Month: August 2024
“Something has gone seriously wrong” — Dual-boot Windows and Linux systems get worrying warning following Microsoft update
Microsoft just fixed a two-year-old vulnerability, but in doing so, it caused widespread problems for dual-boot systems.
Linux users running dual-boot systems with Windows have reported their devices suddenly failed to boot, displaying a worrying “Something went seriously wrong” message.
It has since been confirmed that a dodgy security update from Microsoft was to blame for the problem, which was designed to address CVE-2022-2601 as part of the company’s monthly patch release.
Consequentially, those with dual-boot systems – machines configured to run both Windows and Linux – found themselves unable to boot into Linux.
Microsoft update breaks dual-boot systems
The update had been rolled out to fix CVE-2022-2601, a critical vulnerability in the GRUB boot loader used by many Linux distros. It was identified two years ago, and could allow hackers to bypass Secure Boot, a security feature designed to prevent malware from loading during the startup process.
Despite the high 8.6 out of 10 rating, the vulnerability wasn’t patched until August 13, 2024.
Users affected by the update’s unintended issue saw a message reading: “Verifying shim SBAT data failed: Security Policy Violation. Something has gone seriously wrong: SBAT self-check failed: Security Policy Violation.”
The issue has affected multiple popular Linux distros, including Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Zorin OS and Puppy Linux.
In the hours and days following the faulty update, online forums filled with complaints and frustrated users sharing their temporary solutions, such as disabling Secure Boot or removing the problematic SBAT policy. However, despite the widespread issues, Microsoft has yet to provide a fix.
Microsoft said (via Ars Technica): “We are aware that some secondary boot scenarios are causing issues for some customers, including when using outdated Linux loaders with vulnerable code. We are working with our Linux partners to investigate and address.”
For now, dual-boot users will have to find peace with a temporary fix until Microsoft rolls out an update to the security patch that was two years in the making.
More from TechRadar Pro
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Instead of carrying multiple camera lenses, this one lets you swap optics
Instead of carrying a bag full of lenses, the new Samyang Remaster Slim lets you only carry alternate optical elements. | Image: Samyang
In an attempt to lighten camera bags, Samyang has created a prime lens that allows photographers to change the focal length by swapping out just the optical elements inside it, instead of having to change lenses completely.
The simpler design of prime lenses in general — which offer no zoom capabilities — can deliver several advantages, including sharper images and a shallower depth of field. The tradeoff is that photographers have to move closer or further away when framing subjects or swap between several prime lenses with different focal lengths. That approach can get expensive and heavy — problems that Samyang’s Remaster Slim autofocus lens, measuring just 0.8 inches thick, may solve.
The optical elements in the Remaster Slim sit in a smaller magnetic mount that can be easily swapped in and out from the center of the lens. According to DIY Photography, Samyang will initially offer three different inserts: a wider 21mm f/2.8, a 28mm f/3.5, and a 32mm f/3.5 more ideal for closer portrait photography.
Image: Samyang
The Remaster Slim is less than an inch long but still manages to squeeze in a manual focus ring.
Those three inserts will take up considerably less room in a camera bag than three full prime lenses would, but the approach will come with tradeoffs.
Samyang says the lens offers “genuine analog sensibility that is distinctly different from smartphone images created with digital technology” and that the company drew inspiration from “legendary P&S film cameras of the past.” That sounds nice, but it also sounds like Samyang is hinting that the Remaster Slim may produce softer results than other prime lenses, which also now offer faster maximum apertures closer to f/1.4. (The lasting appeal of “analog sensibility” and old point-and-shoot cameras is that photos aren’t always razor sharp.)
Samyang’s Remaster Slim is only compatible with Sony’s E-mount lens system and was available for preorder (with the 32mm insert) in South Korea for 308,000 won, or around $229 USD, before those preorders sold out. Shipping is planned to start in early September, and the company says it should be more generally available in South Korea in early October. Availability for other markets hasn’t been announced yet.
Instead of carrying a bag full of lenses, the new Samyang Remaster Slim lets you only carry alternate optical elements. | Image: Samyang
In an attempt to lighten camera bags, Samyang has created a prime lens that allows photographers to change the focal length by swapping out just the optical elements inside it, instead of having to change lenses completely.
The simpler design of prime lenses in general — which offer no zoom capabilities — can deliver several advantages, including sharper images and a shallower depth of field. The tradeoff is that photographers have to move closer or further away when framing subjects or swap between several prime lenses with different focal lengths. That approach can get expensive and heavy — problems that Samyang’s Remaster Slim autofocus lens, measuring just 0.8 inches thick, may solve.
The optical elements in the Remaster Slim sit in a smaller magnetic mount that can be easily swapped in and out from the center of the lens. According to DIY Photography, Samyang will initially offer three different inserts: a wider 21mm f/2.8, a 28mm f/3.5, and a 32mm f/3.5 more ideal for closer portrait photography.
Image: Samyang
The Remaster Slim is less than an inch long but still manages to squeeze in a manual focus ring.
Those three inserts will take up considerably less room in a camera bag than three full prime lenses would, but the approach will come with tradeoffs.
