Network specialist Netgear has announced in a support document that Windows 10 will not support the new, faster Wi-Fi 7 standard, confirming previous reports.

The Netgear support document in question is about Wi-Fi over the 6 GHz band. This was introduced with the Wi-Fi 6E standard and is also mandatory for Wi-Fi 7. According to Netgear, in order to use the 6 GHz band, a PC must have a compatible network adapter with the latest drivers and also use the latest version of Windows 11.

In this context, Netgear stresses that Microsoft has indicated that it will not backport 6 GHz support to Windows 10. So even if you have a 6 GHz-capable network adapter installed in your computer, if your PC is using Windows 10, you will not be able to use 6 GHz Wi-Fi until you upgrade to Windows 11.

In other words, since Windows 10 doesn’t support the 6 GHz frequency band, but 6 GHz is mandatory for Wi-Fi 7, Windows 10 can’t handle Wi-Fi 7.

Wi-Fi 7 (officially referred to as “802.11be Extremely High Throughput EHT”) promises significantly more bandwidth than Wi-Fi 6E, theoretically up to 46 Gbit/s instead of the 9.6 Gbit/s. The main innovation that Wi-Fi 6E brought was the use of the 6 GHz band for WLAN communication as a supplement to the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands previously used.

PCWorld

When Windows 10 first launched back in 2015, Microsoft also made the OS a free upgrade for all Windows 7 and Windows 8 users who did so within the first year of its release. After July 29, 2016, that offer expired, and Windows 10 was no longer a free upgrade... except, it was.

Even though Microsoft said the upgrade offer had expired, users found that they could still upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 8 to Windows 10 without needing to buy a new product key. In fact, Windows 10 would accept Windows 7 and 8 keys with no question asked.

When Windows 11 rolled around in 2021, those older Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys continued to work, likely because under the hood, Windows 11 was just Windows 10 with a fresh coat of paint. But now, as we move into the next era of Windows, Microsoft is closing that loophole.

Announced today, older Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys will no longer activate Windows 10 or Windows 11. This change is already in effect with the latest Windows Canary preview builds, which are testing the next major version of the Windows client due out next year.

As of right now, these older keys still activate the production builds of Windows 11, but it's unclear how long that will remain. Microsoft says Windows 10 product keys will still be able to activate Windows 11, as long as you're using Windows 11 on an eligible PC that officially supports the newer OS.

Windows Central

Amazon's Prime "Day" is now officially a bi-annual event. The company today confirmed that it will host a second deals event for Prime members on Oct. 10-11.

Between Prime Day 1.0 and this year's other major shopping holiday—Black Friday—Amazon will hold Prime Big Deal Days next month, beginning at 3 a.m. ET on Oct. 10 and running through Oct. 11. The name seems to be a nod to the fact that these sales are no longer one-day events, but multi-day deal extravaganzas looking to entice those eager to get a head start on their holiday shopping.

As usual, you'll need to be a Prime member in one of 19 countries to save: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the US, and the UK.

Last year was the first time Amazon expanded Prime Day savings to a second event in the fall, which it called the Prime Early Access Sale.

PC Magazine

Apple on Tuesday announced iOS 17 will be available for users to download for free on Sept. 18.

The company first announced the software update at its WWDC event in June, but it was initially only available in beta for users who were willing to deal with bugs. For iPhone users, iOS 17 will bring changes to major apps such as Phone, FaceTime and Messages. For iPad users, the update will add the Health app, expanded functionality for widgets and new ways to customize the lock screen.

In the new update for iPhones, voicemails are coming to FaceTime, meaning users will be able to leave video messages for their friends and family. There will be a more powerful search function in Messages, as well as a catch-up feature in group chats. Apple also introduced a new experience called Standby, which will function like a bedside clock when users turn their phone sideways and place it on a table or nightstand.

At its annual launch event Tuesday, Apple introduced the iPhone 15 lineup featuring new titanium exteriors and USB-C charging, plus the brand-new Apple Watch, with 72 hours of battery life.

There are four new phone models, ranging from the entry-level iPhone 15 at $799 to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which costs at least $1,199. Consumers can preorder the phones as early as Friday, and they will be available Sept. 22.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be priced at $799, the Series 9 will be priced at $399 and the second-generation SE will cost $249, the company said. Customers can preorder the watches now and they will also be available Sept. 22.

CNBC

Google announced today that it's extending Chromebooks' automatic update support from 8 years to 10 years for devices released from 2019 and later. The move follows increasing criticism from consumers, schools, and advocacy groups around the many Chromebooks in use and on sale with looming death dates.

"All Chromebook platforms will now get regular automatic updates for 10 years," Google's blog post says. Numerous Chromebooks released in 2019 were about to expire next year. Now, no Chromebooks should be expiring within the next two years.

Google's blog continues:

Starting in 2024, if you have Chromebooks that were released from 2021 onwards, you’ll automatically get 10 years of updates. For Chromebooks released before 2021 and already in use, users and IT admins will have the option to extend automatic updates to 10 years from the platform’s release when they receive their last automatic update.

Ten years of support is a notable achievement for Chromebooks, which are often budget-priced. The average Mac receives seven years of macOS updates. Windows, meanwhile, usually sees 10 years of updates, but you can install Windows (and update it) on devices from as long ago as the late 2000s. Chromebooks are unique in individual models having automatic update expiration (AUE) dates and have faced criticism for this for years.

Elizabeth Chamberlain, director of sustainability at iFixit, told Ars Technica:

Basing update and service timelines on first manufacture date instead of last new sale date is a fundamentally flawed model. It allows for the awful possibility that someone might buy a new retail product with expired security support, which should never happen.

Ars Technica

Apple has confirmed its new iPhone will not feature its proprietary lightning charging port, after the EU forced the change.

The tech giant said that the iPhone 15, unveiled at its annual event on Tuesday, would use a USB-C cable as the "universally accepted standard".

A new Apple Watch series was also unveiled with a more advanced chip.

But one analyst said a lack of "headline-grabbing" updates from Apple this year would disappoint some.

"It isn't a surprise given the maturity of the iPhone and Watch," said Ben Wood from CCS Insight.

"It reflects just how refined the iPhone and Watch devices are and how tough it has become to deliver truly disruptive updates every year."

Apple released a USB-C-to-lightning port adapter for £29 ($36). The product connects the lightning port accessories people will have built up over the years to its new USB-C-enabled iPhones or iPads.

The latest iPhone handset, which goes on sale next week, is the first since 2012 to feature an alternative charging port.

The firm said the USB-C cable - which already works with many Apple laptops and iPads - will also work on new versions of its AirPods Pro earphones and wired EarPods headphones.

The EU had told the tech giant to ditch its proprietary charging ports to make life easier for consumers, save them money, and help reduce e-waste by encouraging re-use of chargers.

However, some warn the move will lead to a rise in discarded cables in the years to come.

Perhaps in response, Apple used its launch event on Tuesday to make a series of environmental pledges about its new devices, including making the new Apple Watch range carbon neutral for the first time.

It will also increase the amount of recycled materials being used in batteries and other parts of the new Watch and iPhone.

The company also confirmed it would no longer use leather in any of its accessories and pledged to become carbon neutral as a business by 2030.

BBC News