WINDOWS 7 SUPPORT ENDS JANUARY 14, CHROME TO OFFER WINDOWS 7 SUPPORT FOR 18 MONTHS MORE: WHAT TO DO NEXT

WINDOWS 7 SUPPORT ENDS JANUARY 14, CHROME TO OFFER WINDOWS 7 SUPPORT FOR 18 MONTHS MORE: WHAT TO DO NEXT !

Windows 7 users can update to Windows 10 by purchasing and installing the software online. Users who are owners of very old machines, should consider installing Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, as Windows 10 may not function properly on old devices.

Microsoft's decade-old operating system - Windows 7 - will reach ‘end of life' on January 14. This means that the company will stop the free technical support and producing ‘security patches' to fix software vulnerabilities. It is recommended that all users switch to Windows 10 or newer Windows versions before Windows 7 support ends. While Windows 7 won't see any support, Google claims that it will keep updating Chrome on Windows 7 devices with software and security patches for 18 more months. This means support for Chrome users on Windows 7 will go on till July next year.The tech giant is all set to end support for its Windows 7 software next week i.e. on January 14. While the software won't stop working, Microsoft won't be delivering any security patches, t hereby making it a breeding ground for hackers to tinker with. The ideal solution, as mentioned, is to update to the latest software. While the free program to update to Windows 10 ended on July 2016, users can  purchase the software and install it easily. 

So, what does the January 14 date mean exactly? On its site, Microsoft says "After January 14, 2020, if your PC is running Windows 7, it will no longer receive security updates. Therefore, it's important that you upgrade to a modern operating system such as Windows 10, which can provide the latest security updates to help keep you and your data safer. In addition, Microsoft customer service will no longer be available to provide Windows 7 technical support. Related services for Windows 7 will also be discontinued over time. For example, certain games such as Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers as well as Electronic Program Guide for Windows Media Center are scheduled to be discontinued in January 2020."

CES 2020: THUNDERBOLT 4 ANNOUNCED BY INTEL

CES 2020: Thunderbolt 4 Announced by Intel, Will Offer Same Speed as Thunderbolt 3

Intel claims that Thunderbolt 4 will be four times faster than USB 3.1 which offers 10Gbps data transfer speeds. This means that Thunderbolt 4 will top out at 40Gbps speeds.

At CES 2020, Intel announced its Tiger Lake CPUs, and these new processors will come with Thunderbolt 4 support. The next-gen external connector from Intel is confirmed to come with the new 10nm CPUs this year, but the chip maker has avoided revealing too many details as of now. Intel claims that Thunderbolt 4 will be four times faster than USB 3.1 which offers 10 Gbps data transfer speeds. This means that Thunderbolt 4 will top out at 40 Gbps speeds, similar to that of the four-year-old Thunderbolt 3.While Thunderbolt 4 is supposedly not faster than Thunderbolt 3, updating the version number could mean few tweaks are well in store. Intel is remaining mystical on the details for now, but the company should shed some light once its launch nears. Intel spokeswoman Sarah Kane told CNET that the company plans to share more details on Thunderbolt 4 later. She claims, “It standardises PC platform requirements and adds the latest Thunderbolt innovations.”

             Thunderbolt ports are found on premium devices like Apple's MacBook laptops and Dell's XPS laptops, but haven't been adopted as widely as Intel would've hoped. USB continues to be strong competition with the USB 4 announced last year. USB 4 should arrive in products this year, and claims to offer 40Gbps data transfer speeds, similar to that of Thunderbolt 3.The upcoming 10nm Tiger Lake CPUs will feature integrated Xe graphics, improved AI integrations and native Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6 for connectivity. The company says that manufacturers will start receiving Tiger Lake CPUs in summer 2020, so laptops with the new processors can be expected to launch sometime by the end of this year.