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January 2019
Chrome 72.0
31 January 2019
Google has released Version 72.0.3626.81 of the Chrome browser. This update provides a range of improvements, as well as security and bug fixes.
Firefox 65.0
30 January 2019
Mozilla has released Version 65.0 of the Firefox browser. This major update enhances tracking protection, adds support for AV1 video compression, adds support for the WebP image format, improves pop-up blocking, and improves performance management via about:performance, as well as providing security and bug fixes.
iTunes 12.9.3
26 January 2019
Apple has released a new Version 12.9.3 of the iTunes software. If you don't wish to use the Windows Store to download iTunes, direct download links are provided: 64-bit Version, 32-bit Version. This version contains security fixes.
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.1.2
25 January 2019
AMD has released the Adrenalin Edition 19.1.2 driver for the HD 7700, HD 8500 series and above on Windows 7 and 10. This driver improves support for Resident Evil 2, Tropico 6 and Anthem Early Access, and provides a range of bug fixes.
Nvidia GeForce 417.75 Hotfix
24 January 2019
Nvidia has released the 417.75 Hotfix graphics driver. This driver is for the GeForce 600 series and above under Windows 10. It addresses flickering on a G-Sync monitor when an HDMI monitor is also connected on the same GPU.
Opera 58.0
24 January 2019
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 58.0.3135.47. This version adds the option to warn before closing multiple tabs, and continues the rollout of different news delivery mechanisms in Russia, as well as providing bug fixes.
Windows Updates
23 January 2019
Microsoft has released a Cumulative Update for Windows 10 version 1809.
Site Update
22 January 2019
I haven't forgotten about that Hardware Confusion article I promised, but I want it to be much more than just a self-indulgent look at my new hardware, so I'm putting in all sorts of tips and tweaks for everybody. Accordingly, it's grown in size and complexity, and will take a while longer. I'm learning a lot of new things while researching the article, and fortunately I haven't screwed anything up too badly! Here's a screenshot of my W10 desktop showing the new chip sitting comfortably around its 4.9GHz boost clock across all 8 cores, on a very hot day, with no discernible noise, in a closed case with standard air cooling. I know I said I wouldn't overclock, but it's not really overclocking when it's almost entirely automated by the motherboard's AI. Even then, it's not the CPU that's been the real star of this new system...
Update: The screenie above was simply to demonstrate that even on a standard system, the chip operates at full boost clocks on all cores at low temps, making ordinary tasks very responsive. I was saving the stress testing discussion for later due to the number of variables involved in overclocking these chips with stability. But to give you an idea of what safely auto-overclocking on a system not built to overclock achieves, here's a 10 minute Prime95 run. Note: ambient temperature was quite high (37C/99F) today, so even with aircon, my closed case and silent air cooler meant the AI OC throttled the CPU to around 4GHz at times, averaging 4.2GHz for the run, while CPU temps averaged 65C, peaking at 70C. A more real-world scenario, such as the built-in benchmark in 7-Zip, shows a 4.6GHz average, with temps again in the 65-70C range. Remember, my priority is silence and stability. To be discussed in more detail soon :)
Intel HD Graphics 25.20
19 January 2019
Intel has released Version 25.20.100.6519 of its HD Graphics drivers for the optimal performance of Intel Integrated Graphics on Intel CPUs.
Windows 10 October 2018 Update
18 January 2019
Microsoft has revised the Windows 10 Update History page to note that the October 2018 Update, Version 1809 Build 17763.253, is now being rolled out more broadly via Windows Update, not just to those who click the 'Check for Updates' button as was previously the case. The latest version of the 1809 update has been stable for me, both on my old system, and now my new system. However, I strong advise doing a full backup before letting it install.
Java Runtime Environment 8.201
17 January 2019
Oracle has released an Update 201 to the Java Runtime Environment 8.
Opera 57.0
17 January 2019
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 57.0.3098.110. This update provides bug fixes.
Windows Updates
16 January 2019
Microsoft has released Cumulative Updates for Windows 10 version 1703, 1709 and 1803.
Nvidia GeForce 417.71 WHQL
16 January 2019
Nvidia has released the 417.71 WHQL certified graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 600 and higher graphics cards under Windows 7, 8 and 10. It adds support for the new RTX 2060 GPU, and improves GSync on compatible monitors. The driver also contains PhysX version 9.18.0907 and GeForce Experience version 3.16.0.
VLC Media Player 3.0
16 January 2019
The free VLC Media Player has been updated to Version 3.0.6. This update fixes a DVD subtitle issue and adds support for HDR in AV1.
Site Update
14 January 2019
Just a quick note to say that I've put together, tested, and stabilized my new system, and everything is working beautifully. Lots of general hardware and Windows-related tips and thoughts to share with you in my upcoming article on the build. I've also spent some more time trying to work out the best strategy for my Linux Experiment, and I'll have more on that soon as well.
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.1.1
11 January 2019
AMD has released the Adrenalin Edition 19.1.1 driver for the HD 7700, HD 8500 series and above on Windows 7 and 10. This driver improves performance in Fortnite (Season 7) on the RX 580 and RX Vega 64 GPUs, and provides a range of bug fixes.
Firefox 64.0
10 January 2019
Mozilla has released Version 64.0.2 of the Firefox browser. The update provides bug fixes.
Opera 57.0
10 January 2019
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 57.0.3098.116. This update provides bug fixes.
Microsoft Security Updates
9 January 2019
Microsoft has released its monthly set of Windows security updates which you can view here and obtain via Windows Update. This includes the latest Windows 7 Rollup and Windows 8.1 Rollup updates, as well as Windows 10 Cumulative Updates.
Flash Player 32.0
9 January 2019
Adobe has released Version 32.0.0.114 of the Flash Player plugin for browsers. To download the full offline installer, use these links depending upon your browser: Internet Explorer or Firefox or Opera. Use Windows Update to update the built-in Flash Player in IE11 under Windows 8 and 10, and Edge under Windows 10. Update to the latest version of Chrome to update its built-in Flash Player.
Acrobat Reader DC 19
9 January 2019
Adobe has released a new Version 2019.010.20069 of its free software for viewing PDF documents, now known as Acrobat Reader DC. This update addresses specific security issues.
Site Update
6 January 2019
The tech news begins to ramp up again next week, particularly as the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs from 8-12 January, and will hopefully provide details of the much-anticipated Ryzen 3000 series CPUs. On that note, I received my new i7 9700K-based system components a couple of days ago, but my case was delayed (as expected) and will arrive early next week. The most commonly asked question/comment I've received since I posted my new build is: "Why aren't you waiting for the amazing Ryzen 3000 series?" The final article will cover things in detail, but an initial answer is provided at the bottom of the updated Hardware Confusion 2019 one-page placeholder article. If all goes well with the new system, I can move onto the 2019 Linux Experiment, as I've dubbed it, soon.
Opera 57.0
4 January 2019
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 57.0.3098.110. This update provides bug fixes.
7-Zip 18.06
1 January 2019
A new Version 18.06 of the free 7-Zip archival utility has been released. This update improves LZMA/LZMA2 compression speed, and fixes several bugs, including a memory leak in the xz decoder, and no multi-core support for hz2 archive creation.
Steam Support for Windows XP & Vista
1 January 2019
A reminder that Valve has previously announced that starting from 1 January 2019, the Steam gaming platform will no longer be supported on Windows XP and Vista. This is because certain features in Steam now rely on an embedded version of Google Chrome which no longer functions on older versions of Windows.
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