With the Windows 10 end of support date looming large for this October 14th, some good news for those who don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11 or who can’t. Until recently, Microsoft had also said that users running the Microsoft Office apps on Windows 10 would also lose support on that date, whether they were using the continually updated Microsoft 365 versions of those apps or the buy-once-own-forever versions included in Office 2021 or Office 2024. Now, arstechnica.com reports that Microsoft has eased their policy…Windows 10 users of the Microsoft 365 apps will still be eligible to receive software updates and support through October of 2028, quoting Microsoft “in the interest of maintaining your security while you upgrade to Windows 11.” Windows Defender malware definitions will also continue for Windows 10 through at least October 2028. 

Apple iPads led the global tablet market first quarter, with 14% growth year-over-year. According to macrumors.com, worldwide shipments of tablets hit 36.8 million units first quarter…that was up a very good 8.5% year-over-year. With Apple growth 5.5% more than that, Cupertino has grown their market share for tablets from 35.5% to 37.3%. Replacement demand for iPads really started to ramp up during the early parts of COVID-19. Apple is no doubt keeping a sharp eye on Chinese maker Xiaomi, as their growth was 56.1% year-over-year. At 3.1 million units compared to Apple’s 13.7 million last quarter, Apple does have some breathing room, however.

One of the best reasons to keep your software up to date…particularly when it comes to mobile operating systems….is security. A few years ago, Android rolled out Factory Reset Protection, a security feature that prevents an unauthorized person from accessing your phone by requiring a Google login or PIN after a factory reset. If someone fails these logins, they can’t complete setup (meaning they then can’t sell your phone). Now, zdnet.com says Google has indicated it is ‘further hardening’ Factory Reset protections. While they didn’t go into detail about this, they showed a screenshot that said “This device was reset by authentication failed during setup. To use this device, reset again and enter the device’s previous lock screen or Google account credentials.” The hardening will come ‘later this year,’ so may not make it into Android 16, which is due out in just a few months. 

Sony has now sold almost 78 million PlayStation 5s since the first ones went on sale in 2020, but the company is looking at a fall off due to tariffs. Engadget.com notes that Sony shipped 2.8 million in the past quarter. This brings the PS5 in line with the PS4, which had sold 79 million in a similar time frame. The good news for Sony…game sales are up 9%. The down side? They are projecting a $100 billion drop in sales next year due to tariffs. Sony has considered passing the tariff hikes to buyers, but hasn’t made that decision yet. The company has already raised the price of the console in other territories including Europe, but US increases are extremely rare. Sony also said in an earnings call that they will consider building the gaming systems in the US going forward, if that becomes necessary.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.