ensures that the transferred and stored data remains intact. Nevertheless, many people ignore this step and remove the stick without thinking. The additional step of properly ejecting it can be…

Most home PC builders just got their hands on PCI Express 5.0 hardware, or are still waiting on it to make sense in terms of either price or compatibility. But progress, or something that looks like it if you squint hard enough, marches on. The Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group, or PCI-SIG if you’re in a hurry, just published version 0.3 of its PCIe 7.0 spec upgrade. It’s in testing right now and scheduled to be finalized sometime in 2025. It should theoretically hit at least some PCs and peripherals shortly after, though wider adoption tends to takes months (if not years). What’s better about PCIe 7.0? According to the press release, republished by TechPowerUp (fave.co/46hewcX), the more advanced tech will enable data transfers at up to 512GB/s in…

Computex is the most vital PC show of the year, every year. Just look at the name. Taiwan’s trade show is where computer vendors large and small unveil their latest, greatest gear ahead of the crucial back to school and holiday shopping seasons. If CES is where the industry showcases its vision for the future, Computex keeps it real. Product cycles for the world’s biggest chip vendors made this Computex feel somewhat muted. Intel and AMD skipped keynotes all together, while Nvidia spent two hours talking about AI rather than games. With no new CPUs or GPUs on tap, the usual barrage of fresh PCs packing new tech slowed to a trickle this year, as the next generation already arrived earlier this year. But that gap also provided fresh opportunities.…

Price: £599 from fave.co/3NEBzHv Google’s first tablet since 2018’s Pixel Slate has finally arrived, but the Pixel Tablet is a move in a completely new direction. It comes bundled with a Charging Speaker Dock which makes it just as much a smart display as it is a regular Android tablet. Android tablets have had their ups and downs over the years, from the highs of the Nexus 7 which Google built with Asus to the lows of appalling efforts from the likes of Alcatel. They still have a place in the market, but with iPads still being the quality go-to choice, has Google come up with a nifty way to stand out? The Pixel Tablet is undeniably interesting, even though we’ve seen docking tablets like the Lenovo Smart Tab P10…

Just five years ago, the idea of the smartphone in your pocket having a foldable screen was a futuristic dream. But in 2023 it’s very much a reality. They might cost more than their flat glass screen counterparts, but if you want a gadget that’s on the cutting edge of modern consumer technology, you can’t go wrong with a folding phone. Or can you? Given the technology is so new, we have found that some foldable smartphones are better than others. We’ve reviewed several different models to find out which is best. All the phones on our list take one of two basic form factors – either book or flip. The former open with a vertical hinge like a book, while the latter flip open on a horizontal hinge and…

Even simple things like file management can be frustratingly complicated in Windows 10 and 11. With its nested file system and hundreds of menus, functions, and folders, Windows is a highly complex organism. All your installed applications add yet another layer of headaches. If you want to work quickly and efficiently within Windows, you’ll need to optimize it to fit your way of working. Fortunately, Microsoft’s operating system is by no means rigid – on the contrary, it can be quite adaptable. This applies not only to the design, but also to basic operation. 1. ORGANIZE YOUR WINDOWS DESKTOP The desktop is not just a colourful palette to display the programs and functions on your computer. Used correctly, it is an effective tool for organizing work. For example, it’s advisable…