Samyang says the lens offers “genuine analog sensibility that is distinctly different from smartphone images created with digital technology” and that the company drew inspiration from “legendary P&S film cameras of the past.” That sounds nice, but it also sounds like Samyang is hinting that the Remaster Slim may produce softer results than other prime lenses, which also now offer faster maximum apertures closer to f/1.4. (The lasting appeal of “analog sensibility” and old point-and-shoot cameras is that photos aren’t always razor sharp.)
Samyang’s Remaster Slim is only compatible with Sony’s E-mount lens system and was available for preorder (with the 32mm insert) in South Korea for 308,000 won, or around $229 USD, before those preorders sold out. Shipping is planned to start in early September, and the company says it should be more generally available in South Korea in early October. Availability for other markets hasn’t been announced yet.
Snap is reportedly working on a new pair of augmented reality Spectacles
Snap is getting ready to show off a new pair of augmented reality glasses, according to a new report in The Verge. The glasses would be the fifth-generation of Spectacles, and the second pair to have augmented reality capabilities. CEO Evan Spiegel will reportedly unveil the glasses at the company’s upcoming Partner Summit event on September 17.
The company last introduced a pair of AR glasses in 2021. The glasses were only ever made available to a small handful of creators and developers, who came up with some interesting experiments that combined Snapchat’s lenses with the AR displays. But, as I noted in my hands-on with AR-enabled Spectacles that year, the device was still pretty limited. It had an extremely narrow field of view and only a 30-minute battery life. The glasses were also much bulkier and boxier compared to earlier generations of Spectacles that looked more like regular sunglasses.
Snapchat’s fourth-generation Spectacles that had AR displays.Karissa Bell for Engadget
Now, it sounds like Snap has made some improvements to the underlying tech. The Verge reports that the latest glasses will have a wider field of view and better battery life. However, it seems the Spectacles are still being positioned as more of a developer device than something any Snapchat user will be able to buy. Each pair reportedly costs “thousands of dollars to build” and Snap is planning on making “fewer than 10,000” of them.
Still, it suggests that Snap hasn’t entirely given up on its hardware ambitions. Its last new product was the $250 Pixy selfie drone, which it abandoned just four months after launch in 2022. The company recalled the device earlier this year after a reported battery fire.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snap-is-reportedly-working-on-a-new-pair-of-augmented-reality-spectacles-173024510.html?src=rss
Snap is getting ready to show off a new pair of augmented reality glasses, according to a new report in The Verge. The glasses would be the fifth-generation of Spectacles, and the second pair to have augmented reality capabilities. CEO Evan Spiegel will reportedly unveil the glasses at the company’s upcoming Partner Summit event on September 17.
The company last introduced a pair of AR glasses in 2021. The glasses were only ever made available to a small handful of creators and developers, who came up with some interesting experiments that combined Snapchat’s lenses with the AR displays. But, as I noted in my hands-on with AR-enabled Spectacles that year, the device was still pretty limited. It had an extremely narrow field of view and only a 30-minute battery life. The glasses were also much bulkier and boxier compared to earlier generations of Spectacles that looked more like regular sunglasses.
Snapchat’s fourth-generation Spectacles that had AR displays.
Now, it sounds like Snap has made some improvements to the underlying tech. The Verge reports that the latest glasses will have a wider field of view and better battery life. However, it seems the Spectacles are still being positioned as more of a developer device than something any Snapchat user will be able to buy. Each pair reportedly costs “thousands of dollars to build” and Snap is planning on making “fewer than 10,000” of them.
Still, it suggests that Snap hasn’t entirely given up on its hardware ambitions. Its last new product was the $250 Pixy selfie drone, which it abandoned just four months after launch in 2022. The company recalled the device earlier this year after a reported battery fire.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snap-is-reportedly-working-on-a-new-pair-of-augmented-reality-spectacles-173024510.html?src=rss
Apple Will Allow EU Users To Delete Safari, Messages and App Store Apps
Apple will change how users choose browser options in the European Union, add a dedicated section for changing default apps, and make more apps deletable, the company said on Thursday. From a report: The iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7, forcing it to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers on a “choice screen” the first time they open Safari. In an update later this year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options.
A randomly ordered list of 12 browsers per EU country will be shown to the user with short descriptions, and the chosen one will be automatically downloaded, Apple said. The choice screen will also be available on iPads through an update later this year. Apple released a previous update in response to the new rules in March, but browser companies criticized the design of its choice screen, and the Commission opened an investigation on March 25 saying it suspected that the measures fell short of effective compliance. […] Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-made apps such as App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos and Safari.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Apple will change how users choose browser options in the European Union, add a dedicated section for changing default apps, and make more apps deletable, the company said on Thursday. From a report: The iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7, forcing it to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers on a “choice screen” the first time they open Safari. In an update later this year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options.
A randomly ordered list of 12 browsers per EU country will be shown to the user with short descriptions, and the chosen one will be automatically downloaded, Apple said. The choice screen will also be available on iPads through an update later this year. Apple released a previous update in response to the new rules in March, but browser companies criticized the design of its choice screen, and the Commission opened an investigation on March 25 saying it suspected that the measures fell short of effective compliance. […] Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-made apps such as App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos and Safari.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.