The nearly 20-year-old Thunderbird email client will undergo a major overhaul that promises to modernize the interface and make the software more reliable.

The overhaul aims to cut down on the “technical debt” that the free, open-source email client has accumulated over the past decade from developers tweaking and programming new features.

“Simply ‘adding stuff on top’ of a crumbling architecture is not sustainable, and we can’t keep ignoring it,” Thunderbird Product Design Manager Alessandro Castellani wrote in a blog post.

Castellani likened Thunderbird’s computer code to “an enormous Lego tower” built on top of a center piece in the wrong shape. “If you replace just that piece, the whole tower will crumble. This means you have to slowly remove the blocks above it to keep the tower from collapsing,” he wrote. “Then, once you reach that center piece, you replace it, and then add back the pieces you removed with slightly different pieces.”

Hence, the Thunderbird team is preparing a “massive rework from the ground up” to streamline the email client's underlying software. The overhaul will span three years and involve rewriting ancient code in the software while rebuilding the email client’s interface from scratch.

The changes will arrive in the upcoming Thunderbird 115 “Supernova” release slated for July 2023. Users can expect the new version to offer “a simple and clean interface for ‘new’ users, as well as the implementation of more customizable options with a flexible and adaptable interface to allow veteran users to maintain that familiarity they love,” Castellani said.

“Improvements to the UI and UX (user interface and user experience) will continue for the next 2 years, with the objective of creating an interface that can adapt to everyone’s needs,” he added.

PC Magazine

Netflix on Wednesday laid out plans to crack down on password sharing for accounts on its streaming platform, including setting up primary location and paying a couple of dollars for an extra member.

The video-streaming giant, which has estimated that 100 million around the world use a shared account, said that members can now easily manage who has access to their account, transfer profile to a new account and still easily watch Netflix on their personal devices or log into a new TV.

"So over the last year, we've been exploring different approaches to address this issue in Latin America, and we're now ready to roll them out more broadly in the coming months, starting today in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain," the company said in a blogpost.

Members on Netflix's standard or premium plan in many countries can add an extra member sub account for up to two people for an extra C$7.99 a month per person in Canada, NZD$7.99 in New Zealand, 3.99 euros in Portugal, and 5.99 euros in Spain, the company said.

The company lost subscribers in the first half of 2022 amidst stiff competition from rivals, prompting it to look more seriously into password sharing and launching an ad-supported plan.

Reuters

Google has released the first Android 14 developer preview (DP1) to help app creators target the new platform. This time around, the initial priorities are accessibility, battery life and security. You can scale fonts to a much larger size (200 percent versus the earlier 130 percent), and smarter scaling makes text more readable. It's easier to set preferred languages for apps, and developers can be more accommodating to people who speak gendered languages like French.

Android 14 DP1 also includes some under-the-hood improvements that can make the most of your battery and screen. There are tighter controls on alarms, foreground tasks and internal broadcasts, all of which can reduce power consumption. It should also be easier to build apps for foldable phones and tablets, so you may see software that makes better use of your hardware's visual real estate.

Android 14 can block users from sideloading very old apps. Google will require that apps target at least Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), as some malware is written for older versions to avoid a permissions system introduced in 2015. This won't prevent you from running apps that are already installed when you upgrade the OS, and you can use command line instructions to force installations. However, you may have to look for alternatives if there's an ancient app you'd hate to give up.

This first preview is available through the desktop Android emulator as well as the Pixel 4a, Pixel 5 and newer Google phones. The first Android 14 beta should arrive in April, and Google expects "platform stability" (read: release candidates) in June. As always, the developer previews don't represent the sum total of what the new platform will bring. We'd expect Google to reveal more conspicuous changes at its I/O conference in the spring.

Engadget

One of the aspects of Chromebooks that has been a negative for many over the years is the lack of Microsoft’s Office suite, but as those apps improve their experiences on the web, ChromeOS is about to add better integration with Microsoft 365.

In a recent post, Google announced that ChromeOS will add integration with Microsoft 365 and OneDrive via the Files app. This integration will be available “later this year” and, on debut, will allow users to access their files from OneDrive through ChromeOS itself and open the files within Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, PowerPoint, or Excel via 365’s Progressive Web App. To an extent, it will feel like Windows’ integration of OneDrive, and more so the integration of Google Drive into ChromeOS.

Google explains:

To further help these users, we will have a new integration later this year on ChromeOS, making it easier to install the app and open files.

Users will be offered a guided setup experience that takes them through the process of installing the Microsoft 365 web app and connecting Microsoft OneDrive to their Chromebook Files app. Files will be moved to Microsoft OneDrive when opening in the Microsoft 365 app.

Google says a full announcement for this functionality will arrive in the coming months, with the feature of course going live first in ChromeOS’s dev and beta channels.

9to5Google

Windows 11 has been generally available since October 2021, and if you're still running the launch version of the operating system, Microsoft is going to automatically update your PC imminently.

As Windows Central reports, Microsoft decided to call time on the launch version of Windows 11 (21H2). As of Jan. 26, anyone still running version 21H2 of either Windows 11 Home or Pro is on the automatic update list.

In a status update, Microsoft said "The automatic update to Windows 11, version 22H2 will happen gradually starting with those devices that have been using version 21H2 for the longest period of time."

Windows users affected by this decision can still control when the update gets installed by setting their active hours in Windows. You can't stop the update happening, but Microsoft may delay it for some systems if a compatibility issue is identified. Microsoft believes the automatic update is necessary to ensure "you stay protected and productive."

Windows 11 22H2 counts as a features update for the operating system.

PC Magazine

The Samsung S23 is set to be unveiled during Samsung's Unpacked event on Wednesday, Feb. 1, but an AT&T store in Atlanta didn't get the memo. On Monday, the Brookhaven store's website posted images of the phone, as well as a description of its features and colors ahead of its official launch.

The Samsung S23 appears to come in green, cream, lavender and a grayish/black Phantom color. It features an "automatic adaptive 6.6-inch display" and a 50-megapixel camera with "Advance Nightography." It's also water-resistant, with a battery that "powers your day," wireless fast charging and noise cancellation.

The new S23 is reportedly 5.76 by 2.79 by 0.30 inches and weighs 5.93 ounces. The AT&T page also listed a "shop now" button that didn't work. The page was taken down around 11:20 a.m. ET.

Samsung should be announcing the entire S23 lineup during its event on Wednesday. Along with the Galaxy S23, the company is expected to unveil the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra. The event will be held in person in San Francisco and streamed online.

CNET