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Microsoft has silently issued a partial fix for a local privilege escalation (LPE) vulnerability impacting all Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 devices. Partially 'hurrah'
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With the Agility SDK, developers can now add the newest DirectX 12 features to their games, and gamers can play games with these features without having to upgrade their OS. It will only compile if you can touch your toes
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Microsoft's researchers studied the impact of back-to-back meetings on our brains, and concluded we need breaks. Uhm...don't?
Which after their research...is the conclusion. Brilliant!
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Better than back-to-back meetings are ones scheduled in the same timeslot. Then you can skip both, because everyone will assume you're in the other one.
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Brilliant! I am definitely using this idea, soon.
TTFN - Kent
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Microsoft seems to be getting closer to launching its Cloud PC desktop virtualization service. It also is making moves toward revamping the Windows 10 app store, according to a new report. "Methinks it is like a weasel."
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The Internet Security Research Group has announced that Google has provided funding for Rust developer Dirkjan Ochtman to make improvements to Rustls, a memory-safe alternative to OpenSSL. It will be called KindaOpenSSL
With pre-roll ads before connections begin
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Microsoft is working on a brand-new Store app for Windows 10 that will introduce a modern and fluid user interface, as well as bring changes to the policies that govern what kind of apps can be submitted to the store by developers. According to sources familiar with the matter, this new Store will pave the way to a revitalized storefront that's more open to both end users and developers.
Functionality wise I think it's a step in the right direction but - in going from UWP apps via MS CDN only to MIS installed win32 via any CDN - I worry that it might be swinging too far in the other direction.
Allowing normal win32 apps is definitely a win. 3rd party download servers may/may not be; IMO the big question is going to be if seamless automatic updating will be available without having to use MS infrastructure. Being able to automate patching of all the apps I have installed is probably the biggest advantage my phone has over my PC, and if MS relaxing the app store to not require rewriting software from scratch to work will allow my PC to get the same it'd be a big win. As a related feature, remembering my installed apps so I could one button reload on a new PC would actually be useful enough that I probably would replace my local login with an MS one.
Where I'm concerned though is that both of those scenarios require non-interactive installers to really work well. A typical MSI where you have to click through a half dozen pointless wizard pages would be a big fail if every Patch Tuesday brought a few dozen of them along for the ride. It's possible MS is planning to automate clicking through all the defaults on a hidden desktop to make it work, but I'd've expected them to be boasting about doing so if that was the plan.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
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There’s new video of the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, captured by the Perseverance rover’s cameras and posted to Twitter by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. One small flight for a drone. One giant leap for botkind.
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The Coalition for App Fairness wants a more open iOS platform with a better review process, outside payments, and app distribution similar to Windows. Be careful what you ask for
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Today, nearly 12,000 developers will see a new badge on their GitHub profile celebrating their contributions to the specific versions of projects and libraries used by NASA to fly the Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars. How can we make this all about us? Mars flight edition
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Why can't I avoid thinking that there will be someone sueing the NASA for Copy-Left or something like that?
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Microsoft announced the preview of Rust for Windows, which aims to enable creating Rust apps for Windows using any Windows API. A little WD-40 can usually clear that up
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Although I have my reservations about Rust, this is actually quite exciting.
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I'm curious. What are your reservations? I'm learning at the moment, mainly because I'm out of work and out of curiosity. Professionally, I'm largely .NET but did do some years of C++ back in the day.
Incidentally Microsoft themselves have a nice little course at Microsoft Learn. I've worked through that but I'm now back in "the book."
Kevin
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For me this is awesome news. I've been writing Rust recently, and having got used to it, find the idea of using C++ to target Windows distasteful.
Once you get over the learning curve, Rust is simply a safer, more expressive, modern language.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Rob Grainger wrote: Once you get over the learning curve, Rust is simply a safer, more expressive, modern language.
I've been learning and it's certainly proven frustrating. I recently finished rewriting one of my existing programs (C# and Python versions) in Rust and at one point got stuck for a few days re ownership and borrowing. I never got to the bottom of it but tried a slightly different approach and got to the end. My first objective was just to reproduce the results any way I could before trying to get too clever.
My guess is once you get to a certain level and you've encountered all the ownership and borrowing scenarios it will be smoother sailing?
Kevin
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I feel your pain - initially I found much the same with ownership issues - it takes a while to get used to Rust's demanding approach here. Especially if you're coming from languages with Garbage Collection, the learning curve is very steep, if you're used to C/C++ that will help somewhat, but it can still be a struggle to get things compiling at first.
With time it gets easier. Also, the Rust community can be very helpful when you're struggling. The Reddit group in particular can be very helpful when you raise questions, with no question being too stupid.
Stick with it. When it all groks, it begins to become much easier.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Rob Grainger wrote: Especially if you're coming from languages with Garbage Collection, the learning curve is very steep, if you're used to C/C++ that will help somewhat, but it can still be a struggle to get things compiling at first.
In my case my dev career started with several years of mainly C++ on Windows with some VB Classic. But then it's mostly been .NET (mostly C# with some VB). However, I'm also familiar with F#, mostly in my own time. But even with all this it's still pretty tough! I've not done C++ for about 15 years now and I'm aware it's changed quite a lot!
I also think with Rust you definitely need to do more studying before getting productive than you do with many of the other languages.
My motivation for learning it is
- It's good to explore other languages from time to time, even if you don't get to use them commercially.
- I'm a "resting" freelancer.
- I'm interested in Blockchain and notice some projects are written in Rust.
- WebAssembly is looking like a Rust sweet spot. So script high-perf Rust components (e.g., AI/ML) from JavaScript. 💯 Performance advantages of Rust and WebAssembly
- Microsoft (and other Big Tech) is making a non-trivial investment in Rust.
Kevin
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My career largely parallels yours, although I kept up to date with C++ until 2/3 years ago, and I learned Haskell rather than F#, which probably gave me an advantage as Rust traits are much more akin to Haskell type classes, and many Rust standard library parts are influenced by Haskell (Option type, Result type, etc.).
But I agree, there is a steep learning curve with Rust. It took a while for it to all settle down. I'm glad to report you've been saved some pain - the borrow checker has become much more forgiving over the years, as they've added cases that are proveably safe over time. It took me about a year to be fully productive, but that's working in my spare time (which as a single parent is surprisingly sparse).
Stick with it. After a while it becomes easier and more natural. Now I just cannot think of going back to C++ for any projects.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Ryan Levick has a few videos that may help. Here's Introduction to Rust Part 1 - YouTube, but there are others that may help if you check his output.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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While the Windows 10 Spring 2021 update is going to be a minor service pack style-like with a strong focus on quality improvements for enterprise customers, reports have suggested that Windows 10 version 21H2 is going to be a big release. Updated features?
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I have everytime hoped for the best, but they have tried really hard (and successfully achieved) to make me expect the worst  
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Kent Sharkey wrote: with a strong focus on quality improvements
How many times are "enterprise customers" going to be fooled by this statement?
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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The next major release of Visual Studio will be faster, more approachable, and more lightweight, designed for both learners and those building industrial scale solutions. For the first time ever, Visual Studio will be 64-bit. Forget 64-bit, we've got NEW ICONS!
Sorry to beat that dead horse into mince, but they're doing it first.
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