TechByter Worldwide 2020-10-16: Big Data May Be Your Enemy. Short Circuits. Spare Parts.

Published: Oct. 16, 2020, 4 a.m.

Big data and artificial intelligence offer a lot of promise, but there are also formidable challenges. Unless proved otherwise, perhaps we should consider these technologies dangerous, or at least potentially hostile. In Short Circuits: The Windows 10 October 2020 update is coming. It's available now only to those in the Windows Insider program, but it won't be long until it's pushed out to all users. It's a small update. • Support for Office 2010 ended on 13 October 2020. If you're thinking this is no big deal, think again. The end of support means the end of security updates and bug fixes. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Sometimes I get the crazy idea that there are scammers who intentionally create email messages with so many errors that no sentient human would fall for them. Why? There's no logical reason. • If you use Zoom or any other meeting application that supports background substitution, Tech Republic has some Halloween images you might like. • Twenty years ago: Security concerns in 2000 were not substantially different from what they are today. The players have changed, but many of the rules remain the same.